From an idea of former footballer Andrea Ranocchia, a project to make psychological and nutritional support accessible to athletes of all levels
In recent years the world of sport has experienced a fundamental awareness: physical performance cannot ignore psychological balance. It is from this awareness that it is born Athletics Minda digital platform designed to accompany professional, semi-professional and amateur athletes on a path of integrated growth that recognizes the mind as the true center of the athletic experience, capable of directing every physical and personal expression.
The project takes shape from the direct experience of those who have experienced professional sport at the highest levels and from the desire to create a safe, accessible and highly qualified space, where athletes can meet specialized professionals and interact with a community that shares the same path. Founded by the former footballer Andrea Ranocchiasupported by the CEO Luca Biondifrom Michele Cucchiarini for digital development and from Luca Simonetti for the financial and strategic part, Athletics Mind proposes to make mental preparation a structural component of traininghelping to overcome the stigma that still accompanies the use of psychological support in sport. Andrea Ranocchia involved in Athletics Mind many athletes and friends who have embraced the principle behind the project, such as Massimo Ambrosini, Alessandro Bastoni, Stefano Clessi, Fabio Fognini, Gianluca Gazzoli, Simone Giannelli, Filippo Magnini, Daniele Padelli, Mattia Perin, Antonio Pintus, Andrea Pirlo And Tullio Tinti.
How it was born Athletics Mind
At an operational level, Athletics Mind takes shape through a fully proprietary technological platform and mobile app, designed to guarantee maximum flexibility, data protection and continuous route monitoring. Through the application, users can come into direct contact with a selected network of health professionals specialized in the sports field, psychologists (thanks to the collaboration with the Study and Training Center in Sports Psychology) and nutritionists. The team, made up of over 30 professionals and progressively growing, is led by the psychotherapist and sports psychologist Lucia Bocchi and by the nutritionist specialized in sports nutrition Andrea Valigi. The objective of the platform is therefore to build an entire ecosystem that becomes an authoritative point of reference not only for individual athletes of all ages, but also for families, parents, coaches, agents and entire sports clubs or federations.
The guiding principle of the initiative is «Human First»: the athlete is not just performance or result, but, first of all, a person with his needs, fragilities, expectations and moments of difficulty. In a system that often demands maximum performance without offering the right tools to manage stress and change, Athletics Mind aims to normalize psychological support in sport, transforming it from a perceived “sign of weakness” to a fundamental pillar of daily training.
The importance of mental health for athletes
«Every sporting journey, at any level, is made up of extraordinary peaks but also of complex moments, injuries, pressures and transition phases that have a profound impact on personal life», he states Andrea RanocchiaCo-founder of Athletics Mind. «We wanted to create a safe and qualified space that would be useful to me and many colleagues during my career: a place “by athletes for athletes” where we can find listening, skills and a community to interact with without judgement».
At the base there are clear values: putting the person before the performance, normalizing mental support as an integral part of training, promoting inclusion and fair play and building a performance culture based on the balance between mind and body. Through the integration of mental support and nutritional paths, Athletics Mind aims to create a large network of athletes in Italy, integrating the digital experience with events and activities in the area designed to help the community grow and meet, because direct comparison with those who share the same path makes the difference as much as training on the field.
The approach of Athletics Mind thus demonstrates that the real difference on the field and in life does not lie in the absence of obstacles, but in the ability and tools with which one learns to face them to achieve a conscious and sustainable performance over time. Train your mind. The body follows.
