By Mauro Giovannini
Twitter: @MGGiova
Mail: mgiovannini@lanueva.com
The experiences that foreigners acquire who join a University – and an NCAA team – in the United States must be many. It is enough to talk for a few minutes with those who had that opportunity.
However, Pedro Rossi’s experiences heading into his first year in the mecca of formative basketball began before his arrival at St. Bonaventure University.
The Bahiense had to appear at his new destination on August 27, although due to known restrictions, he had a flight to arrive in New York on the 24th.
Between the Big Apple and the university city – located to the northwest, next to the border with Canada – there are about 600 kilometers. And, in addition, those three previous days had not been endorsed within the university campus.
“As the University has a closed Facebook group for parents, we asked about the best way to get from New York. Everyone agreed that the best thing was to take another flight, to Buffalo, which is a place closer to St. Bonaventure.” , said Gisela, Pedro’s mother.
“But a family, who is from that locality, offered to house him for three days and take him along with his son, who was also starting his first year,” he added. But that is not all…
“As Pedro only traveled with his clothes and shoes, and had to buy there whatever he needed for the course and his new home, this family published in their networks and groups of friends what Pedro was going to need and they got him in everything, donated for a while, “she recounted in amazement.
From a pillow, sheets, padding, a coat rack and a fan to a desk lamp and all the supplies to start the Business career, the orientation chosen by the Bahiense to continue later with Sport Management.
“And as if that weren’t enough, in addition to picking him up at the airport, this family took him to see Niagara Falls!” Said Gisela.
“As parents, it is not easy for a 19-year-old son to go to another country, but when people like Kelly Merkle Clinard appear along the way, everything is much easier. Eternally grateful to all your family!”, He completed.
Pedro is studying every morning and his first days were completed with routine medical studies to be ready and to start training.
“The University is beautiful, it is a dream to be here. It is like in the movies,” he told The new one. the former Bahiense del Norte, while organizing the six subjects that comprise the first section of the race.
“The first night here was incredible because as a boy I dreamed of an opportunity like this, in the first world. We already had a meeting with the whole team, although for now, as they are doing renovations in the main stadium, there are individual practices,” he said. in reference to the sports side.
The Bonnies are an NCAA Division I team and the last champion of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The official 2021-2022 season is scheduled to begin in the first week of November.
“In the first week I settled in. I went to see where the classrooms are, where are you going to look for books, where do you eat, where do you train. With the days I will feel much more comfortable. I am enjoying myself to the full,” said the Zachary Easton’s roommate, on the third floor of the building.
In the last season, the forward was not only part of the DME Sports Academy, located in Florida, but also integrated the national team in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia.
There are also Ramiro and Mateo
The next season in college basketball in the United States will feature two other Bahienses.
Ramiro Santiago is set to begin his second year in NCAA Division II with Harding University.
“We have good expectations for this year, better than last season. We added an internal of 2.10m and we have a more extensive squad,” said the former player of El Nacional and Villa Miter in our city.
Ramiro was chosen among the 12 best players of the Conference in 2020-2021
“I am going to start my fourth year here, I arrived in August 2018, and maybe I will make a fifth year because of everything that happened with COVID-19 and thus aspire to a master’s degree or manage to transfer to a Division I University,” he added.
While Mateo Fernández Solari returned to Barstow, a Junior College in the California conference in which he also studies Sport Management and Business.
“My goal was always to get a scholarship at a Division I or II University,” said the man from Bahia.
The pandemic cut off much of the last season, so he had to return earlier than expected from the United States. Here, in Bahía Blanca, he took the opportunity to spend more time with his family, play at Napostá, his club, and train at Bahía Basket.
Mateo celebrated his birthday in the US on the last August 29
“We have a good team for this year and the competition in this conference is very high. I will try to make the most of what my coach knows, it is a year to grow,” he said.
“I want to keep the subjects at the 4.0 average, which is the highest, and add new experiences because, for example, I am going to be a math and science tutor at the University, which is something new for me and it will help me grow” , full.
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