Day 3 - Rome

We are finally all recovered from jet lag!! Today started with a late breakfast which in my case consisted of some bread with hazelnut chocolate spread called nutella on it with some yogurt, orange juice and some fruit cocktail. I tried the carbonated water (aqua con gas) today but was not a fan what so ever.

After breakfast some students met to go to St. Peters Basilica in anticipation to hear a church blessing from the Pope. However, luck was not in their favor and instead they viewed a service from the large screens in the plaza. It was not totally packed, but many still enjoyed the experience.

Others, like myself, chose to get a work out in and go on a stroll through villa Borghese. It was not like any typical park in the US with playground equipment and basketball courts. Instead it was full of sculptures fountains and little stores selling beverages and snacks. The park also included a few amusement rides and video games. The park was full of families bicycling and walking though the park, many of which brought their dogs. Some dogs were not on their leashes and the park also had a large area for dogs, had a zoo on the outside of the park and had the main attraction, Galleria Borghese.

The afternoon was filled with soccer excitement. We visited a promo for the upcoming Euro Cup Final. We witnessed mini soccer matches played by the youth. I watched a match of boys from Italy play small sided 5 on 5 soccer. They were no older than 10 but their skills were well beyond their age of the soccer players in the US. Not only did they play like the professionals: faking injuries, flopping for calls, wasting time and having dramatic finishes with kisses to the crowd and hugging their coach. There were easily 100 fans watching the game, chanting cheers and the emotions of the crowd added to the dramatic finish in Penalty kicks where the winning team praised the crowd in triumph and the losing boys cried and pouted in disbelief in their parent's arms, throwing their shirts and kicking the sponsorship ads behind the goal.

Speaking of sponsors, we moved onto the European Beach Soccer championships where there were numerous sponsors at the event, on billboards, flags around the stadium and ad panels surrounding the game. The beach soccer was a site to see. We witnessed youth; women and men play the game. The men's final was a dramatic one where the Spanish defeated the Swiss in the championship game. The game was played barefoot with no shin guards 5 on 5 with a keeper. The game was fairly fast pace with possession being played mostly in the air off of juggling skills and the keepers throwing the ball the length of the field. Through it all both the men and women were very gifted with the ball and we saw a wide range of goals scored off of headers, corners, free kicks and volleys. We even witnessed a few bicycle kicks.

Between the matches some of the students visited the Roman Forum, where Caesar was buried. The grave still has flowers on it and it was once the center of ancient Rome.

Tomorrow we look forward to another hot day involving a journey to the beach and our second Italian lesson.

-Bryan Bender
Master's of Education in Applied Kinesiology
Sport Management