SRUSA is excited to announce that former DI Student-Athlete turned professional, Nikolina Musto, will be joining the SRUSA team as a scout for North America.
Nikolina, originally from Maui Hawaii, spent two years representing the Women's soccer team at Idaho State Univeristy before transferring to complete her collegiate career at San Diego State Univeristy. Following a successful college career Nikolina went on to play in England, where she completed her Master Degree at the Univeristy of Nottingham, before making the transition to professional with AEL Women FC in the Greek 1st Division.
Nikolina joins the SRUSA team as a transfer student that has played at the top level of women's collegiate soccer and has bags of experience and knowledge on what challenges that brings. She will be looking to share her extensive knowledge to help future-student athletes follow in her footsteps as well as identifying talented players capable of playing at the collegiate level. We're excited to have her as part of the #SRUSAfamily, and invited Nikki to feature in a brief Q&A upon her appointment. Here's what she had to say:
What excites you about joining the SRUSA team?
"I am beyond excited to join SRUSA and provide athletes with opportunities to continue to follow their passion. Growing up in Hawaii on a small island, I know how difficult it can be to find opportunities to get in front of college coaches and continue to play soccer after high school. As a young athlete, I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to several college ID camps during the summer and play in front of college coaches but as far as playing in tournaments such as Surf Cup, I never had the opportunity to play at. I spent an incredible amount of hours emailing college coaches and making a highlight video and in the end, I got a full ride scholarship to play division one soccer, however, had I known about agency's such as SRUSA, the process would have been much less stressful on me. I am so excited to be part of a company that is committed to helping players through the recruiting process and ultimately helping them play at their dream university."
How was your experience in the US, and what advice would you give to others thinking of going down the College Soccer route?
I had a great experience in college. I played my first two seasons at Idaho State University and then I transferred to San Diego State University. Being a student athlete is challenging but it also a very rewarding experience. Transitioning from high school to college can be challenging but as a student athlete you automatically have a family when you arrive on the first day. Balancing school and training is difficult at times but everyday you get to spend time with your teammates and develop lifelong friendships. My advice would be to go to college and get your degree because it is important to have an education incase you get hurt and can't play anymore. My four years in college playing soccer were incredible and my goal is to give other athletes the opportunity to have the same experience that I had.
How do you think your experience as a College Soccer Athlete will help you in your new role as a SRUSA Scout?
I have had the complete college athlete experience. Transferring from Idaho State to San Diego State, I know how hard the process can be. I know what it takes to play at the college level and all the responsibilities that come with being a student athlete. Not only will I be able to help high school athletes get into college but I can also relate to those athletes that want to transfer for whatever reason, whether it is to play at a higher level or find a school that suites them better. I have been through both processes so I feel like I will be able to guide them and support them throughout the process.
What are your expectations upon joining the SRUSA team?
By joining the SRUSA team, I expect to learn how to provide players with as many opportunities as possible and open as many doors for them as I can. My goal is to provide athletes with opportunities to play in college and hopefully they have a wonderful experience and want to continue on after college, like myself. I look forward to being part of a team that is committed to helping athletes achieve their dreams!
Welcome to the #SRUSAfamily Nikolina.
