An ambassador for home: C-N freshman soccer player chosen to represent home country

Soccer was not always on Felicia Frick’s radar.

In fact, she’s only been playing since she was 15. Now 19, the freshman plays midfield for Carson-Newman University women’s soccer team. Though playing the sport may be fairly new, Frick’s love for competition is not.

A native of Eschen, Liechtenstein, she grew up playing tennis. However, when she turned 11, her attention turned from the court to the slopes as skiing became her passion. The southern range of the Swiss Alps provided the backdrop to big aspirations.

“My focus was on being an alpine skier,” said Frick. “But then I had to quit my dream of becoming a professional alpine skier because of a head injury.”

She was forced to hang up her skis, taking a year to recover from the physical injuries she sustained. “The doctors told me that I couldn’t ski on a high level anymore, and that I needed to find something new.”

She did. And she was good at it.

“I started playing soccer, just for fun,” she said. “I’m that kind of person that if I start something, I want to do it right. It became clear that I wanted to do it more professionally than just as a hobby.”

She trained. Played. And focused on her development. It wasn’t long before opportunities found her.

She began competing on Liechtenstein’s U17 and U19 national teams before advancing to the women’s national team in 2021.

When it was time to look at colleges, Frick’s goal was to study in the States – and continue to improve her skills on the field. Connecting with C-N head soccer coach Simon Duffy was all it took. “It was his humble personality,” said Frick. “He was so caring about me, my personality, my family, and was interested in me as a person.”

It was settled. She was going to be a Carson-Newman Eagle.

She said she is enjoying the transition to being a college student. “I felt a special connection,” she said. “The students are such a big community and support each other in every way. (Carson-Newman) may be a smaller school compared to other schools around America, but I think that’s a big strength.”

In her first season with the Eagles, she was named to the All-South Atlantic Conference Third Team. The freshman played and started in all 16 of C-N’s regular season games.

As she enters her second semester at Mossy Creek, Frick continues to draw attention. This time, back home. Last year, the psychology major was one of ten athletes to be named a Liechtenstein ambassador of sports. A newly released video featuring Frick and the other athletes is quickly gaining an audience on YouTube. The 90-sec, highly produced piece is being promoted by the Liechtenstein Olympic Committee.

Frick recalled conversations with the video crew for her portion of the project. “They told me they wanted to do something different.” Little did she know “different” involved a hike into the mountains, and a high platform with the Swiss Alps providing the background. The result is dramatic.

“I got goosebumps,” smiled Frick, recalling the first time she saw the video.

Frick said she cherishes the opportunity to represent Liechtenstein.

“For me it’s very special and I feel very honored because I know that not a lot of people have the honor to represent their country. Because our country is so small, it means even more to me, because I know I can bring a little bit of our small country out to show the people of the world.”