Soccer Opens The Door To Savoia’s Career In Sports Medicine

For former Brookdale Community College men’s soccer player Joe Savoia, becoming a Jersey Blue did much more than give him an opportunity to continue playing the sport he loved. His experience at Brookdale introduced him to a profession he hadn’t previously considered and ultimately helped shape the course of his career.

Savoia attended Brookdale from the fall of 1997 through the spring of 1999 and played one season for the Jersey Blues men’s soccer team in the fall of 1998 under Head Coach Scott Ridley.

When Savoia arrived at Brookdale, he was still unsure of what he wanted his future to look like. Soccer was familiar territory, but his career path was anything but certain.

“My time as a student-athlete at Brookdale Community College had a bigger impact on my life than I probably realized at the time,” Savoia said. “When I first started at Brookdale, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my career. I knew I enjoyed playing soccer, but I had no idea that soccer would eventually lead me to my profession.”

That direction began to take shape through his experiences within Brookdale Athletics. As a member of the men’s soccer program, Savoia became familiar with Wayne, an athletic trainer who worked with Brookdale’s student-athletes. Watching him care for athletes and seeing firsthand the important role athletic training played within the department sparked Savoia’s interest.

“I got to know the athletic trainer Wayne, watched him work with the BCC athletes, and saw the important role he played with our teams,” Savoia recalled. “That experience really caught my attention and made me want to learn more about the profession.”

What began as curiosity developed into a career goal. After completing his time at Brookdale in the spring of 1999, Savoia continued his education at Kean University and pursued athletic training professionally.

His career has since taken him to the collegiate, high school and industrial levels, allowing him to provide athletic training and sports medicine care in a variety of settings. Today, Savoia is among a small group of athletic trainers in New Jersey providing sports medicine care to New Jersey State Police recruits.

For Savoia, the connection between where he is today and where his journey began remains clear.

“Looking back, I don’t know if I would have ever found athletic training if I hadn’t played soccer at Brookdale,” he said.

Years later, Savoia views his time as a Jersey Blue as much more than one season on the soccer field. His 1998 season under Ridley became part of a Brookdale experience that ultimately helped him discover the profession that would define his career.

“When I think back on my time at Brookdale, I realize it was an important turning point in my life,” Savoia said. “I went there to get an education, maybe play soccer, but I left with a career path that I have followed for many years. Brookdale is really where it all started for me, and I will always appreciate that.”