Alabama women’s soccer senior goalkeeper Justine Bernier has had a stellar career so far with the Crimson Tide. She has broken multiple goalkeeping records at Alabama, but is still hungry for more. When she is not shutting out opposing teams, Bernier is just a regular student who enjoys the simple things in life, such as shopping with her friends.
The Crimson White: Talk about what it was like growing up in Canada and transitioning to the states – a Southern state, at that.
Justine Bernier: Growing up in Canada, I don’t think I really appreciated it as much as I should have until I came here. The different cultures in Canada make you understand different cultures in different parts of the world. It’s 100 percent different. It’s football here and hockey back home. It’s taking some getting used to.
CW: So you play soccer, but hockey’s your favorite sport?
JB: Soccer’s my favorite sport, but hockey’s family. Like any true-blooded Canadian, I was skating before I could walk.
CW: So how do you get your hockey in now?
JB: I don’t. (Laughs). When I heard there was a [hockey] club team, I was definitely tempted to get my mom to send my equipment, but when I committed to the University of Alabama, I committed as a soccer player.
CW: In 2008, you took a year off to go play for the Canadian National Team. Talk about that experience as a college student playing for your national team.
JB: You can’t really explain it. Every time you get to play for your country, it’s a deeper feeling. You country is looking at you. As a college student, you grow up really fast, and there are a lot of eyes on you, and the expectations change. [When you are playing for your country], you are not an 18- or 19-year-old girl; you’re representing your national team. I grew up really fast maturity-wise. I had to stand up a little straighter and take on that responsibility. Overall, it was a great learning experience, and I made some great friends.
CW: Talk about your major and some of the things you are involved in around campus outside of soccer.
JB: My major is a general Bachelor of Arts and Sciences with a minor in nutrition. When I’m not training or doing extra stuff with soccer, I go to class.
CW: During the off-season or when you have a day off, what do you and some of your teammates like to do for fun?
JB: We try to keep it as normal as possible, like any college student would. We love to just hang out. On days off, it’s amazing just to be able to put your feet up and stay in air-conditioning for an afternoon. If we get a few days off, we like to go to a pool. With a group of 22 or 23 girls, there is a lot of shopping that goes on, so it’s fun. We do like to stay in touch with each other and see what everybody is doing.
CW: I spoke with Coach [Todd] Bramble, and he said some of the things he loves about you are that you are a great competitor and a great leader. Talk about how you try to lead vocally and lead by example.
JB: Leading by example is the mentality that I have adopted my entire life. I have always felt that talk is cheap, and if you want people to do something, then that is what you should live and preach everyday. I try to carry myself in a way that I want other players to take on. Hopefully they look at that and think it’s something they could respect and follow and get on the same page with.
CW: How do you want people to view your legacy on the soccer field?
JB: That’s hard. Probably just a presence. A presence in the back you could rely on. You know at the end of the day that no matter what was going on, whether it be in the middle of the field, the final or back third, you know you had a presence in the back that would have your back.
CW: You’re on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. That’s pressure, right?
JB: Yes. Only 42 athletes get it. When you get something like that early in the season, it’s easy to put a lot of energy in it, but you can only take it one step at a time. It’s a great accomplishment and an honor to be on that list, but it only really matters at the end of the year when you can look back at the year and see where we are now and what have we accomplished. Also, where you are on that list at the end of the year.
CW: What are your plans for after school?
JB: Hopefully I’ll still be involved with the national program. The Olympics are coming up, and every athlete’s dream is to compete in those. There are a lot of opportunities in women’s soccer with the WPS in the states and leagues overseas. I want to see how far I can go and develop my game and see how good I can get.
CW: Do you see yourself being a coach one day?
JB: I do. I don’t see myself ever fully being able to leave the game in one way or another. Whether it’s just doing some goalkeeping, coaching or being a part of a program like Alabama, I just want to be a part of it. I don’t think the game will ever fully leave me.
