Behind The Scoreboard – Azzurri Campioni d’Europa!

Garden City NY

16 August, 2021

6:34 AM

Description

My philosophy is "Everything I ever needed to know about business I learned on the sports field." From Behind The Scoreboard, I feature the sports stories that tell us much more than simply who won or lost. These personal and inspiring experiences of grade school, high school, college, other amateur and even pro athletes allow all of us to reflect a little more on what is important in life. ~ James C. Metzger, Chairman and CEO, The Whitmore Agency _______ Italy Has Awakened! Last month’s soccer victory over England by Azzurri, the national team of Italy, was much more than a win on the field. The championship was a win for Southern Europe against Northern Europe. Possibly more important, the game delivered immeasurable happiness to the first European country to be devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Unlike England’s star-studded team, Azzurri’s young and unknown players were considered wingmen, outsiders and underdogs. Prior to the tournament, English newspapers ranked Italy as a mediocre team that should not even dream of reaching the final. Well, that opinion was taken to heart by the team. No, by the nation. Azzurri beat Turkey, Switzerland, Wales, Austria, Belgium and Spain before the showdown with England. The road to victory taken by Azzurri allowed Italians again to joyfully sing its national anthem with emphasis on the words "L’Italia s'è desta" – Italy has awakened! Read more in my blog. Photo courtesy We The Italians, a publication from Rome that is available in English throughout the United States. _______ I was supposed to graduate last December, but I hurt my shoulder, so I had to come back, and then my senior year got cut off. It was like a dagger to the motivation. I didn’t realize how much I depended on my teammates. ~ A collegiate athlete affected by the pandemic.