ELON, N.C. – Growing up in Argentina,
Gustavo Atencio couldn't help but fall in love with soccer.
From playing soccer in the streets of San Martin to watching Argentina's national team compete in World Cups, the sport was always an important part of Atencio's childhood. He started playing when he was five years old and has never looked back.
"As soon as I was playing, I noticed that I could be really good at it," Atencio said.
Atencio's love for soccer has taken him far away from home to pursue his dream of playing the sport professionally. Atencio had stints playing club soccer in both Argentina and Spain before landing in America to play soccer at Elon University.
After spending the last two seasons with the Phoenix, Atencio is hopeful to continue his journey in the sport at the professional level in the U.S. and is grateful for how Elon has prepared him for the next steps of his career.
"Coming here is the best decision I've ever made because I was able to [play soccer] with the best facilities and play at a high level in an environment that helps you reach the highest levels on and off the field," Atencio said.
Argentina's soccer culture is rich and includes some of the best players to ever play the sport, including Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. For Atencio, growing up in such a passionate soccer country and watching the prime of Messi's career inspired him to chase a dream of going professional.
"When Messi started to play, everybody wanted to be Messi," Atencio said.
With Messi now playing for Major League Soccer, Atencio said it has further inspired him and all other players at the highest level of college soccer to make it to the next level.
"The fact that he's here now is just amazing for me since I'm here, but I think also for the Division I and II college guys and all the academy guys too because they want to play with him," Atencio said.
Watching Argentina compete in the World Cup provided Atencio some of his fondest memories as a kid, but it took until 2022 for him to see his beloved country finally win its elusive third World Cup title.
Atencio was in Argentina that December when the World Cup semifinal and final were contested. Being in his home country for such a monumental sporting achievement was incredibly meaningful for him.
"After the games, you'd go out and the streets were full of Argentinians going crazy," Atencio said. "It's just a different energy being there."
While he was playing club soccer in Argentina, Elon discovered Atencio. After a phone call with the Phoenix's staff, Atencio decided continuing his soccer and academic careers at Elon was the right move.
Because he had already earned the equivalent of a bachelor's degree in Argentina, Atencio enrolled in Elon's master's program in business analytics. He needed a new academic path to follow because his first passion was no longer an option in America.
That passion? Law.
Atencio's older sister Marines was a lawyer in Argentina, and Gustavo looked up to her and became interested in the craft.
"I wanted to be like her," Atencio said. "I would say my first passion is soccer, but then law."
Atencio began studying law while he was playing club soccer and went on to earn a law degree. However, because each country has a different process for becoming an accredited lawyer, Atencio had to give up law when he came to America.
Elon's business analytics program has been a great fit for Atencio, as he has become more knowledgeable about the U.S. economy and been able to utilize his law background in classes.
"It was perfect because business is everywhere," Atencio said. "This was a great opportunity to grow more and get another degree."
Coming to America was a big transition for Atencio, but it was made easier by having a roommate from the soccer team that also had an Argentinian background. Atencio and goalie Ryan Bilichuck '22 developed a close bond that helped Atencio stay in close touch with his culture.
"I wasn't missing the culture that much because his parents came here every weekend and we were hanging out with him," Atencio said. "I'm very proud of him. He helped me a lot when I arrived here and was my very first friend. I'm very grateful for him."
On the field, Atencio appeared in 21 games over the last two seasons and was part of the team that won the 2022 regular season CAA championship and qualified for the 2022 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament as an at-large bid. Atencio said Elon's NCAA game against Marshall is his favorite soccer memory with the Phoenix.
"It was amazing to see all the stands full of people, even professors and classmates and everyone around supporting you," Atencio said.
As Atencio says goodbye to Elon with the hope of continuing his soccer career, he is thankful for his experiences both on and off the field. A kid from San Martin that dreamed of playing soccer on the biggest stages just like his childhood idol, Elon afforded Atencio the opportunity to reach the highest level college soccer has to offer, and has also set him up for success in his post-soccer career.
"Thank you Elon for choosing me, for trusting me to be part of the team and the university," Atencio said. "Thank you so much for making me a part of this Elon community."
'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.
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