Men's soccer and sports information will be taking advantage of the off-season months to catch up with some of our men's soccer alum to reflect on their experience at Dominican University (or Rosary College).  Today we catch up with Giacomo Parrino from the class of 2022.

What have you been up to since graduating from Dominican?

After graduating from Dominican, I started my career at ADP as a sales executive.  My role at ADP focuses heavily on performance and growth, almost like soccer!  I have always been a competitive individual in all I have done so this role was a no brainer for me.  I have been promoted 4 times and most recently, I qualified for our President's Club, which was a big milestone and a reflection of the work I've put in.  Outside of work, I have moved back to Oak Park with my girlfriend Hailey who also attended Dominican, and we recently just got a wiener dog named Olive.  This year I plan to have another successful year at work; I plan to take a trip back to Italy for my sister's wedding, and attend as many Dominican soccer games as I possibly can!

What do you miss most about Dominican?

Our team and the people is what I miss most about Dominican.  I have remained close with most of my teammates, however; it has a different impact when you are striving for the same goal each day.  It is truly special to look back at the memories that were made with those teams, including being able to go 4 for 4 with our conference championships. We all did a great job of challenging each other in a healthy way which led to a great brotherhood.

 

What was your most memorable moment while at Dominican?

I would say I have 2 and they are both soccer related.  My most memorable moment would be scoring in the conference final against Aurora at home.  The goal wasn't anything crazy but the celebration that came after is what makes the memory great. Being able to run towards the corner flag to celebrate with coach Baumann and our whole team was something truly special. My second memory would be the famous hat trick I was able to score against Lakeland in 30 just minutes.  I went into a tackle at the beginning of the game and came out shaken up but persevered and was able to create this memory for myself and our team!

 

What advice would you give to an incoming player?

Trust the process and be a sponge, be ready to come in humble and ready to work.  Surround yourself with individuals who are better than you and are willing to push you to become not only a better player, but a better person.  Be able to receive feedback and apply it as soon as possible.  Luckily we have a coach that has great knowledge of the game and that creates real life scenarios that apply to life in the real world.  Lastly, I would suggest to take a look at Dominican's soccer history to see how dominant we have been year over year and how high the expectations are.