By Jed Blackwell
Sports Editor

Photo By Jed Blackwell
Federico Rossi (left) and Fabrizio Cupellini attended Bobby Bentley’s football camp last week. Cupellini hosted Bentley at an Italian camp in February, and visited Bentley’s camp last week in return.
When Bobby Bentley traveled to Rome last winter to participate in a football camp, he called it the opportunity of a lifetime.
Last week, he returned that opportunity.
Fabrizio Cupellini, the coach from Rome who organized Bentley’s visit, and Federico Rossi, a 15-year-old player from Grosetto, participated last week in Bentley’s football camp at USC Upstate. It was an eye-opening experience for both coach and player.
“It’s just great,” Cupellini said on the evening of the first camp session. “To come here and see how it’s done, to continue our relationship with Coach Bentley, it just brings a whole new meaning to what we do.”
Cupellini explained that in Italy, football is a novelty, a sport that people are still trying to learn.
“It’s considered one of the most dangerous sports, especially by Italian mothers,” he said with a laugh.
The coach pointed out that involvement in football is still not commonplace in Italy.
“It’s the exception to the rule,” he said. “Italy is a soccer country. When you are exposed to something every day, sometimes you look for something else, you crave something different. That’s what football is. You don’t want to do what everyone else is doing. You want a sport that speaks to your soul. It’s not just the technical side of the sport we want to learn, but the moral and the spiritual.”
Rossi said seeing the camp firsthand, along with special camp guests like former NFL head coach Sam Wyche and current NFL quarterback Tyler Thigpen, was a strange and interesting experience.
“Coming from such a small movement in Italy, to see how huge the sport is here is a little strange,” he said. “But it’s a great opportunity, and it’s a really beautiful experience.”
Bentley was thrilled to have the visitors at his camp.
“To have them come over is unbelievable,” he said. “Fabrizio is working with us, and I think what he’s trying to do with Italian football is amazing. Federico is learning every day. I hope it’s a great experience for them.”
Bentley also said he thought his other campers would benefit from the visit.
“It’s a cultural experience for the other guys, just to be able to talk to them, to visit with them, to see how they love the game,” Bentley said. “Our guys can definitely learn from that.
Cupellini was equally pleased with Bentley’s approach to the game.
“Some of the things we do are so complicated, but he makes everything so relevant, so easy to learn,” Cupellini said. “We were really blessed that he was able to visit us and help us show players how to develop their skills. We’re happy to be able to come here and learn more.”
For more in sports, see this week’s local HOMETOWN NEWS.