Welcome to the first installment of Card Essentials, where Stanford student-athletes share the stories behind the items they carry with them every day, big or small. We caught up with Carlo Agostinelli, Stanford men's soccer's redshirt junior forward who is a 2020 Pac-12 champion and two-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll honoree. Carlo took some time to show us what's in his backpack every day and what each item means to him.
GoStanford.com: Outside of the obvious pieces, what here can't you live without?
Carlo Agostinelli: "My 'red strings.' This is probably the thing I put on first before a game and take off last before a game. There's a personal meaning to it, and I keep it close to me. When something tough happens to me, I look into it and it gives me hope. I can never take it off -- it's what grounds me. Similar with this necklace. It's a cross with a ladybug on it. My brother passed away when I was nine, and a ladybug landed on his casket during his funeral so I carry that with me. Those two things always stay with me.
"Obviously my phone, that's every day, just talking to family and friends back in Europe is a big thing for me. Music is a massive part of my life. No wireless airbuds for me because I lose them so much! I think it looks cooler, too, actually, and I've got all the boys in the locker room doing it too."
GS: We have to hear about the cologne!
CA: "This is funny because you can tell when I'm in the room because I always have it on me. It's just my scent -- my friends in Europe know it's me and my teammates here know it's me."
GS: What's the story behind the camera?
CA: "I LOVE taking pictures. I like the retro look and whenever I can, I take pictures. My teammates say I take pictures of everything, but I realized it's my last time with my class, so every little thing I see I'm trying to immortalize the moment for myself."
GS: How often do you get to use the journal there?
CA: "I started in preseason and haven't stopped since. Whether it's two minutes or 30 minutes, I write about my day: thoughts I have, everything that's going on with my life, and I put it all in this. And when I close it, it's like, 'Problem's done. On to tomorrow.'"
GS: How do you find the time to keep up with reading outside of soccer and school?
CA: "I'm a big reader. I try to go through two to three books a week and I make the time, honestly. In the morning I usually wake up a little earlier just to get an hour or so in, and then I read three books simultaneously so I can get through a lot."
GS: We HAVE to hear about the boots.
CA: "I love the colorway. I came in as a freshman in my shell a little bit and I wasn't very 'me.' I kind of let it go and decided to be me and express myself more. Grew the hair out to be more myself, and it comes in the color of the boots. I've got three pairs of the same colorway and I want to keep them through the rest of the season."
GS: Do you bring the ball with you everywhere or just around the facility?
CA: "You won't find me anywhere without it. In my room it's there. I used to sleep with the ball when I was a kid. It's my life. I left Paris for soccer when I was 11 and I was very, very homesick. The only thing I could rely on was this. It's a sin if I don't have a soccer ball on me."
Follow Carlo on Twitter and Instagram and keep up with the men's soccer team here this season.