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Women's Soccer Spotlight: Nicole Gerber
May 17, 2013 | Women's Soccer
May 17, 2013
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Nicole Gerber, a rising sophomore midfielder for the University of Louisville women's soccer team, was recruited by junior Kim Sharo after they played on the same club team. However, the circumstances of her recruitment were atypical.
Gerber struggled during her junior and senior high school seasons with a stress fracture in her left foot, an injury which slowed and complicated her recruitment for most Division I programs.
"I was injured for most of the time during high school when recruiting was very important," Gerber explained. "I went out with a stress fracture in my left foot in December of my junior year and then re-fractured it in April. Because I was out for so long, many coaches didn't get to see me play. I had no idea where I was going to go and time was running out."
Sharo, a former club teammate of Gerber's with Quickstrike FC in New York, knew Gerber's ability and began to train with her in the offseason. That training led to Gerber contacting Louisville for a visit.
"We worked out with each other every day, so she got to tell me a lot, and when I finally got in touch with the coaches here and came for a visit, I knew it was a great fit," Gerber said. "Kim was so happy when I told her that I committed a year after her."
Though her injury limited her recruitment, Gerber did gain her opportunity to compete at Louisville where she is happy to again be teammates with Sharo.
"Having someone I knew from back home made the whole transition into college a lot easier, let alone a very close teammate who I spent time with every day," said Gerber. "And now, we get to see each other every day again."
