Rome City Institute’s senior Anthony Redmond II walked us through a day in the life of a youth soccer player in Italy, between schoolwork, practice with his club Tor Di Quinto, and daily errands.
“When I wake up, the first thing I do is pray, then I take a shower. I go downstairs, eat breakfast and check my calendar to see what I have to do for the day. After the training session at Rome City, I go back home around 12, shower and either nap or do some work; I usually do work later in the day, but I try to max it out if I’m not tired. At 2.20, I leave to go to the metro and get to club training, near the Stadio Olimpico, at 3.30. When I get back home, I cook myself some dinner, eat, maybe go grocery shopping, take a shower and then I do schoolwork.”
Anthony went on to explain how USPA helps him slot in so many things into a such a tight schedule: “This kind of school system is especially good for a student-athlete like me, because it helps me to get around my schedule more. Some kids might not be able to multitask, doing school and soccer, but USPA really gives me the freedom to get work done earlier and, if I fall behind, it’ll still give me that leverage to go back and prove myself that I can keep up with the work. Moreover, they give you help whenever you need, through Pronto and emails, and are always available. Lastly, USPA also gives me the opportunity to make new friends, as they have group chats where you can express what you do and connect to other people who are doing similar things.”
Lastly, Anthony explained what makes this experience in Rome so valuable for a soccer player, talking about the differences between his motherland and Italy in terms of training methods, and how this is proving instrumental to his growth as athlete. “I’d say that the biggest difference between training in Italy and the US is the atmosphere. Back home, you don’t really have the excitement to play. Here, everything is way more intense and professional. They want to make you as professional as possible, while in the US is more about just having fun. Here, they take it seriously; if you’re good enough, they prepare you to do this as a job one day. In America, everything is more like ‘kicking around’, while here they help you tactically, and they want to make you develop as a player and person. The players in Europe are much smarter, their IQ is insane and they take everything seriously. Moreover, if there’s something that you don’t know, it’ll be taught to you; in the US, they’re more like ‘You’ll get it next time’. Here everything is more professional: you have to learn it, you have to live it, you have to breathe it.”
We can’t do nothing but wish Anthony best of luck going forward or, for those familiar with Italian, in bocca al lupo!