"Play It Early": Football and Prevention on Mother's Day

An initiative in Rho, Italy, scheduled for May 10th, will merge free breast examinations with an Under 10 women's football tournament to highlight breast cancer prevention.

The Genesis of "Gioca d'Anticipo"

The "Gioca d'Anticipo" (Play It Early) project was founded by Sandra Caruso. After personally battling breast cancer, she felt a profound need to create a platform that encourages individuals to undergo regular check-ups for the timely detection of potential tumors. The initiative will commence with an Under 10 women's football tournament, organized in collaboration with F.C. Rhodense, which immediately embraced Sandra Caruso's proposal. On Sunday, May 10th, the V. Vinciguerra Municipal Sports Field in Lucernate di Rho will host the tournament, featuring both professional and amateur teams. Youth female squads from clubs such as Inter, Milan, Como, Torino, Sassuolo, and many other organizations, including Rhodense, are slated to participate.

Preventive Activities

This event is sponsored by the Municipality of Rho and benefits from the participation of ASST Rhodense. Starting at 9 AM, Rho’s sports center will transform into a vibrant "village of sharing and prevention." Women will have the valuable opportunity to receive free breast examinations conducted by specialists from ASST Rhodense. Throughout the day, attendees can also enjoy entertainment, catering services, and engage in informative discussions with health professionals.

Just the First Step

The selection of Mother's Day for this event is deeply symbolic. Often, mothers dedicate so much of their time and energy to caring for others that their own health takes a backseat, leading to the postponement of crucial preventive check-ups for conditions like breast cancer. "Gioca d'Anticipo" aims to celebrate women and emphatically remind them of the vital importance of not delaying these examinations. "Prevention can truly make a profound difference. If even just one person, inspired by this day, decides not to postpone that crucial check-up any longer, then we will have already achieved a significant milestone," stated Sandra Caruso. However, the May 10th event is merely the initial phase of an ongoing journey. This path will continue with further awareness campaigns, strategic partnerships, and engaging social content designed to make the culture of prevention simple and accessible to everyone.