Davidson student-athletes are scattered near and far during the summer months. Few remain in and around Davidson, but most are out in the world taking a break from campus life. However, all are staying fit and preparing for their respective upcoming seasons, while adding extracurricular experiences to their development. Earlier this month we checked in with Matt Pacifici of the men's soccer team on a variety of topics.
Off the field… The last week of May I enjoyed a California family vacation to San Francisco, Yosemite, and Los Angeles where I have more family.Pacifici pictured with younger brother, Nick, on a family vacation to California.
In early June, I am in New York City for training with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. I am an Investment Banking Summer Analyst in Charlotte on the Leveraged Finance team, based on the trading floor downtown. I was able to secure the internship through Davidson Careers Services as well as networking with alumni. The fact that I worked at BAML last year certainly helped my cause. Although I expect the internship to be demanding and challenging, I am excited to get more exposure to finance and hopefully continue my career in Investment Banking.
On the field… Right when my spring semester ended, I benefited from two great training opportunities, first with the USL Pro Charlotte Independence and then with Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids. I learned a ton from both experiences and environments. And it has further ignited the idea of potentially playing professionally after this final season at Davidson.
Though I will be battling long work weeks, I hope to continue training with the Independence through the summer. I will be attending Davidson summer camps to the best of my ability. Additionally, I have a membership with a gym downtown throughout the summer to maintain a base level of fitness and strength.
Focus for the team… As far as rallying the troops for the upcoming season, I hope we are able to feed off confidence from a successful season last year, while still realizing that we are new group and must gel during preseason and the first portion of the season. Having such a high volume of underclassmen, it's extremely important to integrate these guys into the program as quickly as possible. Shane, Alec and I have coordinated a summer competition to ensure fitness levels are at a peak come the beginning of preseason.
