ALUMNI PROFILE
Name: Nil Vinyals ‘18
Residence: Richmond, Virginia; formerly Barcelona, Spain
Degree: Sport Management
Occupation: Professional soccer player
Nil Vinyals ‘18 wakes up every morning grateful that he gets to do what he loves: play soccer.
“My greatest accomplishment thus far is waking up every day grateful for the opportunity that I have to play the sport that I enjoy,” said Vinyals, now a professional soccer player with the Richmond Kickers. “My daily routine consists of waking up, having breakfast with the team, going to train, some meetings or video sessions after, lunch with the team and coaching in the afternoon on some days.”
Early on, he began playing for soccer clubs like FC Barcelona Futsal and Junior FC. He then moved to the university level, developing his skills at Union University in Jacksonville, Tennessee, and then was recruited to play at Winthrop.
“I transferred to Winthrop my sophomore year from Union University as I was recruited by (former Head Coach) Rich Posipanko and offered a soccer scholarship. The main reason that I choose Winthrop was the soccer program, as well as the location and great facilities,” he said.
In 2015, Vinyals helped the Eagles win a Big South Conference championship. For him, it's one of his most memorable experiences at Winthrop. The conference win was a pivotal time for Vinyals; it challenged him to grow as a player mentally and physically.
The hard work and focus began to pay off. A native of Barcelona, Spain, Vinyals said Winthrop gave him the opportunity to get more exposure within the semi-professional and professional leagues. Associate Head Men's Soccer Coach Phil Hindson played a critical role in helping him join a team in the USL League Two his junior year.
“I played on the USL League Two my last two summers while I was attending Winthrop, which gave me the opportunity to sign my first professional contract with Tormenta FC.”
Vinyals, who graduated from Winthrop in 2018 with a degree in sport management, said his main goal as a professional player is to keep enjoying soccer every day. Before his Richmond Kickers role, he played with the South Georgia Tormento FC.
“There is no doubt that I also want to keep improving on and off the field to be able to play at a higher league,” he added.
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