We are excited to share that Olé Football Academy’s Caleb Wake has committed to Luther College. Caleb follows in the footsteps of two other Olé alumni, Harry Merz, who graduated Scholar All-America in 2019, and Ashlen Stroud, who is two years into his Luther journey. All going well amidst COVID-19, Caleb will head to Iowa in August.
Luther has established itself as one of the best Division 3 soccer programmes in US, ranked in the top five in 2019. Olé Technical Director, Ben Sippola, believes Luther will be the perfect place for Caleb to go and make an impact as a player and student.
Caleb began his journey with Olé 7 years ago, after attending a camp at the age of 11. During his time with Olé and playing with Western Suburbs FC, Caleb has developed into a strong, hard working, high player, capable of creating opportunities in tight spaces. He is a fantastic team mate, and it has been wonderful watching him grow into the person and player he is today. Ben says “Caleb has shown a lot of resilience and perseverance, which are traits we think will serve him well as he moves into his next phase of football and life.”
On the football front, Caleb is already involved in the Luther set up, getting stuck into training programmes and taking part in team sessions via Zoom. “The coach is a great guy and I’m really excited and looking forward to the next chapter of my life in the USA,” Caleb said.
It has been front of mind for Caleb to work hard in school to ensure that he gave himself the best possible opportunity to head to university and play in the US. Attending Hutt International Boys’ School in Wellington, Caleb achieved well in his senior years of school, and excelled at painting and physical education. At Luther, he is looking to major in psychology and minor in a form of art or design.
Commenting on his time with Olé, Caleb said, “Olé has developed me as a footballer, but more so as a person. Olé is a family, and it’s such a privilege to be in an environment where everyone is so dedicated to their craft. I am so grateful to be part of such an organisation and I will never forget the memories and friendships I’ve made. Big thank you to Ben and Blake for helping me with the process of applying for university in the States and getting me there.”
There is no doubt Olé will miss having Caleb and his family around. He is a big part of the community, not only as a player, team mate and friend, but as a coach in Olé’s Community Football programmes. “Caleb is a fantastic young man who is humble and has great character,” said Ben, “He has so much potential and we look forward to seeing him make the most of it during his time at Luther.”
Well done, Caleb! The Olé team wish you all the best!
Check out more information on Luther College Men’s Soccer here: https://www.luther.edu/sports/men/soccer/
Tags: Caleb Wake
