Recruiting: Permian's Barham, Fowler head to Division I soccer programs

Cooper Barham and Haley Fowler were immediate impact players as freshmen for Permian High School's soccer program, enjoying similar experiences for their respective boys and girls teams.

Years of training in club soccer while simultaneously developing as leaders for Permian ultimately led them Wednesday to the realization of a goal rarely realized by athletes of any sport - particularly in the Permian Basin.

Both players signed NCAA Division I letters of intent to continue their careers, Barham for the nationally ranked George Mason University men's team in Fairfax, Va., and Fowler for Texas Tech's improving women's program.

Barham also will see his second stint of action with the United States national youth team next month in Costa Rica. He is the second Odessa boys soccer player to sign with a Division I program after Tim Bowington, who played for TCU out of college and later for Valparaiso -- both Division I schools.

"Cooper's excited and he's anxious to see how competitive he can be at this level," said Mara Barham, Cooper's mother. "He's believed all along that he can be, but when you're from West Texas, it's hard."

There have been other talented players from Odessa for more than a decade, but Barham is the first who translated every necessary aspect into his shot at the Division I men's level.

Fowler, meanwhile, isn't the first Odessan who has signed to play Division I women's soccer. Former teammate Kylee Hix, a 2006 Permian graduate, played two seasons for Texas-San Antonio while 1997 Odessa High graduate Debra Smith played at Texas Tech.

The list of former Odessans to go on and play Division I women's soccer undoubtedly is led by 2001 Permian graduate Kelly Schmedes. She was a four-year standout at Texas who now is a volunteer assistant at Texas Tech.

Fowler said her dealings with the Tech staff, led by head coach Tom Stone, was one of the determining factors in picking the Lubbock school over SMU.

"They really went out of their way to let me know they wanted me to play at Tech," said Fowler, who plays defense for Permian but will move into the midfield for the Red Raiders. "I am nervous because it is such a high level of play, but I'm excited because I've been working so hard to do this."

Under Stone, who won a championship with Atlanta in the now-defunct WUSA, Texas Tech has reached the Big 12 Tournament each of the last two seasons after missing it every year from 2000-2006.

"They have turned it around a lot and I want to be part of a program that builds into something," Fowler said. "I want to be able to be part of the building process."

Fowler is trying to help the Lady Panthers this season rebuild into a playoff team after missing last season. During her freshman and sophomore seasons, they made the Region I-5A Tournament semifinals.

Barham is helping spearhead a special senior season, as the Permian boys team stands undefeated at 10-0 overall and 7-0 in District 2-5A. The Panthers, in fact, have made the postseason all three years Barham has been on the team.

His extensive experience includes the role of captain for his club team, the Dallas Texans, and he first played internationally for the United States in 2007 for the U.S. Men's Under-17 team in Northern Ireland.

"I think that's really what caught their eye," said Barham, who was recruited to play left back for the Patriots. "Every other recruit going in this year also has had national team experience. They've got a good recruiting class this year with all of us coming in with national team experience."

Such a high level of recruits isn't surprising since George Mason won the Colonial Athletic Association title and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.

The signing was a dream come true for the humble Barham, though it will take him far from his Permian Basin roots.

"I'm going to miss my family, of course," Barham said. "But the soccer team's going to become my family there, so I think I'll be able to adjust. I like the campus a lot and it's gorgeous there, so I can't wait to go."