CUS PADOVA

CUS Padova is the Sport Association of the University of Padova. Since 1946, CUS Padova has been promoting sport activities as essential cultural and educational means for students, trainers and university staff to develop transversal and integrated skills and CUS has been supporting the practice and the diffusion of physical education as part of amateur sports. In the development of its activities, CUS Padova benefits from the sponsorship of several University Departments and works within the following networks: CUSI (Italian University Sports Centre); FISU (International University Sports Federation) and EUSA (European University Sports Association).

CUS Padova is one of the best-structured sport organizations of the territory with 5.000 members enrolled, of which 900 athletes, 1.400 students playing amateur sports and several people playing a variety of leisure activities. CUS Padova manages two sport facilities with sixteen sections of competitive sports: Athletics, Rugby, Field hockey, Fencing, Greco-roman wrestling, Judo, Cross-country skiing, Female futsal, Volleyball, Sitting volley, Tennis, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Ultimate Frisbee, Basketball and Wheelchair basketball.

CUS Padova fosters children, youth and adult education through cultural courses. It supplies services for schools, implementing at the local level research and training programmes to develop active citizenship and leadership of young people. It organises socio-cultural initiatives and leisure activities in favour of the shareholders, members and participants enrolled. It carries out training projects for technicians, sport managers and students as well as for disadvantaged people. CUS Padova especially organise adapted sport activities for people with disabilities: the first University Italian wheelchair basketball team plays here. Finally, CUS Padova supports training of trainers’ programmes for social inclusion of people with special needs, like courses for Sports Instructors for disabled people. Since 1988, CUS Padova has been promoting international and national events of amateur and competitive sport and, in its sports facilities, European and International students’ exchanges take place every year. Sport events are also the occasion to promote the fundamental values that sport conveys: inclusion, equality, fair play and integrity and to raise awareness on the importance of health enhancing physical activity and correct lifestyles, particularly among young people.

In 2014, CUS Padova started working within the Erasmus+ Programme, especially in the field of youth and sport. This new experience gave it the opportunity to get in contact with many European organisations working in the same field of interest and to start new and fruitful collaborations. We are looking for new opportunities to engage young people in non formal learning path and active participation to support their personal and social growth.