Becca’s story
Having lived in four countries by the age of 23, Rebecca Bartosh is uniquely qualified to speak about the adventurous, often chaotic life of a soccer player but, given her current status as a pro in Europe, she wouldn’t want it any other way.
Born on the Pacific island of Guam, Rebecca was raised in the US before accepting an opportunity to come up to Canada as a teenager to join the Toronto Blizzard academy. Her talents took her back to the US on a soccer scholarship and, eventually, abroad for an opportunity with an Italian league club in the capital city of Rome.
And this month, Rebecca comes full circle, returning to Guam to represent her birth nation in an Olympic qualifying tournament in China.
Rebecca’s soccer story begins in the Washington DC area where she played for a local club team. An opportunity to join the Blizzard as a guest player at a tournament in Virginia led to an offer for Rebecca to come north to Ontario to train and play with the Blizzard Academy.
“The players were a great calibre, very athletic and that helped me become better,” Rebecca recalls of her experiences with the Blizzard. “The drives from Peterborough to Toronto were kind of tiring, especially at night, but it was worth it. I was very grateful to my parents for doing that and, being on a team that was so good, it just made all the difference.”
Rebecca credits the training and fitness regimen at the Blizzard as a key reason for earning a scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh after her three years with the program.
“I don’t think any running I’ve done is harder and more demanding than what I did at the Blizzard”, she admitted. “That helped me get some leverage, especially when it came to fitness tests and building my mental toughness.”
Rebecca speaks very highly of Blizzard head coach Joe Parolini, describing him as a coach, teacher and mentor.
“I’ve never felt alone in the soccer world,” she said. “I’ve always felt like I had someone to talk to in Joe. He’s so different from any coach I’ve ever had in the best way possible.”
Halfway through her four-year university commitment, Rebecca decided to leave her comfort zone again and transfer from Pitt to Kansas State.
“It was hard to leave but I just wanted a more college atmosphere,” she revealed. “Kansas State provided that. It was a college town and all the energy of the community was focused on the college campus. So it was kind of a perfect fit.”
After leaving college, continuing her soccer career abroad appealed to Rebecca, so when an opportunity to join the Rome City Institute, an Italian academy program, came along she didn’t hesitate.
“You start off training and playing there and then they send you on trials with different club teams,” she said. “When I tried out for Roma CF, I really liked the coach and the girls. They were so welcoming and helped me learn the language. It’s been really fun and they’ve just made the experience so much better.”
Rebecca joined the Italian 3rd division club at the start of the current season and has played in several games, scoring the winning goal in a recent match after coming off the bench.
Rebecca is enjoying everything about her European experience, soaking up the Italian culture, cuisine and the coffee. And while she is very happy there, she has greater ambitions.
“The culture of football here is so much more developed compared to the NWSL in America,” she said. “Any European football league is just a little bit higher standard and more competitive. I want to get to the highest level I can and that means exploring other options. With all the leagues here now, there are endless opportunities.”
One of Rebecca’s most enduring memories as a young player was winning a gold medal while representing Ontario at the North American Indigenous games in Saskatchewan.
“That was so much fun”, she recalls fondly. “It’s like a mini-Olympics. It was so cool to meet people in other sports, comparing stories about the differences and similarities of our reservations. I still talk to some of the girls even now. I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
Having experienced an event similar to the Olympics, Rebecca now has a chance to become an actual Olympian, as she ventures to China to compete for Guam at the Oceania zone Olympic qualifying tournament. She had been invited to a training camp previously, but this is the first time she will represent her birth nation in a competitive tournament.
“It’s very exciting. Just to have the chance to be a part of any World Cup or Olympic qualifying is astounding. All my club teammates are very supportive.”
Rebecca looks back on her time as a Blizzard player with fondness and credits Joe Parolini’s influence on her as vital in her playing achievements so far.
“Joe cares for you as a player but, more importantly, also as a person. He’s very genuine. Soccer is a business anywhere you go but, with Joe, I always felt protected and looked after. He’s very supportive and I couldn’t have asked for a better coach, mentor or friend. I consider him almost as family.”
While she’s only just beginning her professional playing career, Rebecca can be regarded as a role model for young girls who are following in her footsteps as members of the Blizzard. Her diverse playing experiences in various parts of the world originated from her growth and development within the Blizzard academy.
