Another interview to learn more about the Sportlinx360's athletes who have undertaken this important experience in the United States. Today the chat is whith Alessandro Gentile, 24 years old from Milan, who finished his studies last May.
Alessandro is a goalkeeper, after growing up in the youth sector of Lombardy 1, he moved first to Pro Sesto and then to Pro Patria, before arriving in America. In the USA he had two experiences: in the academic year 2015/16 he played and studied at the University of South Carolina - Aiken; successively he moved to Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado where he graduated in Exercise Science.
We ask Alessandro a question that we ask all our student-athletes and that is often one of the greatest concerns for those who want to undertake this path. Is it really possible to combine study and sport? "Speaking from my experience I say that it is absolutely possible even if it is not easy, it is not banal.Of course, it goes without saying that it takes a lot of will and determination to be able to meet all the commitments. The American academic system facilitates the "coexistance" even if it takes a lot of effort and organizational capacity as well. Since I was a child, I was used to conciliate sport and study, I started playing soccer at 5 years old and in high school especially, I often went to school with a soccer bag, ate a sandwich and then off to training. Therefore, once in America, I could say I was partially ready from this point of view".
Alessandro always talks about commitment and determination. We have seen it in other interviews, the life of a student-athlete is certainly not simple even if it is full of satisfactions, in order to achieve all this you go through very intense "typical days" as he confirms: "Wake up early and a quick breakfast, this was often my start of the day. The morning was dedicated to study, on average I had two or three courses to follow. After classes, I went to the study room in the Athletics Department to get a little advantage, lunch and then straight to practice. After the session on the field we went to the gym witht the personal trainer to finish with the workout. The day ended with dinner, review during the exam sessions and goodnight".
In this context, how did Sportlinx360 supported you: "The Sportlinx360 staff helped me first of all to get in otuch with the different Universities. Without them, I wouldn't have known how to behave and what to do to make my dream come true. It was especially crucial their help in identifying which Universities could be the perfect fit for my particular profile: both at the beginning and during my transfer to Metropolitan State University".
A reflection that we ask everyone, would you recommend this path? "Absolutely yes, both from an athletic and academic point of view. It was a truly extraordinary experience, personally I am satisfied of my achievement both on and off the field. It is a path that shapes you and that I would recommend to all those who have the desire and determination to be able to follow a passion by also fulfilling their studies".