“It’s like having two full-time jobs. Football requires more than full-time, and then I’ve added full-time studies on top of that. It’s tough and very demanding, but I’ve chosen it myself, and I think both things are really fun,” says Sofia Hjern.
From Lindö FF to the national team
“But my brother was a goalkeeper and inspired me early on to try it.”
She loved the training sessions, and as goalkeepers got extra sessions, she decided to go for it. She got onto the women's team, played for a while in Linköping and was a member of the junior national team. At the age of 16, she chose IFK Norrköping, where she is now in her seventh season – and has been there for the whole journey from Division One to Damallsvenskan.
“Having been part of building something in my home town has been a great experience. When I was a kid there was no women’s team at the highest level here, but I grew up watching the men play. Now I can be a role model for little girls who come and watch us play. It's super fun.”
“I’d gone to the bathroom to see who they’d called up as a goalkeeper instead of Zećira Mušović, who was previously the obvious choice but who was now pregnant. Then I suddenly saw my face on the Swedish Football Association website.”
Shocked, she went back to the dressing room and the rest of the team.
“I thought it must be a mistake. But when I told the team what had happened, they hugged and congratulated me and then I just started crying.”
Dual careers
“I’m very interested in people and how we function. At the same time, I have a schedule that makes it difficult to take courses with many mandatory elements. Behavioural science has some seminars that I sometimes have to catch up on later, but otherwise a lot of self-study, which means that I can study a lot on my own and schedule my studies to fit in with football.”
An elite athlete student receives support in the form of a paid gym card and the opportunity to adapt their studies to their sport. This may involve being granted extended time to complete tasks, taking exams remotely and getting help to communicate with teachers.
“Jan Lundgren, project manager at LiU Elite Sports, has provided a lot of support. But it’s still up to the individual teacher if they want to help. So I wish there was more knowledge about what being an elite athlete and a student involves.”
For everything to work out, she emphasises the importance of planning and daring to prioritise.
“I’ve learned to set boundaries. Sometimes I have to stop studying even if I don’t feel completely ready to sit an exam or hand in a paper. To perform on the pitch, I also need time to recover.”
Key player with good leadership skills
“My performance as a goalkeeper depends a lot on myself. At the same time, I’m part of a team and I love the community. You’re never alone, we have each other.”
She is often described as a key player with good leadership skills, communicative abilities and understanding of the game.
“As a goalkeeper, you can really make a difference. Not only when you can decide the outcome of a match, and be either celebrated or a scapegoat, but also as a leader. Helping lead the team is really fun.”
“I like managing projects and being a driving force in how we should do things and who should do what.”
The higher up she has come in elite sports, the clearer it has become that leadership, group dynamics and collaboration are key to getting everyone to go in the same direction and perform at their highest level at the same time.
“It’s the same in working life – you have to get everyone to perform together. That said, it’s important that you value each individual.”
She sees her football career as an education in itself, and hopes to be able to use her experiences from the pitch as well as the classroom in the future.
“Hopefully, five years from now I’ll still be playing football, as a full-time job. Preferably in France or in the English league. But later on, I’d like to work with projects that make a difference in the community – maybe something to do with social inclusion in civil society to reduce segregation or to help children in disenfranchised areas.