The Power of Friendship

How A Close Friend Led Marisa Shorrock to Train with AS Roma U19

Marisa Shorrock is currently finishing up her freshman year at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Being at a NESCAC school, Marisa has had an incredible opportunity to really take the title “student-athlete” to the next level. Not only does Marisa play the beautiful game of soccer as a goalkeeper, but she has also dabbled in lacrosse and basketball during her time at Bowdoin.

Through word-of-mouth, Marisa discovered the International Development Academy and their partner Soccer Management Institute (SMI) program in Rome. One of her close friends currently attends IDA Valencia, and suggested that she look into it for her spring freshman year semester. The SMI program aims to develop players and participants tactically, technically and physically for the professional play offered in Italy.

After familiarizing herself with the facilities presented in Rome, Marisa began her training. In late April, Marisa was asked to train with the AS Roma U19 team. She describes her experience training with U19 as “nothing short of amazing”. Marisa told us that this experience helped her develop not only as a player, but also as a person.

“It was really cool to communicate with all of the other players and learn about their cultures and playing experiences,” Marisa stated. She and the players traded stories about living in the United States and Italy and which colleges and universities they attended. This also gave Marisa the chance to practice her Italian, which she is currently taking as a language course at Bowdoin.

Marisa described the level of competition to be at the highest level she has ever experienced. She is super grateful to have been a part of such an amazing and competitive opportunity. Although similar to some of the competitions she was experiencing in Maine, playing in Italy introduced a new type of goalkeeping that helped her improve as a player.

“AS Roma U19 was much more technically focused,” Marisa explained. For the most part, Marisa told us that a lot of the time she relied on her athletic ability to protect the net. However, after spending the last few months in Italy, she believes she has seen much improvement to her technical skills.

Getting a degree is important for Marisa, however, she is leaving the door open to potential future opportunities at the professional level. Many of Marisa’s friends play on semi-professional and professional teams, and have all had wonderful things to say about their experiences.

Find out today about our dual pathway for determined student-athletes –book a consultation with one of our IDA Advisors!