Kasper Poulsgaard
From Hedenstad, Denmark, Kasper spent most of his youth career with the well-known Danish side Vejle BK. He has also been a part of the Danish U16 Youth National Team. Once his time as a U19 player was over, Kasper decided to accept a scholarship offer from San Jose State University, who plays in NCAA Division 1, where he is pursuing a degree in Business Management.
What made you decide to go to college in the U.S?
After a great time as a youth player in Denmark, I needed to try something new, and a couple of my old teammates told me about their experiences in the U.S. I started to do some research and I became more and more interested in the idea of playing soccer at a college in the U.S. After a few months of thinking I made the final decision to do it, so I contacted GSS and we started the recruiting process.
How was the experience of preparing to go to the U.S?
When I was preparing to go to the U.S, there was a lot of paperwork and tests to be done. It was kinda difficult for me, but GSS did a really good job supporting me and helping me through the whole process. After all the paperwork was done I started talking to a bunch of different coaches and that was probably the most exciting part of the process. I talked to a lot of different coaches, and eventually I found the coach and school that I thought would fit me best, so I decided to commit to SJSU.
How do you perceive the level of college soccer? And what advice would you give to someone that is thinking about going to college in the U.S?
I was actually surprised how high the level is, and it took me some time to get used to the way soccer is played over here. The style of soccer is more physical than what I was used to in the Danish U19 League. To someone that’s thinking about going I’d say: do it! I’m so glad I made the decision to go college in the U.S. Being able to play soccer at a high level while getting a degree and making a lot of incredible friendships can not be found anywhere else in the world.