Strongsville, Ohio native Emily Ogle has accomplished a great deal in her young career. She was a successful youth player at Internationals SC, so successful that she worked her way to a scholarship at Penn State and was called up by the U.S. Youth and Women’s National Teams. At Penn State, Ogle was an absolute star, collecting numerous accolades in her four-year collegiate career before being drafted by NWSL side Portland Thorns FC.
Getting the opportunity to turn pro was a dream come true for Ogle.
“It’s awesome to play with the best,” Ogle commented. “Your level rises because you are forced out of your comfort zone. You really challenge yourself to grow. It’s both awesome and challenging, but it is nice to focus on soccer 24/7.”
Playing with the best includes training and playing with international soccer stars like Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Megan Klingenberg, and Christine Sinclair on a daily basis. Those four players account for over 560 international caps alone and they make for tremendous mentors for any young teammate.
You would think that playing on a team with some of the world’s best players would make opportunities scarce, but it’s actually been the opposite. Ogle has already seen action in Thorns preseason matches and could even see more playing time this summer.
“There should be lots of opportunities with international players away at the Women’s World Cup,” Ogle noted. “I hope to really grow and learn.”
Getting to play in the soccer-crazed Pacific Northwest has been special for Ogle.
“A couple of thousand people showed up at a preseason match,” Ogle said. “I know the regular season will be incredible. I can’t wait.”
Ogle already has learned so much thanks to all of the opportunities she’s had in her illustrious career. She’s been able to literally travel the world as part of the U.S. national team program from the U-14 through U-23 levels. She’s been part of the La Manga Tournament, 10 Nations International Tournament, FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, and a number of national team training camps. She was even a nominee for U.S. Soccer’s Young Player of the Year award in 2016.
The opportunity to represent her country has been a very special honor.
“It’s awesome,” Ogle continued. “You get to play against the best players and get tremendous exposure at a young age. You learn to really understand what the next level is like.”
Ogle admits that she wouldn’t be a seasoned international or even a professional player without the solid foundation she received earlier in her career.
“I wouldn’t be here without the help and the foundation I received from the Internationals,” Ogle said. “It helped me get to the college and professional levels. They had really high standards and held everyone to those high standards. They treated me like a high-level, professional athlete. The training and drills at Internationals helped make my transition to the next level smoother. The speed of play and expectations were very high.”
Playing at Internationals SC gave Ogle the chance to play against the best competition possible. She acknowledged that both Zdravko Popovic and Keri Sarver were incredible influences on her as both a player and person.
“They challenged me in all different aspects,” Ogle added. “In Northeast Ohio, there is not a better place to be than Internationals SC. They have the connections and the resources. They set a standard for players to pursue opportunities with the national team and college.”
Ogle also said that both Popovic and Sarver were very helpful during the recruiting process.
“They help every player through recruiting,” Ogle said. “They help navigate the process. They communicate with college coaches, invite them to games.”
As a sophomore, Ogle was actually committed to a school other than Penn State, but she had a change of heart and ended up as a Nittany Lion.
Her time at Penn State was incredibly special as Ogle claimed over 30 major awards, including All-Big Ten First Team, Academic All-Big Ten, CoSIDA All-American Second Team, and United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American honors.
"From the time Emily stepped foot on the Penn State campus she has impacted our program in positive ways,” Penn State head coach Erica Dambach said. “Her standard of excellence is unparalleled and she demands the best out of everyone around her while leading by example. She was a model student-athlete and studied the game in the same meticulous ways that she worked in the classroom. We will feel her impact on all of us for years to come."
The ringing endorsement from the Penn State coaching staff should come as no surprise to anyone that knows Ogle or has seen her play. Ogle even made the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List twice, which is amazing considering that the award is reserved for the best college player in the country.
“Playing at Penn State was phenomenal,” Ogle said. “Their playing style suited my style. It was a perfect fit. I wouldn’t have grown and developed without everyone at Penn State.”
Ogle said that the contributions of PSU assistant coach Ann Cook also had a large impact on her college career. She learned a lot from Cook’s film and training sessions and her philosophy and approach to the game.
A lot of people influenced Ogle’s career along the way and it is clear that she is one of the top players to ever come out of Northeast Ohio. She’s done just about everything and there is so much more to come. It’s certain that she will have plenty of people cheering her on as she continues her career in the NWSL.
Photo Credit: Craig Houtz, Mark Selders, and Craig Mitchelldyer/Thorns FC