A-head of the game

LUCA BALDASSARE has already tried out for Valencia FC in Spain.

Teen takes after soccer pro dad

When it comes to footy, Luca Baldassarre has some big footsteps to follow.

The Woodbridge native hopes to play professional soccer in Europe one day just like his father, Antonio Baldassarre.

“My dad’s my idol because my dad used to play professionally for Milan,” said the grade 12 student. “He kind of got me going. I’ve played since I was three.”

The younger Baldassarre currently co-captains the senior boys soccer team at Holy Cross Catholic Academy and also plays for the Kleinburg Nobleton Soccer Club, part of the Toronto FC academy program.

With the Holy Cross Hawks, Baldassarre was named the MVP of last season’s OFSAA tournament despite the fact his team did not make it to the finals. With a win over Father Bressani on Nov. 8, the Hawks qualified for this season’s OFSAA tournament in June.

“Our main goal was to make it to OFSAA because it’s our coach’s last year and so we wanted to do it for him,” Baldassarre said.

Holy Cross’ head soccer coach Nick Delprinchipe has been a teacher at the school for 22 years and in that time has coached basketball, volleyball, badminton and boys and girls soccer. He said Baldassarre is among the top student-athletes he has worked with.

“I’ve been pretty lucky that I’ve had a lot of good athletes come through here in terms of soccer and some of them have gone on to get scholarships and others went on to play professional,” Delprinchipe said. “Luca, he’s carrying on the tradition of Holy Cross.”

The Hawks’ other co-captain, Christian Cavalini, has already received an offer to play professionally in Uruguay.

“Luca and Christian play well off each other,” said their coach.

As a member of the Kleinburg Lions, Baldassarre and his team take an annual trip overseas to face European squads. Recently, he returned from a tryout with Valencia FC in Spain.

“My main goal is to play professionally in Europe obviously, but I would still like to play for Toronto FC, my hometown,” he said.

In fact, being the hometown guy he is, Baldassarre said he will likely turn down a soccer scholarship offer to the University of Rochester in New York in order to take classes in media studies close to home.

“I’m probably going to go to Guelph-Humber because my mom doesn’t want me getting home sick,” he said.

For Baldassarre, the quality of his game matters more than where he works on it.

“In the States there’s more opportunity but in Canada, if you’re good enough, a team will recognize you,” he said. “I think if you have what professional teams want — no matter where you’re from — you’ll get recognized.”

Holy Cross fell to Bill Crothers in the semi-finals of the playoffs after finishing the season with 2 wins and 2 ties. Baldassarre and the rest of the Hawks will have a chance to end Delprinchipe’s coaching career on a winning note when they begin practising for the OFSAA tournament in March.

“We had a great season,” Baldassarre said. “I’m proud and I can’t wait for OFSAA.”