Marinai honoured with academic award

Viareggio captain, and Italian national beach soccer team player, Simone Marinai, granted Excellent Athlete, Excellent Student award by CONI

It’s not that often that the worlds of academia and sport appear in the same sentence, let alone the same award. But Italian beach soccer star, Simone Marinai, became one such, inspirational example of the two going hand in hand, when he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science. 

The freshly graduate Italian opted to complete his thesis on the 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Espinho, Portugal, in which the 29-year-old scored three goals and Italy finished in fourth position. 

As a result of his achievement, last Saturday saw Marinai being presented with the Atleta Eccellente, Eccellente Studente (Excellent Athlete, Excellent Student) award by the President of CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee), Giovanni Malagò.

Marinai said that the award was “an indescribable satisfaction for [him] because it contains all the passion and the sacrifice made over the years…both in beach soccer and in study.” He described the experience as “an unforgettable day.”

On Monday the ever-active defender will return to the sand in preparation for the approaching 2018 Euro Beach Soccer League Nazaré (Portugal). 

In an apt, modern day endorsement of the classical Latin phrase, mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body), the award is intended to promote and encourage the value of achieving excellence in both sport and academia, and it is encouraging to see recognition of this in the world of beach soccer.