OLDS — This past season was particularly productive for Olds College men’s soccer player Fabian Gromenida.
The forward from Cloranda, Argentina ended up ranked third in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), having scored 12 goals (first in the ACAC South), fourth in the ACAC with 28 points.
Gromenida finished first in the ACAC in game-winning goals (four) and shots (61). He also ranked ninth in the ACAC with four assists (third in the ACAC South).
But more than that, Gromenida is pleased with the improvement he’s seen in the team since he first came on campus.
“This season was kind of unique for the Broncos team. It was the first time that we won many games,” he said.
They won six games but also lost six.
“I’ve been here from 2017 and I remember that that year we won one or two games and it was good for the school, because the years before, the team didn’t win any games.”
He says a big highlight of his career happened late last year when he was named the ACAC Athlete of the Year.
"It was a very important award for me because it is not only about what you did on the field, but it is also about what you have done in classes, because being a student-athlete is not easy," Gromenida said.
Another highlight for Gromenida was when he scored 22 goals in 23 games, which, he said, "is a pretty good number."
Winning games and scoring goals is lots of fun, but Gromenida prizes something else about the team even more.
“Personally I feel so good with this team. Not just playing soccer, but the group is amazing. It’s so fun to share good moments,” he said.
“For me, it’s not easy to be super far away from home and to have the opportunity to have good friends here is important too, so this has been a good season for me.”
However, Gromenida, 25, didn’t come to Olds to play soccer.
After taking agronomy at university in Paraguay, he received a scholarship to study agriculture management in Olds.
Gromenida graduates this spring.
“My parents – they are thinking to come here for my graduation, which is in April-May. So hopefully they can come over and see the beautiful Alberta,” he said.
After graduation, Gromenida hopes to work for a while in the Olds area – at least during the summer -- before some day returning to Argentina to help run a farm run by two families: his and another. They grow rice and raise fish.
When he got here, Gromenida couldn’t resist the opportunity to play the beautiful game.
“In Argentina, we play soccer pretty much every single day for fun,” he said. “I saw here a couple of guys playing soccer and I just went and asked if I could play.”
It took a while for Gromenida to adjust to the differences between Argentina and Canada.
The winters were a big adjustment.
“My winter for me at home is like 10 or 15 degrees. It’s crazy. I cannot believe the winter here is insane,” he said, adding he’s gotten used to the cold weather after being here for three winters.
In Argentina soccer is as huge as hockey is here. That too was an adjustment for Gromenida. He’s watched a couple of Broncos women’s hockey games.
“It’s a fun sport to watch. It’s fast; pretty exciting,” he said.
Gromenida also had a chance to go skiing and undertake other activities with teammates.
In addition, he visited a teammate in Ontario and participated in pre-season activities in Winnipeg, so he’s had a chance to see other parts of Canada besides Alberta.
Gromenida says head coach Niels Slotboom taught him an important lesson which he said applies not only in soccer but also in life.
"One of the things that Niels helped me to achieve throughout the years was not to be upset if something was not working in the way that I was expecting; to be patient and keep working and always show my strengths," Gromenida said.
"It teaches you to be responsible, to work hard for what you really want; to make very good friends and also to help each other."
