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Bowling Green State University Athletics
A Falcon, a father, a husband: Aiden Messinger’s journey to one final season
October 09, 2025 | Men's Soccer
BGSU men's soccer sixth-year defender Aiden Messinger has had a rollercoaster ride, finding his last stop with the Falcons before truly becoming a family man.
His journey began at Spring Arbor University, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school, where Messinger's life changed forever.
"When I got there, I was a 17-year-old who was too cool for school and thought I was way better than I was. I met my closest friends and my wife at Spring Arbor, and I underwent a total life transformation. I started following Jesus, and my life has been totally different since then," Messinger said. "Spring Arbor is like my home. That's where I met my people, and I'll be forever thankful for that place."
Messinger, a native of Ottawa, Canada, spent five years at Spring Arbor, which he thought would be the end of his collegiate career, before finding a spot on the Orange and Brown roster.
"I played five years, I didn't think I had any eligibility left, I thought I used it all up. I ended up doing the Midwest Pro Combine last December. Coach Eric [Nichols] just happened to be my coach at this event. We connected really well," Messinger said.
Head coach Eric Nichols felt the connection with Messinger instantly. He knew he was the right fit — and found a spot for him on the team.
"Just character through and through, and he doesn't necessarily fit our profile. He's older, he's got a family, he's a sixth year, so he's only got one semester. These aren't the guys we typically will recruit," Nichols said, "I went back, and my assistants say, 'what'? And I said, 'No, this guy's different, he's special.' He's going to be fully bought in to everything we're about. I think he can play. I think he can help us on the field. But even if he doesn't, he's going to be a real asset."
The ride hit a bump when Messinger injured his foot. At this time, he and Nichols had not talked about him becoming a Falcon, so the possibility of calling it quits was on the table.
"I ended up going a month later to a tryout with the USL1 team, and I broke my foot, got surgery a couple weeks later, and essentially was out until early June. And my wife and I had serious conversations about hanging up the boots and just kind of moving on. But it was one of those things where we just felt like we couldn't let go of the dream just yet," Messinger said.
Messinger decided it wasn't time to take off the cleats yet. During this time, he found out he received an extra year of eligibility, which kept the dream alive.
"It wasn't until about April that I found out that I had an extra year. And I reached out to Coach Eric in late May. We hopped on a call the same day, and I shared our situation. We were going to have a baby in the preseason. And we had all these stipulations, and it was going to have to be a total God thing for it to work out, and it was."
For the hearts of both the Messinger family and Nichols, the plan had worked out, and Messinger was able to be on the 2025 Falcons roster.
The summer of 2025 also had another milestone for Messinger and his wife, Isabella, as they welcomed their first child, Judah, into the world in July.
Messinger had found joy in the chaos, trying to balance the addition to the family with continuing his collegiate soccer journey. He thanked his wife for her perseverance through it all.
"My wife is a rock star. I would try to help, but she definitely stepped up. And she's been crushing it," Messinger said, "The feeling is unlike anything, the attachment you have, immediately you're like, I'm going to do everything for you, child."
Messinger loves being a dad, as he is finding joy in the small moments of fatherhood.
"My favorite part…I love doing this thing with him. I hold him and I bounce him up and down a little bit. He has no idea what's going on, but he starts smiling after a while. I love that. It's so cool," Messinger said.
Nichols finds Messinger's newly found love for his son a great character trait not only for him, but also for the rest of the team to look towards.
"He's got a really interesting perspective on life altogether. I think that becoming a father and a husband is going to change everyone's perspective," Nichols said, "I think one of the things we are always trying to convince our guys is to take advantage and be grateful for each day they have coming out here. And for someone older like that, you don't have to convince them. They know how special it is just to be able to come out and play the game they love on a daily basis with the players that they love."
One of the biggest factors in Messinger's life is his passion for religion, which he has decided to pursue for the rest of his life, earning a degree in Biblical and Theological Studies during his time at Spring Arbor.
"My perspective has gotten off of myself, and I say that I would like to be amazing at that but obviously we are not perfect beings," Messinger said, "I think my endeavor every day is to lay my life down and to look at the world, look at people and try to value them for who they are and just add to them, whether that be my wife and son or the guys in the locker room or people I'm passing by on campus."
Messinger uses this perspective in his everyday life, as he strives to make a difference in others' lives, which is his ultimate goal.
"I want to live a life of significance, and I want to make a difference in other people's lives," Messinger said.
It's not just his experience that makes Messinger valuable — it's his perspective. Nichols says his veteran defender is teaching the next generation what it truly means to appreciate the game.
"Just the way he carries himself. He's steady, and he goes about his business. I think for underclassmen, those guys that aren't playing as much, it's the gratitude thing," said Nichols. "These guys are all used to playing, and now they're not. Are they still excited about being here? And he's helping them realize, yeah, it doesn't get any better than this. Even though you're not playing, you're training with your boys."
Messinger had another momentous occasion, competing and starting in his first Division 1 soccer matches.
His first opportunity came in a home match against Bellarmine, in which he played for 62 minutes. Messinger was then given the starting job for the following match against DePaul, which the Falcons won 2-1.
"Those are big moments that you work really hard off the pitch to get to," Messinger said.
As Messinger balances fatherhood, marriage and his final season of college soccer, he reflects on a journey he never expected.
"My wife and I never would have thought that I would play D1 soccer. If you told me as a 17-year-old freshman at Spring Arbor that I would be playing six years of college soccer and be a husband and a dad, I would have laughed at you. That was not even on my radar. I'm so thankful to be where I'm at, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity that coaches have given me here. It really is super life-changing for my family, and I'm super grateful."
