Polisportiva P.O.R.TO. Don Bosco

The Calcarone neighborhood is one of the peripheral areas of the municipality of Giardini Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily. In recent decades, Calcarone has represented a particularly complicated socio-economic context in which to grow. For a long time it was often referred to, with sad irony, as the “Bronx” because of the many people under house arrest who lived there. In general, the population of the neighborhood has always lived with a precarious existential dimension. There is a lot of poverty and those who are brave enough and lucky enough to find a job still remain anchored to an uncertain prospect as these are mainly seasonal or non-continuous jobs. The institutions have often been absent in recent years and the enormous void they have left has been occupied by illicit activities such as drug dealing, usury and vile delinquency. The main risk factors are linked to drug addiction, drug dealing, school dropout, lack of job opportunities or human and professional growth. All this makes Calcarone a particularly fragile context where young people in particular suffer from the lack of positive points of reference.

The role played so far by the parish community of the church of San Pancrazio and by the Polisportiva P.O.R.T.O. that is linked to the parish community fits into this framework. In recent decades, the parish center has represented a point of reference for many young people in the neighborhood. For years the sports club has been exploiting the enormous potential of sport as a driver of social inclusion to contribute to the growth of the many kids in the neighborhood by trying to convey the healthier values ​​of being together and sporting activity. The sports that have mainly been practiced in recent years are five-a-side football, volleyball and dance, taking advantage in particular of the open spaces of the parish center (a five-a-side football field and a volleyball field). Sport has therefore represented a privileged channel of socialization and human development for many boys and girls, followed by professional and trained coaches, educated in honesty, solidarity, mutual respect and cooperation. The current board of the sports center is investing heavily in the improvement of this splendid reality. In fact, recently the parish center has become a CONI smart centre. The structure is made up of two open environments, two multi-purpose pitches, a smaller one where 5-a-side football is generally played and a slightly larger one where volleyball is generally played.

The association uses non formal educational methodologies through sport and plays to fulfil its formative goals. We have a well-established network of partners, locally and internationally.

It is possible to find other information in our PIF attached to this page or contacting us.