Joseph Zupo finished his time as a Gael back in 2013 in a career that saw the men's soccer captain end up as a four-time OUA All-Star. Since then, he has continued on with his career to the professional ranks. After finishing up with Kingston FC and playing with Devonport City FC in Tasmania he now finds himself suiting up with Cairns FC in the National Premier Leagues Queensland in Australia.

QUEEN'S GAELS (QG) - What have you learned as a pro that has allowed you to continue with it over the years?

JOSEPH ZUPO (JZ) - I think the biggest lesson you learn is how challenging the football world can be, and if you're going to make inroads you really have to work hard and take any opportunity you can with both hands. But the hard work definitely doesn't stop when you earn a contract somewhere. If anything, your goals expand, and you have to work harder to achieve them.
 

QG - You've gotten to travel to some interesting places while playing, any favourites?

JZ - It's really hard not to put Cairns on the list at number one - it's a holiday destination for tourists and Australians alike for a reason. But I have to give some love to Kingston and Devonport (Tasmania) as well. Both cities really welcomed me with open arms and have an immense beauty and history of their own that I think shouldn't go unmentioned.

QG - When you look back on your time at Queen's with the men's program, what sticks out to you?

JZ - I really think the camaraderie and the sense of community we had at Queen's is something that will always stick with me. The Men's Soccer program gave me friends that I'll always consider some of my closest and memories I'll always look back on fondly. But the sense of community went further than just our own little change room at (Old) Richardson. I really felt like I was a part of something special as a Gael and got to know so many great people and felt a real sense of togetherness with my fellow athletes. I might be biased in saying this but I really believe this is something Queen's offers that other places can't match.

QG - How much has being a student-athlete at Queen's helped you get to where you are today?

JZ - I credit a lot of my growth as a player and a person to my four years at Queen's. One of my biggest takeaways would have to be the importance of training on your own and putting hours in that are separate from your own team's training. The other thing Queen's taught me that I've brought into every facet of my life is how to be a good leader. Being named a captain at the beginning of my second year really made me realize what it took to be someone teammates relied on and looked up to on and off the pitch.

QG - What's been your favourite moment so far in your career?

JZ - Hard to narrow it down to one. Being named captain at Queens's in my second season will always be a tremendous honour for me. I think more recently, winning the League and Cup double in Tasmania and winning an FFA Cup game (as a huge underdog, I might add) sticks in my mind. I was also named Devonport's Best and Fairest recipient that season which I'll always hold onto dearly because of how successful we were and because there were countless others who deserved that distinction as well.

QG - Any advice to young players looking to become a professional one day?

JZ - My biggest piece of advice would be to have manageable, tangible goals that you can work towards achieving. Saying "I want to be a pro" is a great sentiment, but it's vague and is hard to sometimes look at that and work towards it if you feel like you're far away from it. Chunk your goals to more tangible ones you can work towards throughout the season or the off-season that can lead you to where you want to be.