To Each Their Own Sport

The athletics program features large numbers, with over 300 athletes playing on 20 competitive teams and 10 different sports, on federal and amateur championships or in university competitions, both individually and on teams. There are also a few others, such as running and polo, which are works in progress that may be added to those already officially on the roster.

WHO IS PRACTICING AT THE BOCCONI SPORT CENTER
Starting with basketball, which, as explained by the head of the section, Graziano Pravettoni, "participates in competitions on three fronts: the FIP Serie C-Gold with the first men's team, Serie D with the women's team and the UISP championship with a second men's group, for a total of about 60 players involved. An important commitment, which has greatly benefited from finally having its own facility on campus, where they can practice and play in internal competitions."

There is also volleyball, which has two teams, says the head of the section Lucrezia Alfonsi. "They participate in federal championships, the Serie D for men and the first division for women. Each team needs a lot of players (16 and 18 respectively) and multi-week commitments between training and matches."

Water sports have benefited most from the new facilities, thanks to the swimming pool, or rather the swimming pools, which have few equals in Europe in terms of technology. "At the moment two competitive Bocconi teams have been created: a swimming team, composed of thirty athletes, that participates in competitions at different levels throughout Italy; and a water polo group, with starting and reserve teams, which participates in the Serie D federal championship," says the head of the section, Carlo Altomonte, Professor of European Economic Policy." In addition to these 'official' activities, there are several hundred Bocconi students who regularly swim, or who participate in the courses and activities offered by our partner Aquamore, which manages the facility. Activities range from clinics with swimming champions (such as Filippo Magnini), to freediving courses and intramural tournaments between teams of students. An international event with Harvard represented a first step in the program to expand Bocconi water sports activities. There will be two directions of expansion in the coming months. First, swimming or water polo tournaments will be organized between teams from other European and international universities. Second, water sports will be integrated with other teaching and research activities at the university, at the crossroads between business management and cognitive sciences."


EXCEPTIONAL SOCCER, TWO SPORTS IN ONE
The soccer section also has a lot of variety, as it actually represents two different sports, 5-a-side soccer and 11-a-side soccer, for both men and women: "Participation in the federal championships (FIGC) is historically represented by the men's 5-a-side soccer team," says the president and alumnus Roberto Matteucci. "Practices and the home championship matches for the 5-a-side soccer teams, with the women's team in constant and rapid growth, are held at the Bocconi Sport Center, while 11-a-side soccer has its headquarters at Forza e Coraggio, a sports center just a few minutes from the campus. There are about 60 students who participate as athletes in the section's competitive activities: the 11-a-side soccer team naturally has the most athletes."

OUTDOOR SPORTS
A section with smaller numbers, since it is also an individual sport, is rowing, which has 10 students: "They practice at one of the leading facilities in the world, the Milan Idroscalo, both in the water and in the weight room," explains Enzo Baglieri, section president and professor at the University and SDA Bocconi as well as former top-level rower. "Our athletes participate in university competitions organized by CUS."

The 8 women and 8 men on the tennis team, led by instructor and section president Amanda Gesualdi, also take part in university competitions: "We play teams from other universities in Milan as well as other cities. We also take part in international university competitions, such as the European Clay Tournament that takes place on the prestigious courts at the Monte Carlo Country Club, which we won in 2019."

Among the emerging sports there is golf, as explained by president Dino Ruta, founder and head of the Sport and Entertainment Knowledge Center at the SDA Bocconi School of Management: "The project consists of two important initiatives that complement and reinforce each other. The first is the establishment of two groups: the Bocconi Pro Team, which is coached by a PGAI Master and participates in university and non-university, national and international golf tournaments, and the Bocconi Social Team, which mainly organizes networking activities for students and alumni.
The second initiative is the Bocconi Golf Days project, dedicated to golf activities and organized training sessions that culminate in a final day with a competition, as well as beginner courses and lessons to brush up your swing."

A unique case within Bocconi Sport is the lacrosse team. A very popular sport in North America and Northern Europe, it has been active at Bocconi since 2009: "Our team has been named absolute Italian champion 6 times and has always sent a large number of athletes to the national team," says President Roberto Antonioli. This year the Bocconi team, with 22 players, is participating in the federal Serie A championship.

Rugby relies on an important partnership with AS Rugby Milano. Stefano Baia Curioni, Professor at the Department of Social and Political Sciences and member of the board of the Italian Rugby Federation, explains, "Thanks to this partnership, we not only promote this wonderful sport among students, but, depending on their abilities, we allow them to participate in various competitive activities."

The cycling section was established recently and for now is open mainly to faculty and staff. Participants meet in the morning, before work commitments, for 40-50km rides along the Navigli: "Soon we will also involve students for outings on some of the most iconic climbs of the Giro d'Italia, such as Gavia and Mortirolo, which will be held on the weekends," says president Federico Pippo, Program Director of the SDA Master in Corporate Finance. "We already have a ride for a leg of the Giro planned in May, to wait at the top for the participants in the race."