Multi-sport athlete Samantha Schupp adds to her athletic resume as Battle’s kicker
COLUMBIA, Mo. (BVM) — Samantha Schupp comes from a family with a rich athletic background. She herself has competed in softball and track and field through high school, and her willingness to try something new led her to a successful season in a new sport last fall.
Schupp tried out a lot of sports when she was young, but her main sport growing up was softball. She played the sport with her older sister, who is the one that really attracted her to competing growing up.
“My parents put my older sister in a lot of sports when she was younger and seeing her play those sports made me want to do it also,” Schupp said.
Schupp’s mother played volleyball throughout her life, while her father was a state champion baseball player. The genes have rubbed off on their daughters, and Schupp is appreciative for all their support through the years.
“My parents were huge athletes themselves,” Schupp said. “They have definitely helped me in every way.”
Schupp’s family also has a rich history in the sport of football. That is due in large part to her grandfather, Larry Hoefer, who was an assistant coach for over 30 years at the collegiate level for multiple schools including Texas Tech, Rice, Baylor and Missouri.
“We grew up with football and have been so fortunate with his career,” Schupp said. “He introduced me to the sport.”
Through her softball career, Schupp played club ball with both Missouri Stealth and Missouri Select. She continued to play in high school at Battle, and competing alongside her sister freshman year is one of her fondest memories on the diamond.
“Playing with my older sister freshman year is probably one of my favorite memories,” Schupp noted. “Being a freshman on a softball team is intimidating but it was a really cool dynamic because I was a pitcher and my sister was a catcher. They actually let me come in and pitch to her on senior night.”
The 18-year-old continued to play softball through her sophomore year. However, a new sport began emerging as Schupp’s top talent, and as a result, she decided to give up softball.
As she entered high school, Schupp surprisingly found a love for track for the first time, specifically competing in pole vault. Although she didn’t get to compete during her junior year last spring, Schupp has been working hard, and believes she has a collegiate future in the sport.
“My ultimate goal with track is to compete in college no matter what I do whether it’s pole vault, running or anything else I get the opportunity to do,” Schupp mentioned.
Although Schupp’s family has quite the athletic background, no one had ever competed in pole vault, forcing the Battle senior out of her comfort zone as she transitioned to her new main sport.
“I think the transition was kind of difficult because I went from something I felt so safe in to something where I was taking kind of a leap,” Schupp added. “Nobody in my family really did it. It was challenging but ultimately I think it was helpful to narrow it down to one sport to focus my time in.”
However, last fall, Schupp became a multi-sport athlete once again. Although this time her family had a background in the sport, it was probably not one she or many of her family members ever thought she’d be playing.
Last year, at a new year’s eve wedding, Schupp was approached by Battle’s head football coach who asked her if she wanted to come workout with the football team in preparation for the track season.
Initially intimidated at the workouts, Schupp started to become more comfortable with the team. It wasn’t before long that she was asked by an assistant coach to see if she would kick for the Spartans. Schupp believed initially it was a joke, and although she continued training with the team up until summer, still didn’t think much of it.
Over the summer however, Schupp received a text from the coach asking where she was and to come workout with the team once again. Soon, she began kicking during practices, and the rest was history.
“I didn’t think of it more than a workout until the middle of the summer and I actually started kicking,” Schupp said. “Coach gave me a jersey and it was kind of finalized.”
Schupp’s family would have mixed reactions to her playing football. While her mom supported it, her father was a little more hesitant. But there is little doubt that it made her grandfather proud.
“He helped me so much this past year with football and just being an athlete in general,” Schupp said. “I bet he never expected to say his granddaughter played football.”
Hoefer ended up bringing Schupp down to Texas for a week-long training session with Baylor University kicker, Bryce Boyland. Shortly after, it was time for Schupp to suit up for the Spartans.
Going into her first game, Schupp was understandably very nervous.
“I was unbelievably nervous,” she said. “I was not the best kicker and had barely ever kicked a soccer ball, so I was so nervous. You go into practice and you kick and it’s easy. But you go into a game and these guys are huge and they’re coming at you.”
Schupp is thankful for her teammates that protected her throughout the season. However, there was one instance where the senior got a little more of a taste of football than she might have bargained for.
“I got hit once,” Schupp said. “I had just kicked and a guy broke through the line and came at my knee. I thought I tore my ACL. I was on the ground and my coach came to me and asked, ‘can you go do kickoff?’ So I got back up and kicked off. I was never really concerned about the physical aspect … but I can say I got hit and only getting hit once was an accomplishment.”
Of course, being a girl in a predominantly male sport can always be intimidating. But Schupp felt accepted by her teammates right away, and her football experience ended up being a great one.
“I didn’t know many of the guys going into the season, but when I first came out to summer workouts they started seeing me more and I think they realized I was actually going to do this,” Schupp said. “Workouts helped build a bond between us and I’ve never been on a team where everyone clicked immediately.”
Now, Schupp hopes her story can serve as a lesson for others, and is appreciative by the amount of attention it has garnered.
“I’ve been really lucky because I didn’t think so many people would hear about it and care this much about it,” Schupp said. “I hope it just inspires people to get out and try something new. It doesn’t have to just be a girl playing football.
“It’s okay to be uncomfortable,” Schupp said. “It’s okay to put yourself in situations where you don’t know if you’re going to succeed. Trying something new and putting yourself in a different situation won’t feel comfortable, but in the end it’s so worth it … it all comes together and it all pays off.”
Schupp’s story is similar to one that has made national headlines throughout the fall with Vanderbilt’s Sarah Fuller becoming the first woman to kick in an NCAA Division I football game. Schupp finds Fuller’s story inspiring, and hopes that although on a lesser scale, she has had a similar influence.
“I just hope to have the impact she had,” Schupp said. “I thought what she did was really, really neat. To do that at the collegiate level and in the SEC was really cool. To put yourself out there in front of the nation took a lot of guts and I think it was inspiring for a lot of girls.”
Now, Schupp will focus back on her upcoming track season this spring. She already feels that her time with the football team has benefited her greatly in her main sport.
“I honestly think football has helped me with track both mentally and physically,” Schupp mentioned.
After she graduates in the spring, Schupp will look to continue on with track at the collegiate level. Currently, she has her eyes on attending Missouri State, where she would like to study sports medicine.
The 18-year-old aspires to be an athletic trainer someday, and she hopes to stay involved with sports as much as she can in the future. While there is little doubt that there are plenty of cherished athletic memories ahead for Schupp, what she did last fall will never be forgotten.
“Overall, it was super fun and really unexpected. I didn’t expect the guys to be as welcoming and as amazing as they were. I just kind of wanted to do something new and I had nothing to do in the fall.
“At times, it was really intimidating but I actually ended up having a lot of fun. It’s been the highlight of my athletic career for sure and I’ve made lifelong friends from it.”
