SF Elite Beyond The Pitch: Reese Bassuk | 2006

This article was written by PrepSoccer staff writer, Matt Smith. Matt Smith is a special news and communications correspondent with SF Elite Academy and will providing viewers with an inside look into SF Elite and what makes our club so special.

A lot of positive adjectives should come to mind when describing the game of Reese Bassuk.

Jeff Wilson, the coach of the 2006 Girls Blue GAL team that Bassuk plays for at San Francisco Elite, says that she is a natural leader, who reads the game well.

"When she gets into dangerous positions she is excellent at executing," Wilson said. "Although I have only worked with her for a short time I can see her potential to not only excel at our level but beyond at the collegiate level."

And if you talk to Bassuk, the word that comes to mind is versatile. She is a player that can play all over the pitch and she's not afraid to work hard to become good at playing any position.

"One of my strengths is that I am versatile and comfortable playing many positions," Bassuk said. "Center forward and wing are my two favorite positions as I like to score goals and create chances for my teammates."

Bassuk played center forward at a few college ID camps last month and received very positive feedback. This has encouraged her to keep working hard to improve. 

Coaches have tended to play her in the central midfield, but when given the chance to play up top or out wide, she does excel.

Speaking of college ID camps, Bassuk is hoping to play in college, and being versatile is only going to open up more opportunities for her when coaches see that she can play, and is willing to play, multiple positions.

When it comes to college, academics are very important, so she will look to strike that balance of high-level academics as well as a high-quality soccer program when it comes time to choosing a school.

"I've enjoyed my experience with SF Elite. We're a strong and committed group of girls who share similar motives and drive to play at a high level. We train in a competitive environment and my new coaches, Jeff (Wilson) and Pinder (Nijjar), are supportive in improving the team's play and helping us reach the next level."

Bassuk plays her high school soccer at the Urban School, and joined SF Elite in 2018, moving over from SF Vikings at that time. So far she has really enjoyed the experience, the commitment and the coaching.

"I've enjoyed my experience with SF Elite," Bassuk said. We're a strong and committed group of girls who share similar motives and drive to play at a high level. We train in a competitive environment and my new coaches, Jeff (Wilson) and Pinder (Nijjar), are supportive in improving the team's play and helping us reach the next level."

Bassuk also really likes that she is playing at the Girls Academy level with SF Elite, and that fact, along with the high-level coaching, will allow her opportunities to get recruited.

"I believe the coaches will have a strong impact on my recruiting," Bassuk said. "SF Elite is becoming better known around the country. I also appreciate that SF Elite was able to get us to play in the Girls Academy League."

Playing at SF Elite has afforded her opportunities and the chance to make great memories, such as the time the team went to Barcelona and Lyon to train and watched the Women's World Cup. 

Bassuk became interested in playing soccer after watching her brother play while he was in lower school, then once she was in the first grade the school put together a recreational team, and the rest is history.