Like so many Italian kids before and after him, 10-year-old Marten Gasparini would play in his backyard and dream of one day becoming a professional athlete. But here's the curveball to your assumption: Gasparini's aspiration was to play baseball, not soccer.

Those hopes are often dashed for American kids who grow up with easy access to diamonds, equipment and coaching that is not commonplace in the small city of Ruda in northeast Italy, near the Slovenian border.

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Source: http://www.kansascity.com/