LND Campaign Promotes the Right to Make Mistakes in Youth Sports

Targeting Youth Football Mental Health

According to campaign announcements, the fear of making mistakes often outweighs a young player’s desire to participate in sports. To combat performance anxiety, the LND’s CSR Area teamed up with Serenis and Pigna to introduce an initiative aimed at promoting psychological well-being and mental health awareness among teenage athletes. The project debuted during the Final 4 of the Italian Football Cup—a high-profile tournament for Italian high schools—and continued through the LND youth finals in Guidonia Montecelio.

The Eraser Metaphor and Locker Room Outreach

As part of the campaign, organizers distributed more than 300 erasers to players in the locker rooms as a physical metaphor for correcting mistakes and starting over. In addition, video walls displayed intentional grammatical errors during matches to visually reinforce that mistakes happen but should never stop a player from moving forward.

Luca De Simoni, coordinator of the LND CSR Area, explained the educational rationale behind the campaign. “We believe that the well-being of young people also passes through the ability to experience mistakes in a healthy and constructive way,” De Simoni stated, emphasizing that sports should treat errors as learning opportunities rather than limitations.

Reaching Generation Z on the Pitch

By bringing this message directly to the playing field, organizers utilized the competitive environment of youth soccer to engage directly with Generation Z. According to LND campaign materials, the initiative successfully bridged traditional athletic values with emotional support, highlighting mental health both on and off the turf.