Men's Soccer | October 20, 2022

Following your dreams means something different for everyone. For some, that could be going to their dream college or finding their dream job. For Davide Panucci, this meant leaving his home and family behind to experience a new country while fulfilling his athletic dreams. 
 
Panucci was born in Savona, Italy. He lived there most of his life until he came to the United States during his freshman year at Newman University. He played two years of soccer there before making the switch to USC Aiken in 2020. 
 
"I went there because of soccer, mainly. They had the best scholarship opportunities for me at the time," said Panucci. 
 
After spending his freshman and sophomore years at Newman, Panucci decided he wanted a change of pace and a new experience with the remainder of his athletic and academic career. He found USC Aiken to be best suited for him in terms of experience and scholarship possibilities. 
 
"To me, it seemed like USCA had more opportunities for student-athletes," Panucci said.
 
Panucci's inclination to come to the U.S. was based on his desire to see the world in a way he had not been able to before. By leaving Italy, he will have been able to learn English and get a degree, which will bring about more success for him in Europe. 
 
"I wanted to leave my country and live in a new one just to see different things," Panucci said. "It is a good opportunity because I can get a degree and go back to Europe and find a better job than I would have if I studied in Italy."
 
Transitioning between two different countries has not been as difficult as expected for Panucci. The toughest challenge, however, was the language barrier. Before arriving in the U.S., he did not know English, making academics and athletics challenging. 
 
"It wasn't too bad. The toughest part was the language because I didn't know English when I came here," said Panucci. "The first month was the toughest because school is all in English and even on the soccer field, the practice was all in English. It left me wondering what was going on. After a while, you just get used to it."
 
Despite the challenges of learning a new language and being emersed in a new country, Panucci has been able to maintain an exceptional GPA, earning him a spot on the Peach Belt Conference team of academic distinction.
 
"You need to be organized and manage the time you have. Being in season, it's tough to do homework on time or study for the test. If I did it, with English not being my first language, then I feel like everyone can do it," said Panucci.
 
Panucci began playing soccer at an early age when he followed in his older brother, Daniele's, footsteps. 
 
Panucci said, "My brother got me into soccer. I would play with him and even though he was older than me, he would say I played better than him and that I should actually start playing on a soccer team."
 
As college athletics begin to come to a close, the thing that will be missed the most, for Panucci, is the kinship that has been built between him and his teammates. 
 
"I am going to miss the fact that every day I can see my teammates. We have become a family. Since a lot of us are international, we don't have our own families here. With each other, it's like we have a family with the good connections between us," Panucci said.  
 
Playing college sports teaches many lessons and messages that are beneficial to carry on into all aspects of life. For Panucci, college soccer has taught him to push himself over his limits to reach his full potential. 
 
"The biggest thing it has taught me is to go over the limit. We practice every day and play two games a week, so at some points it gets tough. You get so tired you don't even want to walk to class," said Panucci. "After hours of class, you go to practice, and maybe the next day you have another game. You just have to push through it."