FORT BRAGG, N.C.--Spc. Rodgers Otieno, West Bragg Behavioral Health Clinic NCOIC, has played soccer all of his life. One of his ultimate life goals is to play on the All Army Soccer Team.
He said that his father helped him become the man he is on and off the field. His father passed away in 2007 and Otieno said every game he plays in honor of him and his family back in Kenya.
"I have been playing soccer my whole life," said Otieno. "I remember back when I got my first pair of cleats at the age of six. My father taught me how to play and it became my passion. He was my best friend."
His time at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, developed his interest in trying out for the All Army Men's Soccer Team. The team competes worldwide, including against all of the Armed Forces and various countries. Applications for the All Army team are due in December and the roster should post by February 2017.
"Making the team would mean everything. It would be a dream come true," he said. "Growing up, I always I wanted to go pro. At this point in my life, that is not attainable. Making the All-Army Team would fulfill that desire that I've always had."
In the short time that Otieno has been assigned here, his skills helped the Bragg United soccer team win the Defenders Cup National Tournament, dominating over 46 soccer teams at Joint-Base San Antonio, Texas, Sept. 5.
The Kenya native was recruited while attending Moi University in Kenya where he competed in local pick-up games and quickly got recruited to attend Oklahoma Christian University on a full scholarship, switching his major from a Bachelor of Arts in English to a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
After completing his bachelors, he felt that joining the Army was his best option. He would serve in the Army and make the Unites Stated his permanent home.
"My whole life, everything has fallen into sequence, God always has a plan out there," said Otieno.
Otieno plans to apply to officer candidate school, pursue his Master of Science in Forensic Psychology and publish a book about his life experiences.
"Everyone has a story," he added. "You never know, your story could change someone's life."
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