Suddenly tears are welling up in her eyes. It’s just an interview after a match at the European championship but Nausicaa Dell’Orto, the slightly injured wide receiver of the Italian women’s team, gets emotional. Is it because her team lost a close quarterfinal match against Spain due to controversial decisions made by the referees? It might have something do with it, but it’s not very likely. Her tears are primarily coming because Dell’Orto is talking about the love for her sport and the story of what it takes to be where she is now, standing on the side of field 5 at the campus of the University of Limerick as role model for the sport.
“I’m sorry, but it really ignites a fire inside of me. I feel I have super powers when i’m playing, it feels like iIm flying. I mean, if you find something that can really make you feel that way… that is so special, I just love it so much”, says Dell’Orto with wet eyes. It shows how much it means for her to be the player she is and especially what journey it took to become where she is right now, as the 29 year old captain of the national flag football team.
“When I was a young girl, I was 16 years old, I felt I needed to play football. There was no girls team, we played in a park in Milan. I fought for our rights to play football, to have a league for girls and not just playing with the men. It took a lot of strength and sacrifice to get here, but on the other hand: if you do what you love, it’s not really a sacrifice. Through football I learned that in life you have to fight for the people and things you love and that is what I try to do every day.”
Role model
You can take that literally. Dell’Orto is more than just a football player. She works as producer for a big sports media outlet and is a passionate ambassador for NFL. “I promote the sport every day of my life, participate in events of the NFL to make flag football much more visible.” That’s why she found herself at the stage of the International Sports Week in Paris recently, standing next to Drew Brees, the legendary quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, as equal. “I represent a movement, a movement of girls and women that is growing faster every year. When I was 16, I didn’t have role models, now these girls do. They know that sport can take you very far in life. That’s what happened to me, I think it’s very important for them.”
Meanwhile, the Italian team is developing itself to a team to be reckoned with. “We are not there yet, but we are growing, becoming better step by step. A couple of years ago everyone thought we were a lousy team, but our level is getting higher and higher. Our federation provides us tools to compete at the highest level. Inside Italy and across the border, where we can test our team at international tournaments like this European championship. We have a talented team with young players, we are in schools where we recruit young players, so yes: we’re coming!” In Limerick Italy lost the quarter final against Spain with 22-18 and became fifth after winning their last match against Czechia (32-27).
