Jared’s Year of Soccer in Italy

As parents, we want to help our kids achieve their dreams.  What do you do when those dreams include traveling abroad and playing soccer in Italy?

Jared and I exploring Assisi

We knew there were numerous programs that allow you to send your child abroad for school and training.  Even so, It was not an easy decision for my husband and I to  allow our fifteen year old to go abroad alone.

Fortunately, we had a connection to an international soccer program. When our children were younger, they had played at the Cape Fear Soccer Club in Wilmington, NC.  The Director of Coaching at the time was Antonio Saviano. One of Antonio’s very good friends Bruno Redolfi had started a program called the Italian Soccer School – AIC Academia Insegnare Calcio.

The AIC soccer school integrated everything we were looking for.  Great soccer training and a great school.

After several conversations with Antonio, Bruno and parents who had children previously participate in the program we decided to take the plunge and let Jared travel abroad to spend a year attending school and playing soccer in Italy.  

Recognizing that anything might happen.  He could blow out a knee. He might become distracted and fall in love with a girl whose Mother’s homemade sauce tastes better than my bottled brand.

He could stop standing out as a player; after all, just because you excel at one age doesn’t mean that you will necessarily continue to do so as you age.

Or… he could see his dream become a reality and Go Soccer Pro!

I don’t have any expectations for how or where he will play at the end of his school year.  I have hopes – I hope that he absolutely makes every effort to immerse himself into this Italian experience.  I hope he gains fluency in Italian.  I hope he maintains his grades – even though most of his coursework will be IN Italian.  I hope he makes lifelong friends and lifetime memories 

and I hope that these musings will be able to capture my family’s thoughts as he begins this adventure.