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There has always existed, it seems,
a certain “aura” around sports at St Charles College. It’s a feeling
that gets amplified when one’s first exposure to all that is Cardinals
Athletics comes when you are younger and still quite impressionable.
With three older
brothers all having attended the New Sudbury school, Darren Falcioni saw
first hand, at a relatively early age, the electric atmosphere that
existed when SCC athletes take the field.
And the lure was only
natural. “I would go to see a St Charles hockey game or a soccer game
and would say to myself: “That’s something I want to do when I’m older”.
Now in his final year of secondary schooling, Falcioni reminisces on
exactly what his involvement on Cardinals’ varsity teams has meant.
“I’ve definitely made a
lot of my friends through my sports teams”, he says. “That, and staying
fit, staying active has helped.” Involved in sports through much of his
youth, Falcioni toiled between the competitive soccer ranks (summer) and
houseleague hockey teams (winter) in the years leading up to his
high-school career.
Drawing on valuable
experience as a member of both the Italia Flyers and Panhellenic United,
Falcioni made the transition to secondary soccer with relative ease. But
it wouldn’t quite be the same with other sports.
“In Grade 9, I was a
small kid and there were some big boys on the hockey team”, acknowledged
the well-spoken teen who cracked the St Charles hockey roster for the
first team in Grade 12.
Towards the end of his
days as a Cardinal, Falcioni has shown a willingness to branch out and
try new athletic endeavours, running in the cross-country season last
fall and returning to badminton this spring after initially taking part
in Grade 9.
Of course, the prompting
often comes from an all-too-familiar source. “So many teachers here
coach sports. You’re encouraged here to do sports, and given every
opportunity to come and try out for a sports team, to be part of a
team”, stresses Falcioni.
“In Grade 11 and 12,
I’ve really taken that to heart.” He is quick to note that on-going
support, such as taking part in lunch tutorials for students who might
need a little extra time to catch up on missed subject matter, is
critical for students to buy in.
In the end, Falcioni
understands all to well the mix of priorities that is academics and
athletics at St Charles College. Looking to pursue a degree in
bio-chemistry, he has narrowed down his post-secondary choices to
Carleton, Western and Laurentian, with a personal preference towards
heading to the nation’s capital.
Keeping his mind off the
tough decisions that lie ahead is the on-going participation in soccer
at St Charles. A defender through the competitive soccer ranks, Falcioni
has embraced the move to midfielder with his high-school squad.
“There might be a little
more running, but you get to take a few more chances with the ball. You
get to put some offensive pressure on the other team, and hopefully
score a few goals”, smiles Falcioni.
Just another small piece
of the attraction and aura that is athletics at St Charles College.
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