Sport is life-changing | Luigi De Micco | TEDxMilano

Once upon a time there was a small playground (campetto) in Moscova street: it was 1979.
Changes leave empty spaces, but sometimes these same spaces can be filled with something bigger and better than before. Luigi De Micco invites us to think that a page left blank can give us the opportunity to start from scratch and invent new projects, that involve the body, mind and soul, and that are able to overcome any barrier.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

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Once upon a time the field of Via Moscova.

This story is set a few short steps
from this theatre,

a stone's throw from Duomo Square.

It was 1979.

The year when this photo was taken,

Jody Scheckter, in Monza,
becomes Formula 1 champion,

and AC Milan earns its tenth star
in the national title,

and Pietro Mennea sets
an unbelievable record,

19"72 in the 200 metres.

Just imagine that 40 years on, even now,

the record is unbeaten
at a European level.

No European has ever run faster than him.

But above all, something happens

that changed forever the history
of an area of Milan.

The United Nations proclaim 1979
the International Year of the Child.

Something that would normally
make no difference.

And yet Carlo Tognoli,
back then mayor of Milan,

decides to do something.

So he seizes the opportunity

and clears the area
in front of Via Moscova 26

from the rubble of a bombing
of the Second World War

and he realises a football field.

All right, it isn't a glamourous place,

it's an esplanade with two goals,
which soon rust, and a basketball court;

but I assure you,
it was a magnificent place,

because it had a noble mission:

sports for the youth.

I remember that field
as if it were yesterday.

I went there every day,
with my ball under my arm,

it was five minutes from home,
but it only took me three to get there.

I couldn't wait to get to the field.

It was the neighbourhood's Maracanà.

A theatre of memorable battles.

For instance, I remember the derby

between the clerks of the INAIL building

and the funeral home
employees in Porta Nuova.

(Laughter)

So no applauses: people would keep
their hands in their pockets.

(Laughter)

And then there was -

(Applause)

And then there was the super-classic

between the Carabinieri
from the barracks you see up there,

and the male nurses
of the Fatebenefratelli hospital,

and they beat each other like drums:
Florentine football, more than football.

Regardless, aside from
these unmissable fixtures,

the field had become in the 1980s

an exceptional meeting, socialisation spot
for the neighbourhood,

where kids like me were doing -
without knowing, and this is key -

one of the healthiest things
anyone can do in life: sports.

So up to here
the story goes nice and dandy.

But it didn't.

Because something big arrives,
something huge,

which puts an end to the story
of the field, and of the 1980s.

Do you know what? The 1990s.

And Milan turns into Swiss cheese,

holes were dug up everywhere
to build underground car parks.

Even under your house
I'm sure there was some big hole:

there were holes in Gramsci Square,
one in San Ambrogio, 25th April square -

Guys, could a hole be missing
in Via Moscova? Of course no.

And guess where did they dig?
Where the field was.

Here was the end of the endless games,

the end of the memorable battles.

Does the story of the field end here?

No. It depends.

Good, that's how I like you.

It depends. On whom? On us.

Because, if there's one thing I learnt,
one thing I learnt over these years

is that it everything
always depends on us.

So, if we don't want this story to end

with only a handful of extra car parks,

I'm asking for your help,
because I won't go very far by myself.

So I'm asking all of you
to stand up with me.

I'll make you work even on a Sunday.

Everybody up?

Put your hands behind your backs,

so we'll also beat the record

of the highest number of old dudes
watching a construction site.

(Laughter)

And imagine how this story may end.

Because it is true that a void
is a problem; it must be filled.

Some do so buying a motorcycle,
or a pair of shoes.

This is a huge void,
we need to fly higher.

So who says that, in the end,
on top of the car park layers

we can't put some icing

and realise a football field
that is nicer and stronger than before?

[It takes] a bit of creativity
and enthusiasm.

So we can pick up from where we left off,

so no one is taking away
our football field.

And what about Mennea's record?
Shall we try to beat it?

We need an athletics track,

and a building licence.

François said so, I'm from Cagliari,
and I miss the beach so bad,

so let's dream big,

let's pick up some sand
and let's build a beach volley court.

