A local soccer dynasty continues as Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy standout Carlo Campanini signed with the Florida Institute of Technology.
“I’m so excited for the next four years,” Carlo said at a Feb. 9 signing ceremony at the school.
Campanini continues a family tradition of Florida Tech soccer. His dad, Bino Campanini, played and coached there. His older sister Isabella also played for Florida Tech, and his brother Luca is currently a sophomore on the team.
All three kids grew up playing youth soccer in Satellite Beach, where they live, as well as in Indialantic. They all were also members of Space Coast United Soccer Club, an elite team that competes statewide. “Basically, as soon as they could start walking, they were kicking around the ball,” Bino Campanini said of his three kids. “It’s been a part of their life, they’ve been very fortunate.”
Bino Campanini was recruited to play for Florida Tech in 1986, and moved from his native Isle of Jersey, a small piece of land that sits in the English Channel between England and France.
He was a member of the college’s first national championship team in 1988, and was a coach when the team was again national champions in 1991.
He was also one of the college’s first international recruits. Today the Florida Tech team includes players from 10 different countries, as well as other local recruits from Holy Trinity, West Shore Junior/Senior High School and Satellite High School.
Carlo’s coach at Holy Trinity, James Phillips, praised the latest Campanini to play for him.
“If anybody doesn’t think soccer is a physical sport, they need to play against this guy,” Phillips said. “Carlo has the mindset and ability to produce a game-changing moment at any time.”
Campanini currently holds the school record for most goals scored in a game, and is second in all-time goals. He also led his team to the state soccer semifinals this year.
Campanini excels off the field as well. He currently has a 4.5 GPA and plans to major in software engineering. This year he started a “house” system at Holy Trinity, similar to what Harry Potter fans might be familiar with from the books and movies. Each of the groups, or houses, can earn points for various accomplishments and achievements. Campanini tracks the points through software that he designed.
“As an athlete I know how it feels to get attention for that and I wanted to spread that,” Campanini said.
He is among a handful of beachside students who recently signed to play college athletics, including Satellite High School seniors Cade Larkin (football, University of Central Florida), Luis Morris (football, Tusculum College in Tennessee), Sara Towers (track, Embry Riddle), Jamie Wood (volleyball, University of Maryland-Baltimore County), Kasey Crooks (diving, Indian River State College), Isaac Lopez (baseball, Nova Southeastern), Alec Eldridge (baseball, Florida Tech) and Chet Moore (baseball, University of Miami).
