Finding the right home for a young person out of high school sometimes takes a couple of tries and such was the case for Callie Rucker from Coweta who plays left forward on the RiverHawks women’s soccer team. “Out of high school, I attended Louisiana Tech,” said Callie. “I was redshirted and became disillusioned with the program and maybe a little home sick in the first semester there so I asked the coach put me in the transfer portal. Within 12 hours I got a call from coach (Chase) Wooten here at NSU. I knew some of the girls on the team and talked to them and they all had awesome things to say about the program, so it was a pretty easy decision for me to choose NSU and I don’t regret it at all,” said Rucker who is a sophomore in soccer but a senior academically. “Even though we don’t have captains on the team, I think being a senior brings me and the other five seniors a degree of respect from the younger girls and helps us lead by example,” said Rucker who has three goals and two assists so far this season.

 Callie’s soccer role model is one of the first players to become a household name in women’s soccer- two-time Olympic gold medal winner Mia Hamm. “I grew up watching her. I’ve read about her, read her books, written about her and she does so much for soccer in her community even being retired. She recently sent me a happy birthday video which was so great.”

Callie’s advice to high school seniors? “Leaving your ‘safe place” after high school is a very big adjustment especially if you go to school far away like I did. But when I decided to transfer, coach Wooten made that transition so easy and helped create a ‘safe place’ for me with the team. The Tahlequah area is so beautiful, and the school is awesome and it’s a great team to be around.”

Callie plans on going to physical therapy school when she graduates from NSU next spring.