Former Virginia Tech soccer player Alia Skinner is bound for Sweden to continue her playing career.
Goalkeeper Alia Skinner joins a revered list of Virginia Tech women’s soccer alumni competing at the professional level signing a contract with Brommapojkarna in Stockholm, Sweden.
“The opportunity to sign with Brommapojkarna (BP) has been a dream come true,” said Alia Skinner. “My entire life I have been dreaming of playing professionally and to sign my first contract, truly means the world to me. The opportunity to start my career with a club like BP, and in a city like Stockholm, is such a blessing. I feel so thankful for the opportunity.
“Since my college career ended in November (2023) and I graduated in December, I have been busy training and preparing for the start of my professional career. I have collaborated with my agent to find opportunities worldwide. In February, I was fortunate enough to be called into preseason with the Houston Dash, an NWSL team. I was there for about two months training with the team while my agent was working hard to find me a contract. I then signed my contract with BP at the beginning of April and headed home to Tampa to get ready to make my journey to Stockholm, Sweden.”
“We are very excited and proud to see Skinner signed in Sweden,” said head coach Chugger Adair. “We have always thought of her as a professional and knew that she would be to able to play with the professional ranks. This is exciting for us as a program, and a big congratulations to Alia and her family! We look forward to seeing her play at the professional level for many more years to come.”
While at Tech, Skinner tallied 55 career starts, 235 saves, and 14 shutouts. She ended the 2023 season ranked second in saves (79) with a save percentage of .823, and third in shutouts (seven) in the ACC. In 2021, she logged the third most minutes (1,788), fifth most saves (73), and the sixth best save percentage (.760) among ACC goalkeepers. Co-led Tech to its first NCAA tournament victory since 2018, chalking four saves during the Hokies’ 3-1, opening round win against Ohio State (Nov. 12).
“Playing collegiate soccer allowed me to gain experience and play at a very high level for multiple years,” said Skinner. “In Europe, most of the professional clubs have youth academy teams that are run similarly to a professional team. In the states, that isn’t the case and to me college soccer sort of took the place of that experience. Arriving to Houston, as well as Sweden, I felt very prepared to jump right into action. Playing in the ACC with Virginia Tech allowed me to grow immensely, gain vital experience, and understand what it means to truly compete for something bigger than yourself.
“Having been in Sweden for a couple weeks now, I have experienced some new and exciting cultural differences, walking and biking everywhere being the main difference in my life so far. Although, IKEA is still the same over here!
Prior to moving here, I had never been to Sweden. However, my grandmother is actually Swedish. I am expecting and excited to visit some family I have never met while I am living over here. Swedish food is something I grew up eating little bits of here and there when my grandmother prepared some of it in the states for us, but having it here is a different experience. Real Swedish meatballs are unbelievable and something worth visiting for!
“Competing in Sweden is comparable to competing anywhere else. You have to show up everyday, put in the work, hope some things on the pitch align, and repeat. Every training matters and even more so, every game matters. In Europe, the leagues run on a promotion / relegation foundation meaning that each season teams get relegated from the top division down and teams get promoted from the lower divisions up. With that pressure added onto our season, it is really important that we use every minute we get on the pitch to work hard. Every point matters for the season when promotion/relegation time comes in November.
“Playing professional women’s soccer has evolved into a legitimate career over the past several decades. Being a college athlete is already an incredible accomplishment and something to hang your hat on, however, if you desire to take your talents further, don’t shy away from it. There are so many opportunities worldwide and each year they continue to develop. Moving across the world can definitely be scary, but what I have learned being over here is that soccer is always a constant. It’s just a game that people play and love all together worldwide. So if you are able, and hopeful, to play professionally, just do it!”
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