Sarah Litrico, An Inter…national Player

In keeping with the motto “there is a first time for everything,” there is an interesting update to share regarding sports at Bocconi for the athletic season that has just begun. In fact, for the first time, a student athlete — who also plays for the national team (the senior national team, to be clear) — will be playing in the upcoming season wearing the Bocconi colors. The student athlete in question is Sarah Litrico, the 19-year-old guard who was called up by Andrea Capobianco (coach of the national basketball team) to the extended squad, from which the 12 players who ended up winning a historic bronze medal at the European Championships were then selected. She was not among the 12 chosen, but just being called up at 19 years old to such a prestigious event was a dream come true for the youngest of the group. 

In fact, she says, the head coach called her “the little foreigner,” and all of this was made even more special because it was unexpected. Sarah was born in Milan, but moved to Canada at a very young age. Until now, she has only ever played at a university-level with the team of the University of Toronto, where she studies international relations. “And to think that my first sport was soccer,” says Sarah, who will be spending the entire academic year at Bocconi. “When I decided to switch over to basketball, however, I fell in love with the sport and stuck with it.” The beginning was difficult, especially since it was right during the Covid pandemic. “It was tough to even train, but we made it,” she continues. “I started playing on my high school team, then I accepted an offer from the University of Toronto, which boasts a very interesting basketball program as well as a high academic level — like that of Bocconi.” The structure of the Canadian university basketball program greatly resembles that of its neighbors in the United States. Sarah explains, “Yes, university sports — basketball in my case — are governed by U Sports, the national body that oversees sports in Canadian universities, a sort of Canadian version of the NCAA.” 

This is very different from what happens in Italy, where Sarah — who could certainly have aspired to play at a higher level — has decided that she will spend the year both studying and defending Bocconi's colors by playing with the team that competes in Serie C. Which specific position will she play? “My main task will be to help my teammates play at their very best,” she says. “It is a team with high potential, but we can still grow. We got off to a good start, winning the Madrid tournament by defeating the hosts IE Business School and the French team Sciences Po.” She recalls the events of last spring, including the call-up to the national team: “I was expecting to be called up for the Under-20 national team, then I saw the call-ups on Instagram and my name was among the players for the senior national team. I was really surprised.” A real surprise, indeed, which then transformed into a fundamental experience for her growth. “I learned, above all, to understand how basketball in Italy is played, which is very different from the Canadian university league,” she continues. “Then, by watching my older teammates, I learned how to manage myself as an athlete of this level must do.” Sarah foresees a lot of basketball in her future, but she also has a clear idea of what may come after. “I want to play basketball for as long as possible, until my body allows me to,” she explains, “I will probably remain in Italy, or Europe in any case, after finishing my university studies. Then I want to have a fulfilling job; my dream would be to work for the United Nations.”