Wednesday, May 14, 2025 – Secondary school
Today we had the honor of hosting sports journalist Nando Sanvito in our school, a well-known and appreciated figure in the landscape of Italian journalism. He began his career in Madrid, then worked for many years in the editorial offices of major newspapers before becoming a correspondent at the European and World Cups for Fininvest and Mediaset. He was a pitchside reporter for Serie A and Champions League matches for over a decade, recounting the emotions of top-level sport from up close.
But today Nando Sanvito did not come to talk to us only about football or journalism. He came to talk to us about life, and above all about limits.
The theme of his conference was: “When the limit becomes a resource”. A powerful, educational message addressed to all of you young people, who are in the middle of a phase of life in which you will discover – and perhaps already know – difficulties, uncertainties, and mistakes.
Sanvito told us engaging stories of famous athletes who knew how to react to life’s difficulties with great determination, drawing enormous benefits from them. He reminded us that a life without mistakes is not even worth living, quoting the writer J.K. Rowling, because making mistakes is part of the journey. It is the way one grows. It is the way one becomes strong.
Nando spoke about two ways of facing life. There are “if people” and “despite people”.
The if people say phrases like:
- If I had had more opportunities, I wouldn’t be here now.
- If I had been able to study, I would have a good job today.
These are third conditional sentences, the kind that look at the past with regret, and often with resignation. But living like this is like standing still in front of a wall.
The despite people, instead, say:
- Despite not having had many opportunities, I have made it this far.
- Despite not being able to continue my studies, I tried anyway.
- Despite the injuries, the difficulties, the fatigue… I didn’t give up.
These are the people who truly build something. Those who transform the limit into a resource. Who do not define themselves by what they haven’t had, but by what they have chosen to do.
And the final message that Nando Sanvito wanted to leave us with is clear:
Make mistakes, fail, but do not stop. Learn. Change. Grow.
And this always applies. At any age. Even at yours. Even for us adults. Even for teachers.
Do not make the biggest mistake: that of stopping in the face of difficulty.
Never be “if” people. Always be “despite” people.
Prof. Jolanda Caprioli
