By: Annessa Shively, The Bulldog Blitz
2022 Samford graduate and women’s soccer player Alyssa Frazier always knew she wanted to play professionally.
“I watched the national team when I was a kid and probably had my first jersey in kindergarten, so by that point I started thinking, yeah, I want to play pro,” Frazier said.
In August, that dream became a reality when the former Bulldog signed with Rik Karlskoga, a club in Sweden. Frazier is the first women’s soccer player from Samford to move onto the professional game since Jermaine Seoposenwe (‘17), who plays for the South African national team.
Facing Doubts
While it was always her hope to go pro, there were times during Frazier’s collegiate journey when she wasn’t sure it was a realistic goal.
”My freshman year obviously didn’t go great at Ole Miss, so I transferred out, and then my first year at Samford was a little rough, so at that point I was thinking, ‘who knows if this will happen for me, will I even be good enough,’ that type of thing,” Frazier explained.
The athlete also battled a hip injury throughout college, which she finally had a double-hip surgery to correct during the spring of her fifth year.
“Coach Yelton and I started talking about [going pro], and then I got the hip surgery to make sure I could play for longer after college.”
Frazier finally hit her stride her junior year, earning a permanent starting spot for the rest of her time at Samford, SoCon awards, and a team high of 26 points during her fifth and final season.
“Samford did so much for me in this process. It’s hard to see when you’re in the environment, but all the practices are so purposeful and they [the coaches] work really hard to develop things you struggle with, so I’ve just learned so much about the game from them,” Frazier said.
“Every one of the coaches, medical staff, my teammates- just everyone who’s a part of Samford soccer- they all gave me support and helped me get where I needed to be, and they still do now even though I’m in another country.”
Looking Ahead
Frazier will play with Rik Karlskoga through November, when her contract ends, and will then work with her agent to find another club to sign with.
“I’m hoping to find another place that will challenge me and help me grow as a player like this one has, whether that’s in Sweden or somewhere else,” she said. “Sweden is great and I’ve loved it here, but It would be cool to try a different country as well if that’s where things end up.”
If you want to stay updated on the former bulldog’s professional journey, you can follow Rik Karlskoga’s Instagram, where they post game updates, starting lineups, and other announcements.
