On Saturday, February 22, 2020, the King’s Warriors Soccer Club held a National Letter of Intent signing day for Caleb Okes at their office in Forest Hill, WV. Caleb signed his letter of commitment with Southern Wesleyan University, located in Central, South Carolina, where he will continue to proudly wear the name “Warrior.”
Caleb Started playing soccer when he was 5 years old, and has played his entire youth career with the King’s Warriors, beginning at the kindergarten level with UPWARD soccer.
Caleb transitioned to the varsity team when he was just 12 years old. He has grown to be an exceptional left back. From this position, he has become a leader for the King’s Warriors team and a mainstay in the team’s defense.
Several of Caleb’s family and friends gathered to celebrate his signing. In a brief statement, he shared his thoughts regarding his time with the team.
“Since my introduction to high school soccer in the 7th grade, I have had a passion to get better on and off the field. I would especially like to thank Dr. Blume and Jonathan for taking a chance on me at such a young age. The experience has been unforgettable and has truly made a great impact on my life. Playing against more experienced and older players from such a young age has helped my mentality for playing the game. All of my life I felt like the underdog in sports. But that helped me to work my hardest and ultimately give my all for God on and off the field. Playing for a Christ-centered club really helped me in my spiritual growth, and is a gift I will never fully comprehend.”
Caleb will continue to captain the team through their spring season. He will graduate this spring from Summers County High School, Hinton, WV. Caleb also played football for the Summers County Bobcats this past fall, taking care of their kicking duties as punter and place kicker. Other interests include weightlifting and helping to lead his church youth group at the Jumping Branch Tabernacle, where he also sings in the church choir, and playing the video game FIFA with friends. As he wraps up his career as a King’s Warriors, Caleb can look back on several highlights. The team just completed their third straight undefeated futsal season, with Caleb leading the team in scoring this last season. He participated in the National Association of Christian Athletes annual fall soccer tournament 5 years in a row. During that run, the King’s Warriors were blessed to receive one Sportsmanship Award, a 3rd Division Fourth Place finish in 2019, and a 4th Division National Championship in 2017.
Caleb is as yet undecided regarding a college major, but is interested in media and youth work with sports emphasis.