Photo by Werder Bremen
Photo by: Werder Bremen
Alumni Feature: Amy Pietrangelo
Nov 03 | Women's Soccer
Since she was a little girl, Amy Pietrangelo always dreamed of being a professional soccer player.
Throughout her journey, Pietrangelo added numerous accomplishments from being named the Canadian U20 Player of the Year in 2011 to registering a tremendous career as a Rutgers Scarlet Knight. And now, she can proudly say she is a professional soccer player, playing overseas in Germany.
Being in a new country has been a big adjustment for her, but the Laval, Quebec, Canada, native has lived away from home since the age of 16. Although it seems a way of life for her now, it is still hard to leave her family, friends and boyfriend. She has made the most of these situations by becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable.
"You just make it work, you have to," said Pietrangelo. "Some moments are easier than others, but at the end of the day, there is nowhere else I'd rather be than exactly where I am right now. I have worked my whole life to be a professional soccer player and being far from home is just another sacrifice I need to make."
Pietrangelo currently plays for the FF USV Jena in 1. Bundesliga in Germany.
"Germany is different, it's tough, it's beautiful, it's great," Pietrangelo expressed of her current home. "The language was tough to pick up, but I did so fairly quickly and I can now say I am pretty fluent in German. Once I got the language, everything else became easier."
With the language barrier surpassed, Pietrangelo was able to immerse herself in the culture around women's football in Germany.
"The girls on the team are great and very helpful. Women's football is very big here and well followed so it's great to see," said Pietrangelo. "We get great crowds that come to watch. It's just such a different culture when it comes to football, people breathe and live it here. I walk in the street and people will stop me to talk about Sunday's game. It's really nice."
Perhaps the natives also talked to her about her first Bundesliga goal she netted early in September this year. There are certainly more to come. As a Scarlet Knight, Pietrangelo saw action in 70 matches as a Scarlet Knight from 2011-2014. She registered a career high 11 points (4g, 3a) in her senior season, also adding four game winners in her career "On the Banks."
"A big reason why I choose Rutgers was because I believed they had the tools and ability to make me a better player so that I can continue my career professionally. And they did," said Pietrangelo.
"Rutgers not only made me a better soccer player, but a more mature one. They pushed me, they challenged me, while always giving me the freedom to express myself. Soccer is a sport of expression so that was very important to me: The freedom to express myself on the pitch. They provided a professional environment and the ability to train everyday with quality competition."
To this day, Pietrangelo still misses the people at Rutgers.
"I made lifelong friends during my four years at Rutgers. Whether it was with teammates, classmates, coaches, professors, academic advisors, strength coaches, trainers, it was really a sense of family," said Pietrangelo.
"Once you are a Scarlet Knight, you never stop being a Scarlet Knight. You enter the program and you want to make a mark. Once you have made your mark, you just want to continue making the program proud long after you are gone. It comes back to the sense of family."
Pietrangelo still keeps in touch with teammates and staff members as they all follow each other's successes. One former teammate in particular is Shannon Woeller, who is currently playing on the same team as her.
"We picked up right where we left off. It was nice to have a familiar face, not only another Canadian but another Scarlet Knight," said Pietrangelo. "We are proud to tell people we went to Rutgers. Rutgers and New Jersey will always be a second home for me. It has a special place in my heart and you never know, with Sky Blue playing right in its backyard, I may one day find my way back."
For now, Pietrangelo is content with where she is at and continues to follow the Scarlet Knights from afar. While being in a different time zone makes it difficult to watch games, Pietrangelo makes sure to watch any highlights and keeps an eye out for updates on the team through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
"Rutgers has come a long way and it only makes me prouder to say that I passed through it." Said Pietrangelo. "At Rutgers, we are grinders, we are hard workers. Nothing comes easy and we have worked extremely hard for everything that we have achieved. I am glad that the current players are keeping the legacy going."
Throughout her journey, Pietrangelo added numerous accomplishments from being named the Canadian U20 Player of the Year in 2011 to registering a tremendous career as a Rutgers Scarlet Knight. And now, she can proudly say she is a professional soccer player, playing overseas in Germany.
Being in a new country has been a big adjustment for her, but the Laval, Quebec, Canada, native has lived away from home since the age of 16. Although it seems a way of life for her now, it is still hard to leave her family, friends and boyfriend. She has made the most of these situations by becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable.
"You just make it work, you have to," said Pietrangelo. "Some moments are easier than others, but at the end of the day, there is nowhere else I'd rather be than exactly where I am right now. I have worked my whole life to be a professional soccer player and being far from home is just another sacrifice I need to make."
Pietrangelo currently plays for the FF USV Jena in 1. Bundesliga in Germany.
"Germany is different, it's tough, it's beautiful, it's great," Pietrangelo expressed of her current home. "The language was tough to pick up, but I did so fairly quickly and I can now say I am pretty fluent in German. Once I got the language, everything else became easier."
With the language barrier surpassed, Pietrangelo was able to immerse herself in the culture around women's football in Germany.
"The girls on the team are great and very helpful. Women's football is very big here and well followed so it's great to see," said Pietrangelo. "We get great crowds that come to watch. It's just such a different culture when it comes to football, people breathe and live it here. I walk in the street and people will stop me to talk about Sunday's game. It's really nice."
Perhaps the natives also talked to her about her first Bundesliga goal she netted early in September this year. There are certainly more to come. As a Scarlet Knight, Pietrangelo saw action in 70 matches as a Scarlet Knight from 2011-2014. She registered a career high 11 points (4g, 3a) in her senior season, also adding four game winners in her career "On the Banks."
"A big reason why I choose Rutgers was because I believed they had the tools and ability to make me a better player so that I can continue my career professionally. And they did," said Pietrangelo.
"Rutgers not only made me a better soccer player, but a more mature one. They pushed me, they challenged me, while always giving me the freedom to express myself. Soccer is a sport of expression so that was very important to me: The freedom to express myself on the pitch. They provided a professional environment and the ability to train everyday with quality competition."
To this day, Pietrangelo still misses the people at Rutgers.
"I made lifelong friends during my four years at Rutgers. Whether it was with teammates, classmates, coaches, professors, academic advisors, strength coaches, trainers, it was really a sense of family," said Pietrangelo.
"Once you are a Scarlet Knight, you never stop being a Scarlet Knight. You enter the program and you want to make a mark. Once you have made your mark, you just want to continue making the program proud long after you are gone. It comes back to the sense of family."
Pietrangelo still keeps in touch with teammates and staff members as they all follow each other's successes. One former teammate in particular is Shannon Woeller, who is currently playing on the same team as her.
"We picked up right where we left off. It was nice to have a familiar face, not only another Canadian but another Scarlet Knight," said Pietrangelo. "We are proud to tell people we went to Rutgers. Rutgers and New Jersey will always be a second home for me. It has a special place in my heart and you never know, with Sky Blue playing right in its backyard, I may one day find my way back."
For now, Pietrangelo is content with where she is at and continues to follow the Scarlet Knights from afar. While being in a different time zone makes it difficult to watch games, Pietrangelo makes sure to watch any highlights and keeps an eye out for updates on the team through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
"Rutgers has come a long way and it only makes me prouder to say that I passed through it." Said Pietrangelo. "At Rutgers, we are grinders, we are hard workers. Nothing comes easy and we have worked extremely hard for everything that we have achieved. I am glad that the current players are keeping the legacy going."
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