Don't ask me to bring over the sea,

we'll do instead "Italian style",
something creative,

let's build a basketball court,
and let's paint it blue, sea-like.

Thank you, you may sit down now,

because we declare
the construction complete,

the fastest building job in history.

We finished it in one minute.

You won't believe it, but -

(Applause)

Unity is strength.

But what we daydreamt for a minute

is exactly what I was faced with

when I took a walk and went to see
the end of works, in 2013.

We owe this to a group of citizens,

who, just like we did,
did not get discouraged,

they fought with patience and tenacity.

They built all the car parks,
the Green Moscova Cooperative,

but they also put on the icing.

So can we open it now, can't we?

Because the centre is closed.

They haven't opened it yet.

And incidentally, I find out
that in those days

the city of Milan was looking
for an administrator.

So I run home, full of enthusiasm,

and I jot down a 52-page project
on how I'd manage that place.

I place it in an envelope,
and I send it to Chiara Bisconti,

alderman of sport,
2, Via Marconi, Milan City Hall.

And I wait.

(Laughter)

With much optimism,
come on, we'll manage the field.

A week, two weeks, two months,
three months, four months -

The phone doesn't ring.

It finally does, at eight at night.

Unknown number. Shall I pick up?
It's dinner time, after all.

Yes. Guess who it was.

It was Fastweb wanting to sell me
the mega fibre - No, I'm joking.

They told me, "Don't say that,
it's a sponsor", but I did.

(Laughter)

No -

(Applause)

It must have happened to you too.

Worse, it was the alderman.

They had loved the project,

and the next day I had to go to her office

to collect the keys
because "Soon", in a hurry,

"Luigi, you have to open within 30 days."

You understand how the enthusiasm
and the happiness last about one minute

and soon turns into -

(Laughter)

absolute terror.

And I assure you that if you only knew

what I put in that envelope,
in that project,

you would also panick big time.

Let's read it together,

so we take up a little dose of fear
all together, which is good for you.

I won't read all 52 pages.

I wrote: creating a sports area
that acts as a model for the whole city,

managed according to ethical
and innovative criteria

to promote sports, wellbeing and health

fostering participation and integration
beyond any differences and prejudices.

How do you do all that stuff?

I had really shot high, because I wanted
to manage the field, but -

(Laughter)

(Applause)

Settle down,

you follow the other 51 pages
of the project methodically,

and if we want to create a model area

we need to improve
the structure that was already there,

because there indeed were a few flaws.

A 20,000-euro loan
by a friendly bank, immediate liquidity,

my dad, who's here somewhere.

(Laughter)

And we build the locker rooms -

there were no hot showers, no benches,

and we cover the athletics track,
which was made of asphalt,

with technical material.

And while we are at it,
we make the real dream come true:

we receive truckloads of sand
for the beach volley court.

Then, over the years,
little by little, after two years,

we also realised a gym,

so we put up a roof on a sports centre,
which had been entirely outdoor.

We're halfway through the
construction, we've built the roof,

which we celebrate
with "malloreddus alla campidanese"

prepared by my mom that morning.

I hadn't prepared them.
Is Pietro Palvarini here?

My mom had prepared them,
I can tell you now.

So the sports centre
is the atomic bomb, guys.

It's sensational,

the first people we want to welcome
once we open the gates

are the children,
those of the Year of the Child,

who are now in their 50s,

but they have their own children,
so more people in the neighbourhood.

But there isn't much time,
because we only have 30 days.

So myself and my partner,

who's the first person I called

when I saw the ad from the city,

together with him
and the old five-a-side friends

we quickly put together a non-profit

to realise that mission
and open the field.

So, here we are.

We look more like those guys
welcoming you onto the ferry,

but I assure you it's us.

Over time, we create over six years
a veritable team,

made up of educators, coaches
and project managers.

The projects are the heart
of the sports centre;

they are intended

for those whose life's starting blocks

were a few steps behind ours,

due a condition of physical
or social disadvantage.

And those like me who had all the fortunes
in the world are pleased to wait,

and support them to take a journey
of sports and life together.

So there are plenty of activities.

We have 100 free courses
for low-income families,

so those in need have
a fair chance to play sports.

And then there's the issue
of welcoming migrants,

so we have multicultural football,
basketball teams that are open to anyone.

