Competition and Fun, Sports for Everyone on Campus
An engrossing experience, which is enriching at a personal level and of course rewarding in terms of the sport played. Playing sports for your school is much more than just physical activity, whether recreational or competitive. To use the words of Giovanni Anolli, a Bachelor of Science in Economia e Scienze Sociali student and one of the mainstays of the Bocconi Sport Team basketball team, "it means sharing a life plan," which goes beyond sports and includes dreams and aspirations. On the court, that translates into "a team spirit that I haven't found elsewhere." And all the students involved in one of the Bocconi Sports Team's 10 sections agree with Giovanni. "We have the same problems, the younger players ask older students for advice on exams. We share everything, which is the true added value of playing with us," says Francesca Chierici, a 22-year-old Bachelor of Science in Economia Aziendale e Management student who's on the volleyball team that played in the FIPAV second division championship.
The Bocconi Sport Team currently has around 1,000 members who take part in individual and team sports. There are 10 sections (soccer, volleyball, basketball, swimming and water polo, golf, tennis, sailing, rugby, lacrosse and other sports) and lots of opportunities for students who want to play sports at various levels under the protective wing of the Pellicano (pelican), the symbol and mascot of the Association. Events such as Bocconi Sport Days, the Bocconi Run, the Bocconi Tennis Tournament, mountain hikes, skiing weekends and much more are also organized independently. Students can also participate in activities organized by CUS against students from other universities in Milan and, for more competitive events, play in championships organized by various national federations. The men's volleyball team, for example, will be in Serie B this year and the men's basketball team will play in Serie C. This allows excellent student athletes, some of whom are from other parts of the country or abroad, to continue playing at an outstanding level, representing their university.
The Bocconi Sport Team also has niche sports, which may be more complicated to play for anyone far from home who doesn't have local support: this is true for golf, squash, horseback riding and sailing. It is especially true for lacrosse, a sport that is very popular in North America and some countries in Northern Europe, and which found the perfect habitat on campus. The Bocconi team has been the reigning Italian champion for five consecutive seasons and, as Roberto Antonioli, BIEM student and midfielder, explains, it represents "a kind of unique situation, with some curious about a new sport and a winning team. Every year, new students come who are interested in trying out."
But playing sports at Bocconi is also a great opportunity to socialize and fit in and, sometimes, have new experiences. As Lorenzo Foletto, graduating from the Master of Science in Management and head of the Mountaineering and Hiking group, explains: "Once, during a hiking excursion, a Chinese student was there who saw snow for the first time. It was so cool to see his amazed reaction."
Read the interviews with 13 Bocconi athletes:
Lorenzo Foletto, graduating from the MSc in Management, Mountaineering and Hiking
Francesca Chierici, CLEAM student, Women's Volleyball
Giovanni Anolli, CLES student, Men's Basketball
Giacomo Bergamin, graduating from Law, Soccer
Jacopo Tamos, Management student, Skiing
Massimiliano Sgroi, CLEAM student, Swimming and Water Polo
Francesco Melloni, Finance student, Track and Field
Carlo Buttini, BIEM student, Tennis
Fabio Aprà, BIEM student, Golf
Davide Micella, Law student, Men's Volleyball
Elisa Guidotti, CLAPI student, Women's Basketball
Daria Buttafarro, graduating from Marketing Management, Horseback Riding
Roberto Antonioli, BIEM student, Lacrosse