Two former players of the Saad EC woman´s soccer team, Michele and Carol, joined the Northeastern State University Soccer Programs in 2002 as Graduate Assistant Coaches. They are very proud of the Men´s ans Women´s teams achievements and still very enthusiastic with the confidence and support they receive from coach Charlie Mitchell. Carol and Michele learned their first soccer lessons from the legendary coach Jose Duarte, and working with Mr. Mitchell is also a honor for them.

NSU Soocer Programs overview

After some fifteen years of successful men's soccer competition, NSU decided to establish a women's varsity program. With Coach Charlie Mitchell formerly coach of the Tulsa Roughnecks and player on several European and American professional soccer teams now the NSU coach, 1996 seemed the year to kick off a women's program. During the spring and summer of 1996, women players were recruited and the succeeding fall, the women began play. The first two years the women competed in NAIA soccer competition playing mostly Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri teams, but when NSU decided to join the NCAA and compete in NCAA II competition, both teams joined the Lone Star Conference and extended their play into Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. Since joining the Lone Star Conference and NCAA II, both teams have competed well in representing Oklahoma in that conference. The women have qualified for the conference playoffs repeatedly but have not at this point in time advanced from the conference playoff tournament. But, competition in the conference continues to strengthen so to advance in tournament play ranks places the Lone Star Conference champion among the best women's NCAA II programs in the nation. The goal of the NSU team is to advance to regional and national play and make its mark. Recruitment for the women's program has centered mostly on area women, coming mainly from the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas. A few women have come from Missouri and Texas but by far the women who represent NSU are Oklahoma bred and have come up through the ranks premier and olympic development programs. Each year, the quality of players have improved and for the fall season 2004, NSU will have the best squad ever. Losing only one senior from the 2003 team, much is expected from this 2004 fall team. One of the most remarkable achievements of all the teams NSU has fielded since 1996 is their academic performance. Each year since the program inception, the women's soccer team has been recognized as the most academically successful NSU sports team in the classroom. Many of the women have received national, state and NSU honors, a mark of success for any sports team. It can truly be said that by establishing the women's soccer program, our institution has gained recognition not only as an outstanding university in sports competition, but one which emphasizes academic development. NSU women's program has been a major contributor to that recognition.