3 years ago
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TULSA, Okla. — Stephenie Pereff says she was hanging retired astatine a shot signifier astatine Union High School erstwhile a manager asked her wherefore she hadn't tried retired yet.
"I was similar oh, okay, I mean I americium a shot subordinate truthful wherefore not," Pereff said.
A speedy email to caput manager Kirk Fridrich opened the door.
"He said yeah, bring your cleats Monday," Pereff said. "And past yeah, I made the team."
Pereff kicked that doorway wide unfastened adjacent though kicking a shot is thing new.
"The archetypal clip I ever kicked a shot was 2 days earlier I tried out," she said.
"You tin bash thing you acceptable your caput to" is Pereff's beingness motto. It's thing she learned from her parents who couldn't beryllium much supportive of a girl playing football.
"They were ecstatic," Pereff said. "They were honestly not truly shocked though, they were similar 'OK Stephenie conscionable spell for it.'"
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And spell for it she did. A fewer games into the season, Pereff got her large chance.
"Coach Davis, I conscionable retrieve helium goes 'grab the tee, you're up kid,'" she said. "And I was like, ohio Lord."
Pereff felt the value of the moment. She was wearing No. 98, the fig of Juan Cruz, a subordinate taken excessively soon. Wanting to grant him and beryllium an illustration for different girls, she deed the tract knowing if she made the other constituent she'd go the archetypal pistillate subordinate to footwear and people for the Redhawks.
"I was feeling precise nervous. I retrieve holding my limb erstwhile I was acceptable up to footwear due to the fact that it was shaking truthful bad."
Pereff reflected connected everything her begetter and gramps had taught her. She stayed focused and confident. And with 1 kick, she made history.
"But erstwhile I made the point, I conscionable retrieve reasoning 'Yes! I did it!'"
Pereff is 1 of the boys now, truthful to speak, and says everyone treats her with respect.
"They conscionable dainty maine similar I'm honestly 1 of the guys," she said. "But of people similar [there are] boundaries, you know."
As for the future, Pereff is looking astatine a mates of D-1 schools to play shot and says she won't crook down different accidental to deed the shot field.
"We'll spot wherever I extremity up for assemblage soccer," Pereff said. "If I bash person the accidental to possibly footwear a fewer points for immoderate assemblage I spell to, that would beryllium beauteous cool. But we'll spot what happens."
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