Webster Athletics welcomed back to campus Webster Soccer alum and 2023 Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Ally Nikolaus, '14 on April 3. Ally played soccer for three years from 2011-2013 under long-time Head Coach Luigi Scire after transferring from the University of Mississippi. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Speech Communication and Rhetoric from Webster.
During her time at Webster, as team caption, she led the women's soccer team to back-to-back SLIAC Championships, was the 2013 SLIAC Women's Soccer Player of the Year, and the 2013 Webster Athletics Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She concluded her playing career as the programs all-time leading scorer among midfielders while leading the team to a 47-16-1 overall record and 23-2 mark in the SLIAC.
Ally currently works as a Legal Administrative Assistant with the law firm UB Greenfelder. She is also a Screenwriter for Emerald City Entertainment and a Professional Writing Tutor with St. Louis Community College. In addition, her memoir, "I'm Gay and Drink Water" will be released this summer.
She shared her story of how she came to Webster as a Sophomore transfer student from the University of Mississippi with no intention of continuing her soccer career. As fate would have it, she ultimately met with Head Coach Luigi Scire on her Admissions visit in early August of her Sophomore year. Ally played midfield and the team was in need of a midfielder.
Ally talked to the student-athletes about what she learned about her mental health and how to overcome some of those obstacles, including herself. She told them that they can change their mindset and their situation, and to find the resources that work best for them when it comes to coping with their mental health. Ally reiterated to the student-athletes that they have all the tools they need, it just might take some digging to find some of them.
Current members of the Women's Soccer team were asked if there was anything that surprised them to learn from Ally as a fellow Webster Women's Soccer student-athlete. Bella Dickneite, Junior on the team, said "I really liked her talk. It was really moving. It was nice to hear that she went through some of the same things we go through. I was surprised to hear that her experience with Weeg (Coach Luigi Scire) and the team was the same as my experience and that it has grown."
Helaina Boutwell, Freshman on the team stated, "The one thing that really stood out to me was the way she was so open about the hardships in her life. Being a competitive soccer player myself for the past 10 years, I could relate to the mindset of wanting to play to the best of my ability and being hard on myself when my potential doesn't show on the field. The way Ally talked about how this affected her mental health because of how heavily invested she was in the sport helped me look outside of my own perspective and reevaluate the importance of the sport in my life. She even stated the idea of not having soccer in her life was beyond her, but in reality, the break she took was a blessing in the sense that she was able to see what her future was shaping up to be if she continued the path she was going. Overall, the way she expressed her identity and the confidence in which she spoke about the choices she made, helped the audience and especially myself be comfortable with the idea of growing up and looking past what it means to be a student athlete moving on with my career."
Lucy St. John, Junior on the Softball Team, was asked what she took away from listening to Ally's story. She said, "After listening to Ally Nikolaus' talk I learned that it's okay to address how you feel as an athlete or a person. Every athlete faces difficulties during their sport and in the time after they are finished playing, so facing those challenges is a road you shouldn't be afraid of."
Following the presentation, the 2023-2024 Chi Alpha Sigma class was inducted. Ally assisted Director of Athletics, Scott Kilgallon and Assistant Director of Athletics, Maureen Burt with presenting the awards.
