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Young striker putting his best foot forward

Roman Mattiazzo still owns every pair of soccer boots he’s ever worn — 25. For an eight-year-old kid, that’s a lot of cleats.
Soccer kid
MARIO BARTEL/THE TRI-CITY NEWS Roman Mattiazzo is surrounded by some of the soccer boots he's worn in the four years since he started playing the game. The eight-year old Coquitlam striker is in Toronto with his family this weekend to attend a special elite camp put on by the Juventus football club from Turin, Italy.

Roman Mattiazzo still owns every pair of soccer boots he’s ever worn — 25. For an eight-year-old kid, that’s a lot of cleats.

But when your feet are continuously growing, well-fitted footwear is important to help develop your game, says his mom, Kristy.

Clearly that strategy has paid off. On Thursday Roman and his family travelled to Toronto to join elite young players from across Canada at special orientation camp hosted by the renowned Juventus football club from Turin, Italy.

The weekend camp is a prelude to a much greater adventure next March, when Roman will attend the Juventus Academy in Turin. He’ll practice with top-level Italian coaches, play against Juventus youth teams, visit the team’s museum and experience a Serie A match at the team’s Allianz Stadium.

No, Roman didn’t win the lottery. Although the way his eyes light up when he talks about it, you might think he did.

Roman earned his way to the elite camps by impressing coaches at a five-day training camp put on by Juventus in Burnaby last summer, one of several such camps across the country. From those camps, top players were invited to gather in Toronto to get to know each other and begin their preparation for serious training in Italy next spring.

A striker for his Metro-Ford Barcelona team, Roman has taken a shine to soccer since he tightened the velcro straps to his first pair of soccer boots when he was five years-old. He quickly outpaced his teammates and was seeded with older kids. He’s currently playing U10 and he’ll be playing with kids as old as 12 at the Juventus elite camp.

Roman says he’s excited by the challenge.

“I think we can get around and work together as a team,” he says. “I’m not scared.”

Roman says the experience of working with Italian coaches has made him a better, more disciplined player.

“They’re more strict. They actually help us learn,” Roman says. “I learned I need to take less touches and if I make a bad play don’t be mad at yourself.”

Roman’s mom is under no illusions her young soccer star is on the fast track to a signing a European contract. 

“The reality is it’s one in a million,” Mattiazzo says. “It’s a slow train.”

For her, it’s all about giving Roman the opportunity to challenge himself and learn his capabilities. And for that, he’s off on the right foot.