When their teachers inevitably ask, in September, what they did this summer some young soccer players in Newtown will have quite a few stories to tell.

The Newtown Cobras U12 soccer team – coached by Pete D’Amico – took a 16-day tour of Europe last month, with stops in Germany and Italy. Soccer games intermingled with sightseeing and tours filled the days.

The trip started in Schnaittenbach, Germany, with the Cobras invited by the residents to the annual town festival. Over two days, the group was taken to surf on a sand mountain (you had to see it to believe it), a local water park and then trained and experienced a true Jungle Jim, German style, climbing, swinging and sliding through the tall trees.

The soccer schedule opened with a game against the host team and then a 7v7 tournament in which all four teams split into two teams each. Newtown’s two contingents finished third and sixth in the eight-team field and on the second day all the boys exchanged t-shirts.

Because of the 7v7 tournament, the boys had a chance to play many different positions against different types of teams. For most of the trip, Sean Elliott and Drew Sullivan shared time in net, Noah Sock anchored the defense while Stephen Conway and Matt Rahtelli split time between defense and midfield. Two guest players, Curtis Weir and Aaron Laranetto, shared time as sweeper and midfield. The midfield was patrolled by Nick Barreto, Chris Erikson, Pieter Martino and Nick Gerbo. On top, Connor Quinn, Richard Greenwood, Robert Willis and younger brother Jordan Sock all played forward. Sam Langdon, Ian Solaski and Colin Moller expended a lot of effort playing outside midfield.

There were even guest appearances by younger brothers Tommy “The Swimmer” Elliott, Ryan “Over the Top” Conway and Dan “Ago” Laranetto. The team was coached by Pete D’Amico with team manager Joe Rahtelli serving as his assistant (in the absence of Keith Miller).

The group received a guided tour of Amberg by Markus Hiltl, a business associate of coach D’Amico who arranged the time in Germany. Mr Hiltl, his wife and two sons and the family that owns the quaint 30-room hotel where the group stayed, and the small town of Schnaittenbach, made everyone feel like family.

The group proceeded by bus into Italy, to Riva, where the Cobras boarded a boat to take a scenic ride across Lake Garda to the town of Sirmione. The stay in Sirmione allowed several day trips to Venice (one stop being the Murano glass factory), Verona (walking by a Roman amphitheater that is almost 2,000 years old and Juliet Capulet’s home) and Florence (visiting places like Santa Croce Church and Piaza del Duomo).

Departing from there, the group traveled to Pontedera. A day trip to Pisa (obviously, to see its leaning tower) was followed by a soccer match with a team from Santa Maria A Monte, which once again was followed by the players exchanging gifts, the team receiving an Italian flag signed by their players, gifts to the coaches and dinner with the host club … but this time Italian style!

The next day started with a morning visit of Volterra, lunch at a winery, Fattoria San Donato, and the rest of the day in San Gimignano.

A boat ride to Capri started a day that was highlighted by the boys spotting comedian Howie Mandel having lunch at an outside café and respectively requesting a picture with him and he was gracious enough to accommodate them. The team then took a “ski lift” type ride to the top of the island for some breath-taking views of the Mediterranean Sea. The remainder of the day was spent at the beach and another great dinner.

The Amalfi coast was the agenda for the next day. Driving along the scenic coast, the group toured a Grotto and then took lunch at a restaurant built into the mountainside along the coast overlooking the sea. Next came a boat ride to Amalfi for swimming and for some, to the church that houses the crypt of St Andrew.

The ruins of Pompeii near Mt. Vesuvius amazed most the boys, as well as the adults. Later in the day the boys played the Sorrento U12 team in the stadium which the professional team from Sorrento calls home. The game was followed by an exchange of shirts.

This game was refereed, as well as other previous games, by the team’s bus driver/tour guide Salvatore. He did not speak a lot of English, but made the trip much more memorable – especially for a smaller segment of the group – with his terms of “Lookie, lookie” and “Come on baby” that will bring smiles to many faces. The driver introduced the group to grapefruit-sized lemons, Limoncello and the nightlife of Pontedera and Sorrento.

The trip continued on to Rome and an indescribable visit to Vatican City, St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.

The group started its final full day in Italy with a tour of the Coliseum, followed by an opportunity to visit places like Roman Forum, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, National Monument of Victor Emmanuel, Pantheon, Saint Angelo Castle, Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo.

It was a memorable trip for the Cobras, who had an opportunity to play soccer against German and Italian teams and to be welcomed like family into their towns and to shown the country by individuals who know where to go is an opportunity that no one should pass up.

So, that “What I Did Last Summer” essay will be an one to write this fall.

– Thanks to Joe Rahtelli for providing details of the trip