The Corsair Scores With Filippa Struxsjo

Moving to a different country can be challenging and confusing. For Filippa Struxsjo, moving to the United States meant she could play soccer. In an exclusive interview with The Corsair, Struxsjo describes soccer as her number one driving force in her education. “Soccer is everything to me,” Struxsjo said. “I have always been planning my life around soccer.”

At five years old, Struxsjo started playing soccer in a small town outside of Gothenburg, Sweden where she first discovered her love of soccer. Struxsjo explains that her family is her consistent support system and helped start her love for soccer from a young age. “Everyone is involved with soccer, everyone thinks it’s fun. They always come to support me.”

Struxsjo plays midfield and has helped the Santa Monica College Women's team attain an impressive record of 10-3-2. She believes that her team has heaps of potential and controls their own destiny. Struxsjo said, "I think we are a strong team and we have the potential to go far, we have everything in our own hands and of course I want to help the team as much as I can."

With eight goals and 15 points on the season, the freshman said, "I will definitely play soccer after SMC, I don't know where yet, so we'll see where this takes me." Even though Struxsjo has had an incredible season up to this point, she took The Corsair through how she overcomes a bad game, she said "Whenever I have an off game, I go to the gym, watch a movie, and just take my mind off of soccer. I try to not let it get to me, everyone has bad days and you just have to look forward to the next one." 

SMC's illustrious goal-scoring machine has big plans for her future after she scores her college degree. She said, "I take classes in both fashion design and business marketing and my plan is to keep going in that direction." Filippa seems to be a very motivated individual on and off the soccer field. She said, "Although, I've had people doubting me my whole life, honestly there is no better feeling than to prove them wrong." This type of attitude can help propel an individual into success, she said, "There is nothing that can beat the feeling after a really good practice, and it keeps me motivated to keep on going."

Filippa moved to America solely to play soccer and focus on her studies, which can be quite intimidating, but she always finds comfort with the sport she fell in love with. Santa Monica's soccer star said, "If its a small thing or a bigger thing soccer is always there to take your mind off of it, and it makes you feel better, because you love the sport so much it gives me strength to get through all the other stuff, I can't imagine life without playing soccer."