“Più Sport @ Scuola”: a good practice for Veneto primary schools?

This paper examines aims, cultural background, and significant results of the PS@S project funded by the Veneto Region from 2004 to 2014 to develop a new model for physical activity and sport promotion among primary school children, collaborating with local administrations and sport clubs. The PS@S project was based on Project Coordinators (PCs), physical education teachers or graduates in exercise and sport sciences, that collaborated with primary school teachers. PCs gave organizational assistance and support to the teachers and/or were directly involved in planning and realizing sport-related activities, including recreational and cultural events. PCs also promoted school sports and the connection with local sport clubs/associations. The scientific background leans on the over- whelming evidences of the risks related with sedentary behavior among children and youth and on the health benefits (physical, psychological, and social) of regular physical activity. The ecological approach, centered on the personal skills, social determinants and environmental conditions, was an important guideline of the project. Data collected on more than 500 schools involving about 370,000 students suggests that PS@S project can be considered as a good practice for physical activity promotion intervention that could be utilize for appropriate youth sport dissemination also in other countries.