Let’s bring together some key insights on children’s mental development to understand how they might also influence their path in sports.
1. Reading from an early age makes a real difference
In Italy, according to the latest 2022 ISTAT data, only 39.3% of people aged 6 and over read at least one book for pleasure in the past year—a decline compared to previous years. Women read more than men (44% vs. 34.3%), and this gap begins as early as age 11. Among young people under 24, reading is more common (57.1%), with girls aged 11–14 reaching over 60%.
Children who grow up in families where reading is a habit are far more likely to become regular readers. This is critical, because reading stimulates language development, imagination, focus, and self-discipline—all of which are essential not just in school, but in sports as well.
Still, even among those who do read, few do it consistently: only 6.4% of Italians are considered “strong readers” (12+ books per year), while 17.4% read no more than three books annually. Furthermore, one in ten households owns no books at all, and 63.6% own fewer than 100. Italy’s reading culture remains weak, especially given how vital it is for children’s cognitive and emotional development.
2. Your vocabulary at age 5 already says a lot about your future
Nobel laureate James Heckman has shown that by preschool age, there are already huge vocabulary gaps tied to socioeconomic background: children of unemployed parents know about 500 words, those from low-education households around 700, and those of college-educated parents up to 1,100. Sadly, these differences persist over time and strongly predict a child’s future in terms of career, income, health, and family stability.
This shows how critical it is to invest in education and cognitive stimulation from the earliest years of life.
3. Sports need trained minds—not just trained bodies
Novak Djokovic shared that as a child, he listened to classical music, read poetry, and studied languages. This multidisciplinary approach helped him build focus and emotional intelligence—vital traits in elite-level tennis. For him, life lessons and tennis lessons were one and the same.
His story illustrates that athletic talent alone isn’t enough: a trained mind is essential. That’s why promoting reading and culture from early childhood is also a key investment in sports. It helps develop not only better athletes, but also more disciplined, aware, and resilient individuals.
In summary
If we want to raise a generation of skilled athletes and active citizens, we must start with education: reading, language, critical thinking. Sport, like life, requires curious and well-prepared minds. The weak sporting culture in Italy is just one symptom of a deeper educational poverty—one that far too many young people pay for well before adulthood.