My Grad School Adventure: Football (American) in Italy

Football (American) in Italy:

When you hear the word football or futbol in Italy, everyone starts discussing the Champions League, or Juventus, Inter, or Milan. To me growing up in the United States, it meant Football, the hard hitting, action packed sport that I have played since I was 5 years old.

When wanting to specify, you have to say American Football, most people never knew there was such a thing as the Italian Football League or IFL. The IFL consists of 12 teams split into 2 divisions the North and the South.

North:

Milano Seamen

Milano Rhinos

Parma Panthers

Bolzano Giants

Torino Jaguars

Bergamo Lions

South:

Roma Grizzles

Lazio Marines

Ferrara Aquile

Ancona Dolphins

Bologna Warriors

Firenze Guelfi

There was a book written by John Grisham called “Playing for Pizza”, which I read over a year ago on a flight from Des Moines to Nashville. It was my first exposure to what football in Italy was all about. When I made the decision to move to Milano to attend Graduate School at MIP, I just knew I needed to be involved and find out more. I have played football for years and my last game was August 2015 as I finished up my career with a Semi Professional Team called the Des Moines Blaze (desmoinesblaze.com) where over 5 seasons we went 56-2, 5 league titles, and held the honor of National Champions twice. I was a 5-year starter, 5 time All-League, 4-year Captain, and 3-time Pro Bowl selection. I wasn’t sure what the situation would like once I arrived but I knew that if I couldn’t play then I wanted to coach. I contacted the 2 teams in Milano and within half hour, I heard back from the 2 time back to back current IFL Super Bowl Champions the Milano Seamen. Unfortunately, I was unable to play due to the rules of only allowing 2 import players (which they already had) and having troubles getting an Italian passport being 3^rd generation.

Thus my transition from Player to Coach has begun, and what an interesting mix of emotions and feelings it has been. I still get to practice with team and pad up and hit people which I love to do, but making the transition from player to coach has been a struggle. How do you make that transition from what you have done with passion for over 20 years?

The transition has not gotten any easier but it has been a wonderful experience full of emotions and experiences. One of the reasons I wanted to be involved in this experience is I wanted to continue being around the game I love, but I also wanted to transfer my knowledge and experience to help others from a culture where this sport is not mainstream and help them learn and grow. It also has allowed me to really ingrain myself in the city and learn many of the Italian cultures. Using the game as a way to break down communication barriers I am able to learn and improve my Italian skills while helping guys improve and learn English. I can tell you that many of these guys have taught me more than I feel that I have been able to give back to them.

It is a beautiful thing how sport can defy boundaries, cultures, race, etc and bring people together with a love and a passion for a game. The ability to bond together and achieve a goal, and be a part of something bigger than themselves. Sport, Football, provides many life lessons about how to work in a team, how to lead, how to follow, and how doing your job or not doing your job affects others. The bonds formed from playing sport are strong and stand the test of time. I have had the honor of being a part of the Milano Seamen organization for 6 months now and we have started the season 1-1 and have a long season ahead of us. I look forward to continuing to improve my skills as a coach, help mentor others to grow and learn, as well as improve my leadership and Italian skills. The ability to improve my life skills, forge new friendships, and be involved in the game I love is an amazing experience and has allowed me to divulge deeper into the Italian culture and the city of Milano!

Check out the Milano Seamen at www.seamen.it, or using #SeamenMilano on all social media. 

All Photo Credit: Dario Fumagalli 

Grad School Adventures: Work Life Balance: Student Edition

Work Life Balance: Student Edition

Too often we find ourselves opening up the Facebook app on our phones only to realize that 20 minutes later we are still scrolling our news feed. Too often we tell ourselves, just one more episode on Netflix, to it being 3 shows and hours later.

Why do many, if not all of us, have trouble finding balance?

Balancing our lives as students is tough, and we have to focus on the small habits we can form that will help find balance in a crazy, connected world.

What is balance anyway?

Balance is establishing equal or appropriate proportions of elements in life.

Why is this important as a Master’s Student studying abroad?

Simple: Everyday you have to balance school, personal and a social life. When living and studying in a foreign country you want to “take it all in” and “make the most of the opportunity”; but how? Some people only focus on school and forget to explore new cultures and discover new places in what is truly a one-in-a-lifetime experience they might never have an opportunity like this again. Some others however might explore too much and forget why they are here.

Finding harmony in each/every situation is an important life skill, and one that you might never quite master but continue to tweak with time -and experience along the way. We all have a long list of to-do’s and bucket lists; so how can you start channeling your energy to focus in on better balance?

1)   Sharpen your Focus and Clear your Runway Mind

•       Prioritize what needs to be done. Take the most important task first and accomplish so you can cross it off your list!

2) Create/Establish clearly defined Boundaries

•       Establish the categories of what you want to focus on in both school and personally and rate them

•       Focus on completing these weekly goals

3) Establish me time to work out, relax, and enjoy life!

•       It is no secret that top entrepreneurs and CEO’s talk about the importance of physical activity and adventure, plan it into your daily routine. Find the me time to help you re-center and re-energize!

The most important thing is to understand that there needs to be a balance between your school or work life and your social life. What works for one person may be a little different for someone else. BUT following a few simple steps with a focused and conscious effort and you can find your own balance. Keep in mind that we create our own energy; attack life with passion, proactivity and positivity, and focus on how you can achieve each goal.

Feel free to comment or connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter @RobbyNap!