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Sunday September 15, 2002 interview with Claudio Perri
RR-- Today is Sunday September 15th and I'm talking to Claudio Perri the goalie of St Catharines Roma Wolves. Let's just get started. Your first interest in soccer. How did you get involved in soccer?
CP--Well soccer has always been a part of my family. Coming from my father who coached my middle brother Vince and it started from my uncle too--Arto who was also a goalkeeper and who played professional and I guess Dino wanted to be like my Uncle Arto as a goalkeeper, and then I always looked up to Dino. I always wanted to follow in his footsteps so I wanted to be a goaltender as well. So soccer's just always been part of our family...since I was born. It's always been a part of the family. I've wanted to keep up tradition and be like my older brother. That's how I got involved.
RR--Alright, now you've been to school, where exactly? And you played soccer there too?
CP--Yeah it's called "Life University" in Atlanta Georgia. It's an NIA school Division 1, and I played there for four years, graduated with my Business Administration Degree. Yeah we had really good teammates, Nationals three years in a row. We had a really good run at it but we never won it really. And I just came home after that and that was that for the college career.
RR--Now your brother just in the last year he's moved to the Thunder, that's Dino, and how did you get the chance to slip in and take over at Roma to keep the Perri tradition going?
CP--Well during my collegiate career when I came home each summer I was never really allowed to sign with the team or what have you so I always just went to Roma and trained and I went to watch their games and stuff so I ended up training with them like once in awhile during the summertime to stay fit and keep sharp. So the guys all knew me on the team and I just figured I'd come up one day or another but when Dino decided to go to Hamilton it just opend up a huge door for me so I just decided I might as well take my opportunity and take advantage of it. So that's how I ended up here!
RR--So have you had a big career highlight yet? You're sort of just getting started but has there been anything that's been really memorable?
CP--Just that game, when I played Dino for the first time, when we went face to face with each other. I think that was the highlight of the season for me because I had my grandmother in the stands, I had my uncles, my aunts, like it was a really big family event. That's the game I'm really going to remember the most out of this whole season. That'd be the game right there.
RR--Well let me guess, I bet the family was hoping for a 0-0 draw?
CP--Yeah they were. They were hoping for a 0-0 draw but unfortunately we lost that game but I had played well--and I had played well in Dino's eyes too so that kind of made me feel good so that was probably my best game.
RR--Ok now just everyone seems to have a job and do something in the off season. Do you have any plans after...well a month from now in either the job or education front?
CP--Yeah as of right now I'm working construction as a bricklayer and I'm working with my friend and his dad, Italian people you know, so I'm just doing that to make some extra money but after the season I'm going to really get down and look for a job in the Business Management area and see what I can find.
RR--Alright great! Thanks a lot. That was a pretty good interview. Thanks.
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end of interview
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