St. John's University Athletics
Catching Up with Vaila Barsley
9/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
QUEENS, N.Y. - A standout for the Red Storm from 2006-09, Vaila Barsley is one of the many St. John's alumni that has gone on to enjoy a successful professional career overseas, playing with one of the top teams in all of Sweden.
A native of Great Yarmouth, England, Barsley was a key component in a resurgence of the St. John's women's soccer program during her time in Queens. The team went 42-22-14 during her tenure, good enough for the most successful four-year stretch in program history in terms of wins (42) and winning percentage (.628). During Barsley's senior year, the Red Storm also advanced to the first NCAA Tournament in program history.
Recently, Barsley chatted with RedStormSports.com about her professional career and her playing days on Belson Stadium.
What have you been doing since you left St. John's? Where has soccer taken you since graduation?
After graduating in 2011, I went to Iceland for the summer to play for Afturelding in the top league. I saw this as my last hurrah of playing before I started my real career as an auditor. In October 2011, I started work with Ernst & Young based out of the Times Square office. During the 2012 summer, I played for Long Island Rough Riders and had a good season. I made the W-League All-Team and kind of got my buzz back about playing football. In August, I got asked to play for Peamount United in the Champions League qualifiers. My former St. John's teammate Susan Byrne recommended me to her coach, so I took 10 days off work and went to Bosnia with Sue and her team. Being back in that environment, training and playing every day, gave me a massive high and this was when I decided I needed to play football full-time.
After returning from that trip, I signed with an agent and spoke to my work about the possibility of me leaving to play professionally. They were absolutely fantastic and I was able to keep working up until I got an offer to leave.
In February 2013, I got the offer and signed with Eskilstuna United in the Elitettan, the second tier of football in Sweden. I saw this as a fantastic opportunity to get back into football full time with the goal of playing in the Damallsvenskan, the top league. At the beginning of the season we were predicted to finish mid-table out of 12 teams. I remember before the season I told my coach Viktor Eriksson that we would get promoted [the top 2 teams get promoted to Damallsvenskan]. He thought I was crazy, but in the second-to-last game of the season we gained promotion to the Damallsvenskan and in the last game of the season we won the league. It was an amazing experience.
In 2014, we played in the Damallsvenskan for the first time in Eskilstuna United history. I got made captain right before the season started and it was and still is a huge honor. Our goal going into this season was to keep our place in the league. It's highly competitive and any team can win on any given day. We managed to finish seventh out of 12 teams and were happy with keeping our place in the league, but we knew we were better than seventh. Unfortunately for me, I only managed to play half of the games. I herniated a disc in my lower back in preseason and rehabbed it for the beginning of season, but always struggled to keep it in a good state. After the mid way point of the season, I couldn't go on any longer, so I missed the second half of season and spent a lot of time at the gym and pool. This was an extremely hard time for me. I'm not good at being injured, but I worked hard and got myself fit and healthy again for the 2015 season. We are just over two-thirds of the way through our season now and currently sit atop the league. There are six games left and anything can happen. Every game is massive and any team can win. It makes it very exciting.
What is your fondest memory of playing for the Red Storm?
This is a tough one! I have two that really stick out. One would be our trip to California my senior year when we beat USC on their home field with 10 players. The fight and passion from the whole team was unreal! Plus, we got in and out burger as a reward after. The second one is when Tara Mendoza scored in overtime against Georgetown in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals at Belson. Tara is not really the kind of player you want shooting outside the box (sorry, T-Money) and as she was shooting our assistant coach Scott [McLaughlin] was shouting "nooooo," but it went in. Cue the massive pile up and a place in the BIG EAST Semifinals.
Is there any particular piece of advice from Head Coach Ian Stone that you still recall to this day? How has his influence helped turn you into a successful professional?
I'm not sure there is a specific piece of advice, but I learned a lot from Coach Stone. His tactical understanding of the game is fantastic and I learned a lot off of him during my time at St John's. He has been a massive help in me turning pro. I truly believe I wouldn't be the player I am today without him. Not only did I learn a lot about tactics at St John's, but also the dedication and sacrifice it takes to become the best you can be. I think the American never-give up attitude has had a massive impact on me too. I always hated to lose, but at St John's I learned how to go that little extra bit to become successful.
To what extent do you keep up with the current Red Storm team? Are there any players in particular that impress you?
I have always followed St. John's since I left. I'm texting with Stoney every week to check in on how the team is doing and he does the same with me. Unfortunately, due to time difference and my own games I don't get to watch many games at all. However, I am obviously impressed with what Georgia [Kearney-Perry] and Rachel [Daly] have done. It's also awesome because they are English. I also really like Diana [Poulin]. We trained a little together with the Long Island Rough Riders and she is a fantastic talent.
Finally, is there any piece of advice that you would give to current members of the Red Storm looking to follow a similar career path to yours?
I would say that you should never be satisfied with how good you are. Continue to work on your weaknesses and strengthen every area of your game. Also with regards to turning pro, have a goal of what team or league you want to play in, but don't be afraid to start at a lower level. It's a stepping stone to bigger and better things. I just want to wish the whole team and coaching staff a massive good luck for this season. This is your year, girls!
