Nick Kriak made it through regional and national tryouts for the PUMA Il Viaggio program.
WEST ORANGE – Ever since he was 3 years old, Nick Kriak has loved playing soccer.
Not only is the West Orange resident getting ready for his junior season for the highly-regarded Seton Hall Prep varsity soccer team, but he is also making a trip to Italy as part of the PUMA Il Viaggio program.
After taking part in regional and national tryouts, Kriak was selected to the program which features 16 players born in 2000 or 2001.
The players on the all-expense paid trip also will get to train with Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) coaches before the game.
The trip is from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5. Kriak said the team will take a plane trip to Amsterdam and then another plane trip to Bari, Italy to watch an international friendly match between Italy and France, before driving seven hours to Florence, Italy.
For Kriak, this will be his first time traveling to Europe.
So how does it feel to get a chance to go to Italy and play soccer?
“I’m a little nervous, but I am also excited at the same time,” said Kriak during a practice break with the SHP Pirates at the Kelly Athletic Complex.
Kriak started playing soccer with the Little Kickers in town. He also played for the West Orange Rebels until he was about 10 years old.
In addition to playing for SHP, Kriak also is a member of the Parsippany Crew, a club team that is affiliated with Bayern Munich of Germany. He plays center-mid and sometimes right fullback.
In February, players from around the country and Canada were contacted to participate in the PUMA Il Viaggio program. They were required to submit a resume and an essay explaining why they should be selected.
There were three regional tryout sites: Brooklyn, N.Y., California and Toronto, Canada. Kriak applied to the Brooklyn tryout and was subsequently selected.
Kriak said there were about 60 players at the tryout. Initially, Kriak said he wasn’t sure if he was going to make the cut. But after playing and getting into a groove, Kriak felt good about his chances. Turned out, he was right. He was picked for the national tryout at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Disney in Orlando, Fla.
At the national tryout, held Aug. 5-7, Kriak went up against 30 players. And none of them were “weak,” he said.
On the first day, Kriak said he felt fatigued due to the plane ride. As a result, Kriak felt he didn’t play his best. But on the second day, he said he played his best game ever. Following the tryout, Kriak had learned that he made the team as a midfielder.
Kriak credits his father, Mike, coaches from the Parsippany Crew, and SHP soccer head coach Marty Berman for his development as a soccer player.
Kriak particularly enjoys playing for Berman, who has guided the Pirates to success on the conference, county and state levels.
“He’s a great coach,” said Kriak of Berman. “He has a legacy. He’s a great guy. I learned a lot (from him).”
Berman was proud of Kriak for this wonderful honor.
“It is a great accomplishment that Nick Kriak came out of a series of tryouts involving 800 players nation-wide to make this select team, and it is a very nice honor for the Seton Hall Prep soccer program,” said Berman in an email to the West Orange Chronicle. “It attests to the quality of players at our school. Putting soccer aside, this trip to Italy should be a tremendous experience for Nick. The bulk of the time will be spent in Florence which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a cultural paradise, with the Ponte Veccio, il Duomo and the Palazzo Medici Riccardi.
“In terms of soccer, training and playing there, even for just a week, should really enhance his game,” Berman continued. “Nick is a very technical player with quick feet and a huge heart. He is a tireless worker in both practice and games, and in preseason camp he has shown a very powerful and accurate shot as well. I’m sure the experience in Italy will help Nick be able to make decisions more quickly and decisively on the field for us this fall.”
Kriak, indeed, is looking forward to the trip to Italy to play soccer. He knows the experience definitely will prove invaluable.
“I just want to improve my game. Each day, get better and better,” he said.
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