Emma Rice, one of the most decorated soccer players in USAO history, finally said her goodbye to her green and gold uniform in the spring as she walked across the stage, diploma in hand.

Yet, her connection to USAO remains strong as she plays for the Oklahoma City Football Club (OKCFC). The team is coached by Jimmy Hampton, USAO’s head soccer coach, and Rice plays alongside her former USAO teammates Marissa Neil and Kyleigh Fort.

The team plays in the summer for the Women’s Premiere Soccer League (WPSL), which is a semi-pro league. Tryout sessions are held in May to select players for the two-month season. Rice said she has played with OKCFC since she was 17 years old. The team practices two to three times a week and has weekly games.

Hampton started the team 15 years ago and returned this year to coach. A surprise to Rice, who thought she has played under Hampton for the last time at the end of USAO’s season. She said that Hampton changed her life – on and off the field – for the better.

“I probably would have found myself playing regardless, but he’s a huge reason as to why I chose to play this summer,” said Rice. “To have the chance to play for Coach Hampton was something I couldn’t pass up.”

Rice was a starting froward for USAO, but when playing with the OKCFC she plays in the midfield. She commented that it was different, but that the game remains the same no matter where she plays on the field. She said that from the midfield perspective she can see more of the field and therefore become a playmaker, where she looks to play through balls or play balls over the top to her forwards. She said the midfield requires grit as it has more defensive work, but that the position is incredibly rewarding.

Another difference is the level of play – from college level to semi-professional. The league, according to Rice, is made up of high-level college athletes who are home from university or those looking to stay in shape for their upcoming season. Two other groups of players are often seen playing with the league, including talented high school players who are looking to play in college soon and those who have finished their careers but still love the game.

“With that, the level of competition and individual talent is extremely high, but the season is so short, it can be difficult to pull together a team that connects well and flows all over the field at all times. That’s where it differs from opponents at USAO,” said Rice, who continued to say that college teams work together for months which makes them more difficult to compete against.

She continued to say that she became 100 times the player she thought she could be under the leadership and mentorship of her coaches, along with the players on USAO’s team over the years. She said her growth at USAO allowed her to be a high-level competitor at OKCFC, and it shows that regardless of the division attached to the school someone plays at, the highest level of talent it present.

“I could never adequately express my gratitude in words for the experience I had,” said Rice. “If I could go back a million times, I’d choose USAO every single one of them.”

While the league only spans the summer months, Rice said she would not cross off playing professional soccer as a career. Currently, she is working through a knee injury, which she picked up at the end of her last season. The injury, she said, has been limiting and would factor into her final choice of continuing her career.

“My favorite thing in the world is to play soccer, God willing and if everything were to fall into place perfectly, I wouldn’t be able to turn down the opportunity to play soccer professionally,” said Rice.

Professional soccer boasts a longer season compared to college, which makes it more demanding on the body and making Rice pause for thought. She continued to explain that the demands are higher for professional soccer because the stage is larger; wins are always important, but even more so in professional leagues.

While it is a normal comparison that for student-athletes their sport is their job, Rice said that is literally true for professional athletes. Rice said she never felt like that at USAO due to her incredible coaches.

“In college, it certainly feels like a job but, at the end of the day, athletes in college are STUDENT-athletes, so the education aspect comes first,” Rice said.

While professional soccer is not currently on her radar, Rice is filling her time by continuing her education in the medical field next year. This year, she said she is doing the next best thing aside from playing soccer, which is coaching soccer.

In her time at USAO, Rice earned the following honors: 12-time SAC Offensive Player of the Week, 4-time NAIA All-American honorable mention, NAIA All-American 2nd Team, 2018 Freshman of the Year, five-time 1st Team All-SAC, 3-time SAC Offensive Player of the Year, three-time SAC Player of the Year, SAC Women’s Soccer Student-Athlete of the Year, 5th on NAIA all-time leaderboard for goals (130) and points (310), USAO all-time goal and assist leader, and USAO single season record holder for goals and points.

Rice will be playing with OKCFC throughout June and July. The team has a handful of games left in the summer season, for more information visit: https://www.oklahomacityfc.com/schedule

Emily Loughridge is a third-year Communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.