Alessandrini, The Italian Sensation, Is Ready to Go Pro
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kylecorbett42
Registered Junior Member
809 words, ready for grading
Alessandrini, The Italian Sensation, Is Ready to Go Pro The young Domenic Alessandrini, a first-generation talent from the Mediterranean country of Italy, is headed west to North America to participate in the upcoming SMJHL draft as an S55 player. But if you've been paying attention, you've probably had your eyes on this kid for quite some time. When Alessandrini was 9 years old, he was featured on an obscure reality show called "Andrea Vs." where famous Italian soccer player Andrea Barzagli tried his hand at facing various professional athletes in their sports. However, the production budget was quite low, so they were forced to abandon the idea of playing professionals and instead Andrea would face off against school-age children in their respective sports. In most circumstances, Andrea would absolutely dominate his opponents, like that one time he did MMA against 11-year-old Massimo Giunnulli. It did not end well. However, in the show's 5 episodes of existence before it was cancelled, their was one instance where Andrea was defeated, and in this one instance, he was crushed. It was, of course, ice hockey. Andrea faced off against Alessandrini's midget squad in his hometown of Bari. Yes, before you ask, it was one man versus 6 little hockey players. And guess what? They dominated him. Andrea couldn't even get a goal in the 15 minutes of play, as the U10 Bari Stallone HC defeated Andrea 13-0. And guess what else? 11 of the 13 goals were scored by Alessandrini alone. Alessandrini has received numerous offers to defect in play in low-level junior leagues before, but he has denied every opportunity, primarily from a desire to stay home with his mother, Maria. Maria is a widow after her husband died six months into being pregnant with Domenic, her firstborn. Domenic never met his father, but he takes to the ice every day in his memory. His dad was a huge North American hockey fan, often making sure he caught his Hamilton Steelhawks on television whenever he could. Now, Alessandrini will head to North America in honor of his father's legacy, as he hopes to display a love for hockey each and every game, just like his dad had. However, the opportunity before him is just too much to pass up. Alessandrini has the chance to buy his mom a new life. While money can't guarantee her happiness by any sense of the word, perhaps the thought of her son as a professional hockey player might just give her even the slightest bit of comfort in this horrifying season. Nearly two decades later, it still shocks her every day to be without Domenic's father, and more importantly, her husband. Alessandrini has spent much of his career working with his personal trainer, a former SMJHL defenseman by the name of Kyle Corbett. "Dom's the real deal", said Corbett, who spent a season and some change on defense for the Halifax Raiders. "He's so skilled with his playmaking. The way he sets screens is unlike anything I ever saw at the professional level. Some team is going to hit the jackpot with this kid in the SMJHL lottery." I asked Corbett how he felt about Alessandrini carrying on the legacy he never had in the SHL. Corbett was selected in a previous SHL draft by his dad's favorite team, the Hamilton Steelhawks, but never signed and was fading out of the hockey scene for the most part. "I would love the chance to live on through Dom", said Corbett. "Sure, he's a different player than myself, but over the past three years, getting to help make Dom who he is has been an incredible journey, and I wouldn't trade it for a moment. Plus, his mom makes amazing ravioli". Alessandrini, standing at 5'10", will likely be one of the smaller players on the ice in the 54th season of SMJHL play. Corbett isn't bothered by the notion of how small he is. "He's too tough to be big," said Corbett. "He's so nimble on that nice. No way he'd be as agile and as versatile as he is if he were 6'2" or 6'5". Dom's built to be the league's next big thing, no matter how small he is." Well, it appears this kid will be one of many to watch as the end of the current season draws to a close. Look for Alessandrini to be a major name appearing in SMJHL Mock Drafts as the time draws near. If Andrea Barzagli, Kyle Corbett, his parents, and a random 11-year-old MMA fighter thing he's going to be a star, then so should you!
hockeyiscool
SHL GM SHL GM
Edit: Italian Stallion
Great piece, Looking to see how your player develops.
LordBirdman
Registered Used to be cool
I used to love Andrea Vs., the MMA episode was my favorite.
kylecorbett42
Registered Junior Member
Zoone16
Media Graders Loveable Buttnugget |
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