Erika Striulli has said enough. The Venetian point guard, but now Sardinian by adoption given her long militancy with Cus Cagliari , stops playing basketball at 34 years old. The decision came at the end of a summer of long reflections. And it certainly wasn't easy.
Basketball, joys and disappointments. "Twenty years have passed since my debut in Serie A," reflects Striulli, "and like all athletes who begin to glimpse their decline with a smile, the time has come to start taking stock of what high-level professional sport has given me and taken away from me, full of victories, emotions, defeats, tough injuries, introspective moments and travels."
A story, the one with the orange ball, that began thanks to her father Dante , a former basketball player and coach. An extraordinary journey, which led her to debut at a very young age in Serie A, to wear the famous jerseys of Lucca, Napoli, La Spezia, and even that of the National team , in 2013. Intermediate stages that led her to Cagliari, where she found her second home: «I have lived Italy far and wide, always with my suitcase packed. Many places, many people, a thousand adventures. But the sporting adventure was for me mainly a continuous discovery of myself. A way to measure myself, to understand who I was and what I wanted». A path always lived with my head held high and without compromises: «The professional sports environment gave me the opportunity to know myself and to make more accurate choices as I grew and matured. My way of living the sporting “profession” has always been based on a deep love for that sharing born of values such as intellectual honesty, transparency, loyalty, altruism and professionalism. Beyond the technical - tactical skills, all the coaches I have had have always recognized my obsessive attention to detail, enthusiasm, willingness to dialogue and to assume my responsibilities, on and off the field. Their esteem has never been lacking, even though I am not a “soldier” who bows his head a priori».
There has been no shortage of difficulties : «Unfortunately, extreme competition, which determines the value and salary of an athlete, triggers mechanisms that bring to light all the limits of the human being when he is forced to lay himself bare, therefore envy, jealousy and cynicism come into play», she explains, «we have a social culture that does not appreciate talent and, above all, that has few cognitive tools to recognize it. The majority of failures that I have seen experienced by teams considered unbeatable, were not caused by the selfishness of the individual, but by the envy of many. One thing I have learned about myself is that this philosophy does not belong to me and I do not want to live it anymore».
Dog lovers: a passion that comes from afar. After basketball, there is a passion at least as great: the one for the dog world . A love that was born many years ago: «Dog lovers has origins in my childhood, when we had an aggressive dog in the family, with a traumatic past, that few people could relate to», he says, «he was a pitbull - rottweiler cross, weighing 50 kilos, rescued from clandestine fights. I was very young and the dog did not have a good relationship with children and teenagers. It took me years to understand it, but I never gave up, terribly fascinated by being able to communicate with him. In the end we became friends, patience and the desire to go beyond visible behavior won. “My” dog lovers was born there, together with him». And it grew until it became a real job : «Starting from 2018», he confirms, «it is a profession that deserves more respect and consideration. Culturally, unfortunately, it is often identified and experienced as a banal "hobby" with which to supplement one's salary, taking away importance from the profession, which requires continuous study, preparation, physicality and skills that go beyond the mere passion for animals. Working with dogs is a serious matter. Very serious, which should not leave room for superficiality and improvisation, as often happens. I started to leave Sardinia, in search of professional training that would guarantee me constant growth: after a very initial basic training in Cagliari, immediately another course in Tuscany, then Verona, then the collaboration with a Dog Center in Emilia Romagna and with various professional breeding centers".
Striulli's new world will be the Accademia Formativa Cinofila that is coming to life in Quartu Sant'Elena . A bet that comes from afar: «In 2012 I arrived in A1 at CUS Cagliari for the first time and already then I had decided that my life, once the sporting adventure was over, would be in Sardinia. I had no doubts about it. What I am building is a reality that finally sees me as a protagonist in the decision-making sphere, after a life spent being a mere "sticker" to be used. The Academy will be founded on meritocracy and altruism. The Sardinia that I have known in these years is a Sardinia with two faces: I have seen first-hand realities that are mentally closed and incapable of comparison, just as I have had the opportunity to meet many people full of enthusiasm and character, friendly, open to dialogue and always ready to question themselves without fear. It is from this large slice of Sardinia, made up of fellow dog lovers, students, interns, owners and enthusiasts that the Accademia Cinofila was born, aimed at training professionals and nurturing enthusiasm and skills in anyone interested in this world".
