The sport association as an educating community: a phenomenological-critical framework through the empirical lens of the university internship

Abstract

This theoretical paper conceptualises Italian sport associations as non-formal educating communities, addressing the pedagogical silence surrounding them. Drawing on qualitative data from a longitudinal observation of curricular internships in sport sciences, the essay proposes an integrated framework to overcome the reductionist paradigms dominating sport sciences. By synthesising Bertolini’s phenomenology, Dewey’s experience, Mortari’s care, Freire’s critical consciousness, and Nussbaum’s capabilities, the study outlines the conditions for sport to become a practice of freedom, highlighting internships as vital bridges for professional identity.