During Saturday mornings trainings,
the centre becomes the navel of the world.

There are kids from Palestine,
Kosovo, Senegal, Mali

who play with Italian kids
to have an enriching experience?

The more diverse the cultures,
the richer the people.

We also focus on the accessibility
of sports to people with disabilities.

So we have a program
of crossdisciplinary activities

open to people of every age and ability.

Because if we get different people
to do sports together,

the experience is far richer.

This mix of individuals
and this variety of people on the field

is the key that makes this centre
the home of sports for everyone.

To realise our mission there,

otherwise it's useless,
it remains just a sheet of paper.

So there are kids on wheelchairs
who come to the centre to play

with the staff of the non-profits
accompanying them,

there are families who take
their children to attend our courses

and they join gym courses
alongside kids with disabilities.

There are phenomenal
visually impaired baseball players,

who open the eyes of those

who sometimes forget
how good sports are for you,

and they do it together.

And of course running cannot be missing:

the easiest of sports,
you only need a pair of shoes.

We have a free running club

where disabled children and volunteers
train to run marathons and relays.

We began tentatively with five people

then, after three years, step by step,

the whole world arrived
there are 500 of us,

with firms, partners, institutions
that have joined us,

50 youths with disabilities,

and the day of the marathon
is an extraordinary event.

With all these activities,
all these projects,

with the necessary enthusiasm,

leaving home, rain or shine,

winning, losing, sweating,
falling and getting back up,

in other words, doing sports,
change begins.

The most profound one.
The one within yourself.

So the mood is lifted,

you breathe -

It shows that I started doing
yoga last Monday, huh?

You bunch of phonies.

So you just feel better.

You're more sociable,
you laugh more, you joke more,

you reconnect with yourselves.

I saw this change in the face of a person
who one day came to the centre,

a company manager
who had supported our projects.

"I want to come and play
with the disabled kids."

"Great, come over."

He came in tensed,
after a presumably hellish day at work,

with all the muscles
in his face contracted.

He held out his hand
to greet the first kid,

and this boy with down syndrome
just sprang into a wonderful hug

I'm jealous, I'd have liked
to receive a hug like that.

It wasn't your everyday hug.

It was warm, human, long, therapeutic.

And this person got better immediately.

He had fun, he relaxed,

and he played with the kids;
he still thanks us today.

A hug was enough to trigger all this.

What an ability!

After you witness episodes like these,
you ask yourself some questions.

I know.

Who's disabled?

And I gave myself some answers.

We all have disabilities and abilities.

Everyone of us is able to do
one thing perfectly,

and everyone of us
is incapable of doing other things,

we have our disabilities,
possibly because we've worked too much?

Because we've been looking at our
mobile everywhere like dowsers,

and we have the world's
most nimble thumbs,

but we've let other parts of us wither?

Can it be?

So sports are always round the corner,

there's always a gym open 24 hours a day,

seven days a week,

to help us train the most important parts.

Our body? Easy bet.

The head? The Romans said it already.

The heart, above all.

So it is a gym where each of us can bring,
first and foremost, our abilities.

Let's start from the nice things,
because we share those first,

then the not-so-nice ones,
our disabilities,

will look more human,
more manageable, overcomeable.

This is why sports are magic,
and sports change lives.

And just like it changed mine,

and in small or large part

the lives of the other
protagonists of this story,

I am sure that it can be achieved

in other places with similar
social challenges.

Because Milan,
Italy and even other countries

are full of fields ready to take flight.

And, I hope, there are plenty of people -

maybe even in this theatre,
at home, around the world,

ready to invest in the magic of sports.

The sports revolution, I feel it,

can explode anywhere and in anyone,

provided one condition.

One condition must be fulfilled:
our willingness to light the fuse.

Our willingness to take the first step,

our willingness to dare more,
to get involved, play more.

That's it, play more.

I'm actually terrible at this myself,

because I too forget this thing some time.

So I wanted to write it down

in the most visible place I could find,

a place I would have in front of my nose
ten, a hundred, a thousand times a day,

together with the other protagonists
who have joined me in this story.

I wanted to write it
in the name of the project

and in the name of the sports centre,
which is called, "Play more".

Thank you.

(Applause)