Choosing your future while continuing to study but also to play volleyball: our student-athlete Francesca Indoni describes what happened in the four years she spent in New York, between studying and volleyball with the Queens College team.
The story of his experience:
“The decision that most guided me towards the choice to become a student-athlete was pondered after an analysis of the pros and cons that lay ahead of me in accepting the challenge. I love to live my life without regrets, and I was worried that a rejection of such an opportunity would be felt in the years to come. In addition, I love the changes, the formative experiences and the challenges, and this one presented itself as such in all its characteristics. I prefer never to create expectations, for fear that they will not be respected, and I didn’t do that time either. But now, in hindsight, I can vouch that my experience could have confirmed them all.
Playing competitive sports at an American college makes you feel like a Goddess in Olympus.
Athletes in America are treated with respect, in some circumstances with respect and admiration, and the American competitive mentality is very much like mine in many aspects. Despite the fact that it is still complicated to manage sports commitments with study. Then, of course, it depends on the goals that a guy decides to set for himself. Mine were almost unreachable, as always, since I’ve never liked easy things, and being able to reach them wasn’t easy. But, as I just said, they were “almost” impossible. With the right motivation and willpower you can do great things, and I can’t complain about the end result.
And in this context like these, the differences with Italy are many. Unfortunately, I have to say to the detriment of Italy, which has never given much value to the world of competitive sport (football excluded) and which could also do much better in the education sector.
Living in such a stimulating environment brings so many memories inside you
Certainly the most exciting was during the Senior Night game (last game for final year students) in Queens, NY. That year, I happened to be the only Senior player on my team, so I got a special treatment that I’ll never forget. My classmates put up posters with Italian flags (even backwards), with my name, with raw pasta attached with scotch tape (yes, the stereotypes are still very strong) all over the gym just before I arrived. But the most exciting detail of all was when, at the time of the usual American anthem before the game, they started the Italian one instead.
I am moved with great difficulty, but I swear that in that instant I burst into tears like a child.
These are unique experiences that I would recommend without delay to anyone I know. As soon as I returned to Italy, not satisfied, I enrolled again at a university in Rome and I will continue my studies to incorporate them into the past ones. I would like to work in the world of Marketing & Communication and Advertising.”
