Autauga County Schools
Prattville High School
Nico Bologna, a Prattville High School freshman and stand-out soccer player, traveled to Düsseldorf, Germany, earlier this year to pursue his professional soccer dreams. As just a teenager, making plans to leave behind the life he knew was not an easy decision, but the opportunity to possibly play soccer professionally one day was not something he could pass up. When reflecting back on this momentous decision, Nico’s mom, Tina Bologna, said, “It took a lot of prayers, faith in God, support, and having the right village surround us.”
Months earlier, while playing at a college ID camp hosted by the Hoover Vestavia Soccer Club – a youth academy for soccer’s Major League Soccer Next league, Nico was approached by a sports management agency. His technical skills and poise on the pitch stood out to recruiters that day. In an email, CDM Sports Management stated that “Nico immediately stood out to us as a fit for our program, not only because of his presence on the field but because of his maturity and focus on his studies – both academically and in learning as much as he can about the sport. We believe that given all of these attributes, there is real possibility for Nico in Germany and in greater Europe starting as a youth player.”
Fast forward to today, Nico is living in Germany with a host family, whose son is the goalie on his current team. For the remainder of the school year, he will study, train, and play, with a little time for fun in between. His days consist of training with the agency’s coaching staff in the mornings, completing his schoolwork & independent studies in the afternoon, team training & trials in the evenings, and matches on the weekend. Not watching Nico play is difficult for an all-in soccer family like the Bologna’s, but knowing he’s doing what he loves helps ease the discomfort. “We don’t get to watch him play because they don’t use a lot of the streaming services, plus he’s seven hours ahead of us,” mentioned Tina. “But we get lots of updates from Nico and photos & videos from his host family.”
Nico plans to remain in-country for at least three months, playing with his current team. During this time, he is going on trials, hoping to sign with a club for the 2024-2025 season. Knowing that he can continue his studies through the district’s virtual learning platform has been a huge relief to Luca and Tina Bologna, Nico’s parents. Without the ability to go virtual, this opportunity may have been out of reach as he would have been required to attend a private, international school that could be quite costly, according to the family. In partnership with Autauga County Schools and CDM Sports Management, Nico will remain a virtual student until he returns home. In addition to his Prattville High School studies, Nico is also taking German through his sports management agency.
“We talk to him multiple times a day,” said Tina in the interview. “We could not be more proud of him. While we miss him, we are excited to see him chase his dreams. We have always been and will continue to be his biggest supporters.” In addition to his parents, Nico’s younger brother Gianluca is also incredibly proud of his brother. In true sibling nature, he doesn’t show it, but Nico is an inspiration to Gianluca. He looks up to him as a person and a player.
If Nico were to advance in these trials, he could possibly go “pro” before he even graduates high school. While Nico wouldn’t be able to sign professionally until his 17th birthday, he’s giving it everything he’s got to achieve his dreams. In the meantime, he appreciates the opportunity to become more independent, mature as a young man and soccer player, and eagerly anticipates his future.
