Mar 15

Mar 15 28 October 1942 - The Soccer Tornament / Il Torneo Calcistico

When I was a child, I recall my father watching sports on television. He loved watching tennis and golf, but I remember he watched almost anything, including bowling and competitive pool. Nothing would make him change the channel, no matter how much I begged. That's why I remember the exciting final match between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe in 1980, when I would've rather watched The Flintstones.

In those years, I don't think that soccer was broadcast on television or was as popular in the U.S. as it is now. So I was surprised to read this entry about my father playing soccer (football) as a child. I imagine my father would be excited to watch soccer on television today, perhaps in a local Italian café, sipping an espresso and cheering for his favorite squadra.

Rovigno 28 ottobre 1942

Durante questa settimana la mia classe è tutta in subbuglio perché si sta giocando un torneo calcistico. La nostra squadra ha già 2 punti di vantaggio. Oggi abbiamo giocato un'altra partita, ma questa si è risolta X o 1 a 1. Però, andato via Valsecchi, si è interrotto la partita e tutti se ne sono andati a casa.

I nostri avversari sono gli scolari della Scuola Avviamento. Costoro sono assai duri a battersi ma noi li abbiamo vinti per 8 a 6. Con loro abbiamo giocato un’altra partita che si è risolta con la vittoria degli avversari. Il loro portiere era fortunatissimo. Per esempio, la palla stava per entrare in porta, egli, sbadatamente alzava la mano e il pallone la urtava e rimbalzava fuori della porta.

A me piace assai giocare a calcio non solo perché si esercita il coraggio e l’astuzia, ma anche perché si rinforzano i garretti e si irrobustiscono i polmoni. Alle mamme, fa paura il gioco del calcio, sapete perché? Dicono che si consumano le scarpe, che ci si può prendere una storta . . . . . e altre stupidaggini simili. Però, l’affare delle scarpe, non ci spaventa perché al piede destro mettiamo una ciabatta e così non ci si prende le sgridate dalle mamme.

Molti campioni di calcio hanno cominciata agiocare da piccoli, di nascosto delle mamme, con un pallone di stracci. Uno di questi ruppe, col pallone, un vetro di un signore, impresario di giuocatori. Questi, trovate spiccate attitudini al giuoco del calcio nel ragazzo, lo allenò e lo fece divenire un famosissimo campione.

Rovigno 28 October 1942

Throughout this week my class is all a-twitter because we’re playing a soccer tournament. Our team already has a 2-point advantage. Today we played another match, but this resulted in a tie or 1 to 1. Valsecchi left, however, the game was interrupted, and everyone went home.

Our opponents are the schoolchildren of the Vocational School. They are quite difficult to beat but we've defeated them 8 to 6. We played another game with them that resulted in a victory to our opponents. Their goalkeeper was extremely lucky. For example, the ball was going to enter the net, he carelessly raised his hand and the ball bumped and bounced out of the net.

I like to play soccer a lot not only because it instills courage and cunning, but also because it strengthens the hamstrings and builds up the lungs. Do you know why mothers are scared of the game of soccer? They say it wears out our shoes, that it can cause sprains, and other similar nonsense. This business of the shoes doesn’t worry us, however, since we wear an old shoe on our right foot and so no one gets a scolding from their mother.

Many soccer champions started playing soccer as little kids, in secret from their mothers, with a big ball of rags. One of these broke the window of a man, a talent scout, with the ball. Finding a remarkable disposition for soccer in the boy, he trained him and made him into a very famous champion.