Pietro succeeds in two sports, academics

The Canfield athlete recorded a 4.0 grade-point average and gained national acclaim.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CANFIELD -- Matt Pietro likes to kick. He also likes to write.
The Canfield High senior enjoys school assignments in which he can relate stories he reads and papers he writes to his real-life experiences.
Take, for example, a recent college application he completed. It asked for him to write about a difficult experience he overcame.
His topic: Trying out for kicker on the Cardinals' varsity football team. At the time, he was a standout soccer player and strong student working to maintain his good grades.
"I was able to write an essay about the risks I've taken," Pietro said.
Three risks
Kicking for the football team was a big risk, he said, "because No. 1, I could be really bad. No. 2, I could get hurt and not be able to play soccer. And 3, it might take too much time out of my life."
Pietro found a way to do all three successfully. He kicked for the football team, scored 22 goals for the soccer team and recorded a 4.0 grade-point average.
Not only was Pietro named to The Vindicator's All-Star boys soccer team, he drew praise on a national scale. He was selected to the 2003 NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-America Team.
"This means a lot because there's only 36 players in the nation to get it," said Pietro, a midfielder.
Pietro applied by submitting his academic honors (4.0 GPA, 29 ACT score, 1260 SAT score) and athletic honors (first-team All-Ohio, All-District and All-Metro Athletic Conference) to the NSCAA organization.
The team was selected from among 300-plus candidates.
Guidance
Pietro said the importance of academics was instilled in him by his parents, John and Denise.
In his mind, Pietro set deadlines to help him finish school work. If it involved staying up past midnight, so be it. At least he knew it was complete.
"At the beginning, it wears on you a little," he said of balancing his time. "You get used to it, and with the excitement of the season, it's not that difficult because you're having fun."
Although he's explored Otterbein, John Carroll and Xavier, among others, Pietro hasn't made his college choice. He does plan to major in business, communications or journalism and possibly continue his soccer career.
That, of course, would involve balancing more of his time, something he's already proven manageable.
If there are risks to be taken, count Pietro worthy.
richesson@vindy.com