Darci Borski can see magnificent mountains whenever she travels in Norway, and she travels plenty as a professional soccer player. Those rising peaks and plunging valleys offer an obvious metaphor for Borski’s own soccer career.
After the Women’s United Soccer Association folded last September, the Nazareth Academy and University of Virginia graduate continued coaching the girls’ team at Penn Charter and interviewed for the women’s coaching jobs at Drexel and Temple.
Neither school offered her the job, so Borski jetted to Norway, where she is playing professionally for Asker in the Norwegian Toppserien league.
“Darci is an amazing story to me,” said Virginia coach Steve Swanson, who worked with Borski for three of her college seasons. “She more than anybody deserves the credit for where she is now and that she is playing on the professional level. She has a great personality and wonderful talent and just needed a bit of a spark.”
Borski, 24, followed former Charge assistant Tomi Markovski to Norway. Markovski, a native of Norway and Asker’s head coach, asked Borski and others to consider playing professionally in his native land. She’s the only member of the Charge to accept the adventure.
“The Norwegian style of play is different than the U.S.; it’s more direct and physical,” Markovski said. “It takes a little time to get used to the style of play.”She’s making the adjustment very well. She’s a very good finisher. She’s used to scoring balls. She has good speed, too.”
Professional soccer in Norway is played from April through the end of October with a few weeks off in July. Borski arrived in Norway on Feb. 11 to get ready.
“The level of competition is very high,” said Borski, the daughter of former U.S. Rep. Bob Borski. “It’s different than the WUSA, but still intense.”
In addition to league games, the teams are involved in separate play for the Norwegian Cup. Asker, with Borski playing defense instead of her usual spot at forward, won its semifinal game, 2-1, on Sept. 25. The final is scheduled for Nov. 7. “It’s kind of every girl’s dream in Norway to reach the finals of the Cup,” said Borski, who has scored four goals in Cup play and three in league play this season. “Thousands of people come to [Oslo's Ulleval Stadium].”
League games don’t attract as many fans or generate as much enthusiasm. Borski said that 200 people might attend league games. With limited fans come limited funds, and most of the players must maintain other jobs to support themselves, although Borski does not. Shoe giant Adidas is a sponsor, and all equipment and travel is free.
“I have a lot of respect for the players over here,” Borski said. “The amount we train and travel and play, it doesn’t equal out at all. It’s the life of a professional, but not the pay.” While Borski said she might return to Norway next year, her ultimate goal is to coach at a college. Living and playing in Norway has been a learning experience for Borski, who majored in religion at Virginia.
“The hardest adjustment is the language barrier,” she said. “Everybody here knows English, but all the games, training sessions and meetings are in Norwegian. It was a little overwhelming.”I’m not completely adjusted, but I know enough words to know what players want and what players are saying. The hardest part was in the beginning, and being away from my family and everybody I know.”
Making the adjustment easier was the sheer beauty of Norway.”That’s the bonus,” she said. “It’s absolutely beautiful. I’m five minutes from the water. There’s mountains in my backyard.” Borski exchanges frequent e-mails with her father, mother Barbara, stepfather Jim, sister Jen, and brother Robert. Borski, a huge Eagles fan, said she hopes to be back in Philadelphia for a few games this season. And when she interviews for the next round of college coaching jobs, her experience overseas might make the difference. “She has gone through a lot of things and seen a lot of things,” Swanson said. “Darci has played at a lot of levels: national, Division I, WUSA and internationally. I think she has a lot to draw on as a player to help in her coaching career.”
Said Borski: “I want to be a college soccer coach. I want to be involved in soccer in some way. In some way, shape or form, I want to be involved in it.”