"Soccer lets me navigate
both wins and losses."
The #believeinyourself story from Nina Heuschmid
Nina Heuschmid is currently at the end of her second year at Erste Bank’s Dual Academy and works at the Porzellangasse branch in Vienna. She initially focused on a career in soccer and excelled as a star player in the Sparkasse student league during her school years. After graduation, however, she changed her course and is now pursuing a career in the banking sector with a lot of determination and #believeinyourself. Despite this transition, her passion for soccer remains, serving as the perfect counterbalance to her professional life.
Nina, can you share how you first became interested in soccer?
My dad played for a local soccer club. He’d often involve me in warm-ups and teach me tricks before his games when I was just a small child. That’s how soccer became my hobby and go-to activity, a natural part of my life.
What impact did the Sparkasse student league have for you?
The Sparkasse student league played a huge role in my development as a soccer player and I wouldn’t have missed that time for the world. Being one of the few girls in a male-dominated league, I constantly had to prove my worth. It was challenging but incredibly rewarding, especially when at the age of 14 I got accepted into FK Austria Wien’s academy, the training centre for one of Austria’s most prestigious soccer clubs.
What advantages do you see for girls in the school girls' league?
In the student league, I played mostly against boys, often as the only girl on the field. It was a tough environment, but it also taught me resilience and adaptability – qualities that have served me well beyond the soccer field.
Over the years, the physical advantage of the boys became more evident and I had to work much harder to keep up. That was just the nature of the sport.
That’s why I think it’s great that there is now a Sparkasse student league that focuses on girls. If such an initiative had existed in my time, it would have made things much easier for me!
Nina aged 11 at the school league (2nd from left)
Was there a #believeinyourself moment in your life?
Oh, yes! When I left school at the age of 14 to join FK Austria Wien’s academy, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: I wanted to be a professional soccer player! The training was tough, but I was all in and practiced like crazy every day.
In my third year, however, I was told that I wasn’t cut out for a career in professional soccer. My world was shattered. All those years of relentless training, the weekends scheduled around matches – what were they for? My parents had been incredibly supportive, accompanying me to every match and cheering me on. My friends had rooted for me, and now suddenly, I had to rethink my entire future.
How did you deal with this setback?
I had to find a new purpose, redefine myself, carve out a new perspective. Soccer had always been a cornerstone in my life, giving me a sense of community, joy, power and determination. At the same time, it was an outlet for frustration when we were defeated. Soccer was my passion, my everything!
So I finished school on the normal sports track and, after spending a lot of thought on what I wanted to do next, I came up with the idea of becoming a customer advisor and decided to apply for the Dual Academy at Erste Bank. My mum also works at the bank, so the banking sector was somewhat familiar to me. Of course, I had my doubts: Was this the right fit for me? Would I learn quickly enough? Was I too young for this? Would the customers take me seriously? And most importantly: Would I find the same sense of community as I had in soccer?
I applied with a lot of #believeinyourself and after extensive rounds of interviews I was allowed to start my training at Erste Bank! I was so happy! Now I had a new goal for myself, which totally fueled my motivation! And I even found a soccer club where I really could enjoy playing again. It was a win on all fronts!
Is branch banking still your top pick over a soccer career?
Definitely! I really enjoy being part of my team. My colleagues even come to my matches and cheer me on!
And I find my work exciting. Engaging with my customers, listening to what’s on their minds, their concerns and dreams, and being able to assist them brings me a lot of joy. It’s like scoring a goal when a customer leaves happy. And yes, I still enjoy a bit of friendly competition with my colleagues – for example when I outpaced everyone in my team by converting the highest number of credit cards. 1:0 for me! And, of course, I still love playing soccer!
What do you want to pass on to our readers?
When one door closes, another one opens. No challenge is too great if you have determination, endurance and team spirit. My advice: Always believe in yourself! No matter what others say! The ball is in your court!
The new school year also marks the start of the new 2025/26 Sparkasse student league season. The registration phase for schools from all over Austria is currently underway, and the teams are starting their preparations.
We wish all students every success!
#believeinyourself