Students at a technical sports institute in Naples met with high-performance physical trainer Aldo Chiari to discuss career paths and the value of athletic discipline, Il Mattino reported.
Alessandro plays midfield for Internapoli, Lorenzo boxes, and Gaetano practices karate. They are among the teenagers attending the Istituto di istruzione superiore con indirizzo tecnico sportivo Melissa Bassi in Scampia, a neighborhood known across Naples for its concentration of martial arts gyms, boxing clubs, and football teams.
To help these students connect their daily training to long-term futures, the school invited Chiari, a Neapolitan sports scientist who conditions tennis star Elena Rybakina. Chiari spent time in the classrooms sharing both his professional background and early struggles in combat sports.
“Without a penny and without the possibility of certain earnings, but only to improve myself,” Chiari told the students, recalling his early days practicing Thai boxing.
Professional sports careers beyond competing
The classroom visit is part of a series of seminars running through December at the Scampia institute. The program introduces students to various professions linked to athletics, ranging from sports journalism and refereeing to club management and coaching.
“The objective is to propose sport to the kids also as a possible job outlet,” said Francesco Saverio Maiolini, a teacher involved in the project, Il Mattino reported. “You don’t necessarily have to be an athlete: there are many equally qualifying and rewarding professions.”
Chiari emphasized the mental framework required to reach elite levels, pointing to dedication and structured goal-setting. Throughout his career, the trainer has worked across basketball and tennis, contributing to domestic championship success with Phard Napoli and collaborating with players including Novak Djokovic.
Goals against digital distractions
Beyond career preparation, students and faculty discussed how structured physical training serves as an antidote to constant smartphone usage and digital distractions.
“When I train, I don’t think at all about who called me,” student Alessandro said.
Classmate Samuel added that idle time often fuels excessive screen time. “It is having nothing to do that creates this addiction,” Samuel said.
Chiari urged the teenagers to establish clear milestones, noting that consistent incremental progress builds resilience in both athletics and daily life. The speaker schedule at the Melissa Bassi institute continues with additional sports executives, match officials, and combat sports instructors ahead of the winter break.
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