Duncan Bochicchio ’17 knew at a young age that he wanted to incorporate soccer into his career.
“As a kid, I was a block away from a park,” Bochicchio said in a phone interview from Los Angeles. “My family is a traditional American football and baseball family, but as a three year old, I was obsessed [with soccer] and I played on my first team at four years old. By nine, I fell in love.”
Bochicchio plays soccer for the LA10 football club in the United Premier Soccer League—a semi-professional league—while serving as an associate producer for Fox Sports in his hometown of Los Angeles.
Bochicchio transferred to Emerson from Santa Monica College in California for his junior year and started all 17 men’s soccer games he played for the Lions. As a captain in his senior season, he scored seven goals and recorded two assists.
“I always assumed I would go to school in Los Angeles,” Bochicchio said. “Emerson reached out to me, and I went on a visit and just loved it.”
In his two seasons at Emerson, Bochicchio said his favorite moment came during his junior year when the Lions won their first New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference game in team history against United States Coast Guard Academy.
Senior forward Max DeLuca, a sophomore during Bochicchio’s senior season, said Bochicchio brought great skill and positive energy to the field.
“Duncan was one of the most talented soccer players I’ve played with,” DeLuca said. “He always played the game with a smile on his face and played better when he had fun.”
Although Bochicchio graduated before current head coach Brian Harkin took over, Harkin said he knew about Bochicchio’s legacy.
“The biggest message that came across was that he was a really talented player with a good demeanor and a team-first mentality,” Harkin said.
Harkin said he keeps in touch with Bochicchio because of his soccer connections in California.
“When I took the job, I reached out to alumni, and Duncan had a good reputation being involved in the sports communication world,” Harkin said. “He’s been trying to help some players get internships, and he’s a good resource for recruits out in the [Los Angeles] area.”
Bochicchio said he remains in contact with his former soccer coaches in California so he can pitch the idea of attending Emerson to younger players.
“California has such a big talent pool for soccer, but not many people know that Division III at Emerson is an option for them,” Bochicchio said. “If your own coach isn’t reaching out to schools for you, it might be difficult.”
Off the field, Bochicchio’s passion for soccer carries over into his profession. After graduating in summer 2017, he followed in the footsteps of his friend and applied to Fox Sports. Bochicchio spent his first six months recording statistics but replaced one of the two writers in the soccer department to begin reporting on the Bundesliga—the top soccer league in Germany.
Bochicchio said playing soccer and covering overseas sports at the same time keeps him occupied.
“Because of the European time zones, coverage starts early on the weekends,” Bochicchio said. “I’m in at work at [3 a.m.] on Saturdays and Sundays, get home by 11:30 [a.m.], change, and go straight to the game. It’s really draining.”
Eight months ago, Bochicchio became a creative director for Fox Sports, where he puts together informative graphics to be analyzed during game coverage. Bochicchio provided data for every game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, working remotely for 36 days straight.
“It’s every kid’s dream to play in the World Cup,” Bochicchio said. “Covering it was just about the next best thing.”
Bochicchio said players should always seek to challenge themselves if they want to take their game to the next level.
“What’s important that I learned playing at different programs is getting yourself out of your comfort zone,” Bochicchio said. “My parents always played me up an age level. The only way you really get better is when you are playing with players who are more experienced than you.”
