A delegation of 10 young Italian American ice hockey players from the United States recently visited the National Museum of Italian Emigration in Genoa as part of a broader initiative linking youth sports and roots tourism. The athletes, all under the age of 14, are in Italy to compete in the 2025 Trofeo CONI Winter while also exploring the cultural history connected to their Italian ancestry.
The visit to the museum offered the group an immersive look at the experiences of millions of Italians who emigrated between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. Through documents, multimedia displays and personal stories, the young visitors learned how migration shaped families, communities and identities across continents.
A specific section of the exhibition focuses on the role of sports in emigrant communities, showing how athletic activities helped Italians integrate abroad while maintaining strong cultural ties.
During the guided tour, several players discovered connections to regions such as Sicily, Calabria, Campania, Puglia, Lombardy, Liguria, Abruzzo and Basilicata. For many, the experience transformed abstract family stories into tangible history, linking their present-day athletic paths with the journeys of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
The delegation’s stay in Italy is part of the Turismo delle Radici program, which encourages young people of Italian descent to reconnect with their origins through travel, education and cultural exchange. Alongside museum visits, the athletes are taking part in the Trofeo CONI Winter, a national youth sports event involving hundreds of participants and multiple disciplines, scheduled to conclude on December 21 in the Aosta Valley.
Following their time at the museum, the group joined a themed walking tour through Genoa centered on the relationship between sport and emigration. The itinerary highlighted how activities such as soccer, baseball, boxing, rowing, bocce and traditional local games became powerful tools of social cohesion for Italian communities abroad.
For these young Italian American athletes, the trip represents more than a sports competition. It is a chance to understand where their families came from, how Italian identity evolved overseas, and how sport continues to serve as a bridge between generations, cultures and countries.
