Meet Academica SC: Logan Nidy

After being unable to join the team in 2023, Logan Nidy made her debut with Academica in 2024 and certainly impressed.

Academica SC has a few Bulldogs, Mustangs, and Warriors. They even had a Spartan and a Cardinal, but they also had a lone Aztec, Logan Nidy. She was originally contacted by Academica last season but wasn’t able to join the team due to injury. Now, entering her junior year at San Diego State, she had the opportunity to wear the black and gold for the first time this summer and she made an impact. 

Photo Courtesy of Academica SC

Nidy played quite a few sports in her youth, but ultimately ended up sticking with soccer. Early in life, she “always had a ball at her feet.” When asked about her decision to play soccer at a competitive level, she said “My parents said once I was able to walk they would put a ball down and I always just had it at my feet dribbling around the house or something. So I think that's initially what kind of made me fall in love with soccer because I was never throwing a ball, I was always like putting it at my feet and just kind of kicking it around. So I think that's what initially made me fall in love with soccer. As I continued to play, I committed myself to playing competitive soccer. I met amazing people along the way and they ultimately helped push me to get to where I am now.”

Strong Season in Academica

In her debut season with Academica, Nidy started all six games that she appeared in. She scored one goal which came in their massive 7-1 victory over the Marin FC Sirens. Even though it wasn’t reflected in the numbers, she did a phenomenal job creating chances for herself and her teammates over the course of the season. 

When asked about her experience with Academica, Nidy said: “It's been so amazing. I don't think that I would have gotten this experience anywhere else. The coaches have been so supportive, and the players have been so like together like it's been so much fun. I mean, it's great to get in work and work hard over the summer because obviously we're all preparing to go back to our colleges and perform there. So to get on this team and compete with high-level players and compete with high-level teams like it was a great experience and I'm so glad that I did it.”

Academica’s management team had their eyes on Nidy for quite a while, initially attempting to recruit her for the 2023 season but they were able to bring her in to participate in 2024. She joined quite a few players from the Fresno area who also joined the club this season, including her former teammate at Buchanan High School, and current Mountain West rival, Taylor Phillips. 

When asked about Nidy, Phillips said: “I’ve had the opportunity to play with Logan in high school and against her in college and she is such an amazing player. Not only is she a threat on the field, but she is also such an amazing person and teammate. Her speed and technical skills combined with her incredible work ethic make her such a dangerous player and I’m lucky to have gotten to play with her throughout my soccer career.”

A Difficult Recovery

One of the first topics Nidy and I discussed was her ACL injury that occurred near the end of her freshman season with San Diego State. 

“I ended up tearing my ACL with five games left in my freshman season. It was so devastating. I mean, I think every soccer player can agree that it's the worst possible injury you can go through as a soccer player because it takes you out for so long. It’s not only a physical battle, but it's a mental battle. I think that just going through that injury, it really made me appreciate the sport of soccer because I was out for so long. I missed it so much.”

Nidy had a fairly quick recovery, as she was injured in the fall of 2022 and returned for the 2023 fall season. While that’s not a common occurrence, it definitely speaks to her work ethic. She did find some positives regarding the situation though, adding “Because when you're sitting there watching people play your sport, win, have fun, score goals and just cheer each other on. It's like ‘dang, like I missed that. I want to be a part of that again.’ So that's definitely what I missed the most about playing but yeah, there's tons of positives and negatives that come out of it. But ultimately, I think that it really taught me who I am as a person and it really helped me push deeper into my faith and stuff like that.”

Becoming an Aztec

While many of the players Nidy grew up playing with and against stayed relatively local when it came time to join the collegiate ranks, she opted to head quite a bit south to San Diego State and it’s a decision she’s very happy to have made, stating: “Every single day I know I made the right choice.”

The coaching staff led by head coach Mike Friesen is a big part of the reason Nidy made the decision to attend San Diego State. “My coaching staff that I currently have right now is so amazing. I have nothing bad to say about San Diego State. My teammates are amazing. What ultimately got me in the recruiting process was when my coach brought up my faith and how he liked how I posted about it and I wasn't afraid to say what my heart felt. That's what made San Diego State stand out from all the other schools that I talked to and I think that ultimately led me to making the decision to commit there.”

During her freshman season, Nidy scored her first goal in a match against Idaho. It was a game that her parents were able to attend as well, which is something that she’s very proud of. “My parents are my biggest fans so  to know that they were there and they got to experience my first college goal. That was so amazing.”

Off the Field

When talking to Nidy, the first thing I noticed is how respectful and positive she is. No matter what she spoke about, there was excitement in her voice to discuss whatever topic came up next. With that, it’s also clear she’s a very ambitious person. At one point in the interview, she stated: “Growing up I wanted to be the first girl in the MLB like that was my dream. I've always had big dreams.”

In her free time, Nidy has recently taken up crocheting and also enjoys baking to satisfy her sweet tooth and cooking. She added, “I've tried a whole bunch of different recipes in college so I think I found joy in doing that.”

Nidy is majoring in biology and plans on attending nursing school after she finishes her bachelor’s degree. “I have always had a passion for helping other people. That's what I want to do and I feel like that's what I'm called to do. So I want to go into biology, and then I mean, I wanted to go into nursing, but the nursing program obviously at San Diego State you have to enter into it, and being a soccer player, it's just impossible to do both. So I'm planning on going to nursing school after my four years at San Diego State but if the opportunity arises for me to go professional, I'm going to take it for sure.”

It remains to be seen where life will take Nidy, but someone with her level of ambition and positivity will undoubtedly go far whether she ends up going into the medical field or if she gets the opportunity to play professional soccer. She’s someone to keep an eye on both on and off the field, as she can make a positive impact on the world with her mindset and desire to help others.