A dream come true: Alessandro Mongozzi traveled to London on Friday after hurdles due to Covid and bureaucracy.
The path to becoming an American Football Champion is defined. NS Alessandro Mongozzi It is not just a dream but a real opportunity and a source of great satisfaction. Despite the layoffs due to Covid and bureaucratic hurdles that created some difficulties, last Friday he traveled to London. In fact, he was noticed by English coach Alessandro and selected by the NFL Academy to join the “School of American Football”.
American Football Promise, at the age of 16 chosen by the NFL Academy
Born just two years ago, she selects about thirty European athletes annually, “recruiting” them into her school to prepare them for the future as an American soccer athlete. Batch of 2005, Alessandro was born and raised in Desio.
“The first approach to football was in 2019, when he participated with the Desio Hammers Football team in the Flag Football Tournament, the contactless version, the sister of the popular football with helmet and shoulder pads – explains the mother, Roberta Nardi – That year ended for the Hammers by qualifying for the eighth final in Grosseto, finishing fourth.
In the 2019/2020 season, after a winter of training and preparation, unfortunately the tournament did not even start due to Covid.
“But as soon as the epidemic situation allowed, Alessandro decided to try real football, more suitable for him,” he adds. And so the young athlete from Deciano joined the historic Milan team, I RhinoParticipate in the first exercises. Just three weeks later, his videos were “noted” by the NFL Academy coach in London, who called him to see if he was interested in “working on himself” with them, to try out the American football course.
“dream him”
“A dream for him who had been thinking about it for a year – highlights his mother – but he was still ‘too young’, because the minimum age to enter the academy is 16.” Let’s stay in touch “they said…”. And in order to be ready for the date, Alessandro began training with the Milan team, not sparing himself. The experience of the epidemic stopped again in mid-October 2020. But London’s interest in him did not change, and after passing the selections (which were made remotely), he was recruited for this extraordinary adventure.”
Leaving last Friday
Registration procedures began at the end of April. “Unfortunately, we had to collide with the bureaucracy that Brexit brought – mother adds – a slew of documents to fill out, prepare, translate, and English certification exams, repeated twice for a misunderstanding.” After putting in a lot of effort, satisfaction also arrived. Finally, in fact, on Wednesday the long-awaited entry visa for the United Kingdom arrived, on Friday the long-awaited departure.
Looking to the future
“Prospects? First of all, have fun and learn all about American football. At the Nfl Academy in London, around 30 new boys are welcomed every year, drawn from all over Europe, so it will also be a great opportunity to engage with them in different realities and cultures.”
In the long term, “the prospect is the realization of the big dream of playing football among America’s professionals.”
This year the Italian boys will be five years old. In addition to Alessandro, there will be two players from the Milan sailors’ team, and two from the young Scorpions Varese team.
(In the cover photo, Alessandro Mongozzi on the left)
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