To the soccer world, Sunday's match between Penn State and Le Moyne seems like an ordinary game between non-conference foes. For Julia Beretta and her dad Bob, this game is far from ordinary.
Beginning her second season as the assistant director of communications at Penn State working with men's soccer, men's gymnastics and women's lacrosse, Julia has begun to forge her own path in athletics, following in the footsteps of her father Bob who's embarked on a unique journey of his own.
After over 30 years working in the athletic department at Army, Bob is guiding Le Moyne to the Division I level as the athletic director. A new member of the Northeast Conference, Sunday will be a historical day, marking the first match for the Dolphins' men's soccer program at the Division I level.
The contest between the Nittany Lions and Dolphins also marks the rare time the father and daughter duo can share the field. For Julia and Bob on Sunday, they will be back together and reunited once again with their journey's leading them to Jeffrey Field.
"I'm grateful beyond words," Bob said. "I don't know that there are many college administrators that have ever had the opportunity to share their career journey with their daughter or son and for me to be able to join our team out at Penn State and have Julia serve as our host, I can't imagine a prouder moment for anyone. It's spectacular."
Julia and Bob have spent a lifetime together in sports with Bob mentoring Julia as her softball coach for 10 years. Their connection grew during the decades Bob spent at West Point and during Julia's tenure as a Division I track and field athlete at Sacred Heart University.
A special connection united by sports, Julia and Bob have shared a moment like this before during a basketball scrimmage between Le Moyne and Syracuse where Julia was interning. However, they never thought they would share a moment like that again.
"We're both really excited and we never thought we'd get this opportunity with him being at Le Moyne, a Division II school at the time, and me being at Penn State," Julia said. "We never thought we would get this opportunity, that we would be facing each other in a game like this. Especially because out of our 31 programs at Penn State, men's soccer happens to be one of mine."
Calling Sunday's reunion with Julia, "the highlight of my career," and "a lifetime memory," Bob recognized how moments like these transcend sports. The third-year athletic director also shared how being able to watch Julia grow at Penn State makes him "extremely proud."
The duo also share another special commonality as they both kicked off their paths in the communications industry. With that, Julia has been able to follow in the footsteps of her father with a strong understanding of what it takes to be successful in the industry.
"I grew up in a football press box going to all his games, being alongside him and then playing sports myself," Julia said. "Just somewhere along the line it became a natural path for me and a passion. Watching him do what he did, I couldn't have had a better influence going into this career and it made me want to do it that much more."
As Bob put, "you control your attitude, your effort and your energy every day." This message acts as a guiding principle for both Bob and Julia who have both made a significant impact at their respective schools.
In two short years, Julia has already begun to leave her mark with Penn State, taking her father's message and maximizing her opportunity with the Nittany Lions while already creating a lasting impression on head coach Jeff Cook.
"She's made such a positive impact for our program," Cook said. "I've been so impressed with her work ethic, her willingness to go above and beyond what you might consider her basic job responsibilities. She's always willing to do a bit extra for the team and I think you can see that very tangibly and clearly with our social media visibility, the public relations that we do, and that's all credit to Julia and the way she works with our staff and our student athletes."
Referring to Julia as "a rising star," Bob and his daughter will be able to share the bright lights of Division I sports, a once lofty dream turned into reality.