MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—Transferring from Long Island University in New York, junior forward Rayah Seckler comes to Barry with two seasons of experience for the Blackbirds. In those two seasons, she played in 11 games for a total of 191 minutes. During her time at LIU she scored one goal off of two shots on goal.
Seckler has actually had much more success on the international stage, as she helped lead the United States to a gold medal in the 2013 Maccabi Games in Israel this past summer.
“My coach had put me in as a starter for the gold medal game and I hadn’t really been starting during most of the tournament,” Seckler said. “When I was put in as a starter, as a forward, my heart sank because it was my time to really be a part of the US team in the gold medal game.”
Seckler stepped up big time, in what she described as the greatest achievement in her athletic career, by scoring two goals and assisting on another as Team USA beat Team Israel 6-1 to take gold in the Maccabiah Games on July 29.
“Scoring those two goals was one of the most amazing experiences,” she said. “After all that hard work, it really paid off.”
Now it’s about translating that success in the “Jewish Olympics” to Miami Shores with her play with the Buccaneers. Seckler not only expects that will happen. She’s already planning on taking a leadership role with the team.
“I’ve always had a problem with confidence,” Seckler admitted. “This was a really big boost. I’m a better player than I thought I was and I should think more highly of myself. I can play college soccer with confidence now. My goal this year is to be a starter and, not only that, but to help create the team chemistry that we will need to be able to win a championship.”
In high school, she attended New York City Museum School and City-As-School, also in New York. During this time she participated in the U.S. Olympic Development Program. She helped her team to a State Cup final appearance and helped the team to five league championships. She led the squad in scoring for five seasons, earning Most Valuable Player honors each season.