Eric Pothast's Swedish Seeds of Soccer Opportunity
The Marquette experience can lead to new and exciting opportunities, including some on a global scale.
For former Marquette men's soccer player Eric Pothast (2010-13), his journey to a dream of playing professional soccer began right after the conclusion of the Fall semester of 2013, and took him to Sweden.
The three-time co-captain of the Golden Eagles even had a Marquette connection to help him along the way. But instead of reading about his experience in our words, we'll let Eric share more of his story:
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Checking in from Sweden - Eric Pothast
Hello everyone! As some of you may know, I have spent the last month over in Angelholm, Sweden. Upon graduation from Marquette this past December, I was fortunate enough to land a spot on Angelholms FF, a professional soccer team.
Adjusting to the Swedish culture was a worry at first, but I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it has been to acclimate.
First off, everyone in Sweden speaks English. But I should have taken some tutoring lessons from Axel and Sebastian while I could have! In addition, the food here really isn’t all that different from America, much to my surprise. The only issues I have had are translating things in a restaurant or grocery store, and understanding the public transportation.
Everyone with the club has been very welcoming and accommodating in making sure I feel comfortable. Matt Pyzdrowski, a former Marquette goalkeeper and current Angelholm goalkeeper, has been living and playing in Sweden for the past four seasons and has helped make this transition much easier for me.
As far as soccer goes, I am really enjoying it. Angelholm plays in Superettan, Sweden’s second highest division. The past month has been all preseason preparation for our season that officially begins April 6th. Training has been intense and productive. It took me a bit to get caught up to the speed of play, but pushing yourself is what makes you become a better player. Besides playing, we have also been training fitness and strength. I have seen many similarities between some of the Angelholm training sessions and the trainings I went through at Marquette. It speaks volumes about the Marquette men’s soccer program and the way the coaching staff is preparing players to make the leap to the next level.
Looking back at my Marquette experience, I can confidently say that I have no regrets. Although I will miss taking the field at the Valley next season, I will be cheering the boys on from across the pond. I am blessed to be in this position and hope to make the most of this amazing opportunity. I was able to accomplish a lifelong dream via Marquette and I want to thank the coaches, faculty, teammates and others that were a part of it! Go Marquette!
PS: I have started a blog in order to keep everyone up to date with what is going on over here in Sweden. I post weekly updates on trainings, game results, and other fun stuff that is happening. Click the link below to follow along!
http://ericpothast.wordpress.com/
Pictured: Eric Pothast and his father, Ben, after his move to Sweden in February. (Photo courtesy Eric Pothast)