SRUSA are excited to announce that former All Region Student-Athlete, Emma Hickson has joined the team as a scout for the United Kingdom.
Emma joins SRUSA after a distinguished career as a student athlete where she picked up three regular and tournament conference titles while at Limestone College in South Carolina. Individually, Emma was a standout performer on the pitch and in the classroom where she picked up All Conference and All Region awards and graduated in 2020.
Head of Women's Soccer, Jon Maloney talked about Emma joining the SRUSA team;
'Emma is just the type of person we look to have involved here at SRUSA. She has been through the experience of being a student athlete and has had a great career both on and off the pitch. A humble and grounded individual, she is someone who has a passion to help players with the dream of becoming student athletes. We will look forward to having her involved in upcoming events.'
Emma talks about her time as a student athlete at Limestone College;
'Back in 2016, shortly after I had completed my A-Levels, I packed up my life In the North West of England and headed over to the US where I would begin a new journey at Limestone College, in South Carolina. Ever since I had played in the Dallas Cup at the age of 15, it had always been a dream of mine to attain a scholarship playing Football in the US, and I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to make this happen. Not only was I able to continue playing the sport I loved the most, at a high level, but I was also able to continue my education and strive toward getting a degree.
During my time in the states, I was completely amazed by the professionalism of everything in terms of the training, the facilities we had access to, and the coaching I received. At Limestone, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by people who wanted similar things to myself; success, which as a team we achieved a lot of. In my four years as a Saint, the team managed three consecutive conference and regular season championships, as well as three back to back NCAA National appearances.
Playing in a number of different positions during my time there, I was also able collect a number of accolades myself earning Conference player and National Hero of the week as well as Second team All-conference in 2017, Conference All-tournament team in 2018, and was a First team All-Conference and United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast region third team in 2019. Off the field I have achieved a Bachelor of Arts in History (Cum Laude) with a Minor in Psychology. Being a student athlete and playing abroad has taught me valuable life lessons that I may not have known otherwise.
It has given me the chance to meet people from all over the world, form friendships that will last a lifetime, the opportunity to experience a new culture as well as explore, travel, and play in various parts of the US. While being in South Carolina, I have managed to tick at least another 10 states off the list as well as visit countries I probably would not have had the chance to see if I wasn’t in the States. Life as a student athlete wasn’t without it’s challenges, but it teaches you how to become stronger mentally and physically, gain independence by living on the other side of the world, and
how to deal with any adversity you may face. Yet one thing is for certain, in that it has been the most rewarding and best four years of my life, gaining the knowledge and experiences that I can relay on in my future career.
Since my time as a Student Athlete has come to an end, it dawned on me how I can continue my passion for Football as well as my passion for helping people, and SRUSA have provided me with the perfect platform to do just that. Having been through the process myself, I know first hand how in-depth the process can be, which is why more than anything I want to be a valuable resource, where I can use my knowledge and own experience to answer any questions, alleviate fears, and guide players on the necessary steps to take to help them achieve their dreams. Female Football has continuously been on the rise over the past few years, and now more than ever the opportunities to play in the US are greater. In the North West, there has always been a solid foundation for female players, but it is just as important that this talent is nurtured so players are able to release their full potential in whichever way they want. Four years ago, I left for the US wishing that I had more guidance with the process, and knew more about what I was getting myself into, which is why, here at SRUSA, it is important that I can use my network within the game to reach out to as many people as possible, and offer my knowledge to the people who want to follow their dreams, but don’t necessarily know who to turn to. I want to show people that this is something that is extremely possible, and if you have the talent, it can take you to places you may never have known or dreamed about.'
Interested in finding out more information about becoming a student athlete in America? Email jon@sportsrecruitingusa.com for more information.
