Rebecca Tweedy is a collegiate athlete and a leader on and off the field, balancing demanding academic studies with sports, family and other responsibilities, all while aiming to do her best in each endeavor.
A Chickasaw citizen and senior at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO), Edmond, Tweedy is a forward on the Lady Broncos soccer team, which could also describe her trajectory in life — always in motion, always moving forward.
Tweedy spent the fall semester juggling 20 credit hours, daily soccer practice, traveling to games and serving on several student-athlete committees. She also serves as team co-captain for the second consecutive year. In her spare time, she volunteers with student organizations and at her church.
A Norman, Oklahoma, native, Tweedy began playing soccer when she was 4 years old and joined the Pink Lightning team.
“My first game I ended up hiding in the bathroom. My parents dragged me out, and then I scored five goals, and I was like, ‘I love this. This is what I want to do,”’ she said.
She grew up playing on a competitive soccer league and later for Norman North High School, where she assisted the team in capturing two state championships and a runner-up title. Her skill drew interest from several universities, including UCO.
“They offered me a scholarship, and it was close to home, so I just had to take it.”
Tweedy has played soccer her entire four years at UCO. Her junior year she was named team co-captain, a role that naturally serves as a mentor and role model for the younger players.
She was suddenly cast in the mentor role after she suffered an injury her second year on the team. Torn ligaments sidelined her, but Tweedy said the experience taught her how to be a better teammate.
“Sophomore year was a struggle, but it also taught me a lot. I had to take a medical red shirt, so, I got to see the other side of being a student athlete – that is sitting on the sidelines watching the games and being the water girl. I feel like that taught me the most about being an athlete. I learned a lot about being the backbone, encouraging others and making sure that other people can excel.”
Led by head coach Amel Muhamedagic, the Lady Broncos soccer team logged a successful 2025 season, besting several conference rivals such as Missouri Southern and Southwestern Oklahoma State.
“It kind of started off a little rocky, and now we’re doing very good. We are on a winning streak right now, and we only have one game left before postseason,” she said in early November.
In every pursuit, Tweedy strives to do her best and bring out the best in others.
Her typical weekday begins with a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call, followed by an hour in the weight room before she heads to class.
“After I’m done with my classes, I will sprint home, change into my practice uniform, and then I’ll head to film. We will watch the team we’re about to play and talk about tactics. Then, we practice from 3-5 p.m.”
After practice, the team cleans up the field then Tweedy will head home.
“I don’t think people realize the amount of time you dedicate to a college sport. It is a full-time job,” she said.
Evenings are typically spent at Student Mobilization (StuMo), a Christian-based organization that helps students connect in their faith and find community.
“Or I will study. A lot,” Tweedy said. “I love school.”
Game days can involve many hours on a charter bus traveling to soccer matches across the region. The footprint of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) conference reaches five states: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. The 2025 schedule also included nonconference and postseason games with schools in states such as Minnesota and Texas.
During the 2024 season, Tweedy scored 7 goals and 2 assists at the forward position. The team made it to the MIAA conference championship game and reached the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship Central Region semifinal game.
The MIAA is one of the nation’s oldest conferences and one of the most successful in NCAA Division II. Tweedy is the chairperson for the MIAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where she serves as a student liaison between the conference and the hundreds of athletes at the 14-member schools.
She is also vice president of the UCO Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which also keeps her busy.
Tweedy is thankful to be a recipient of a UCO athletic scholarship as well as the Chickasaw Nation higher education grant.
Every Chickasaw Nation grant she has applied for has been received, which gives her financial security and allows her to focus on soccer and academics.
“I am so thankful for that, and I am motivated to give 100% in school and in soccer, because they have entrusted me with the resources,” she said. “I feel obligated to give my best. I want to because they have helped me so much.”
Chickasaw connection
Tweedy serves as a support system for other soccer players and students because she feels the support from her family and the Chickasaw Nation.
She said she receives her Chickasaw heritage from her great-great-grandmother, who was a full-blood Chickasaw, and her great-great-grandfather, both on her father’s side of the family.
Her paternal grandmother, Lynda Tweedy, and her dad, Chris Tweedy, taught Becca and her siblings about what it means to be a Chickasaw citizen.
“They made it very clear to us about our heritage and why it’s important being a part of something that’s greater than yourself. Being a part of a community of like-minded people who want to support you, that’s why it’s been important to me knowing where it comes from.”
Tweedy stays connected to her tribe through the Chickasaw Nation Recruitment and Retention program at UCO. The program prepares, supports and empowers Chickasaw college students for success with on-campus resources at nine colleges in Oklahoma.
“It’s based in the Nigh University Center, where we can go anytime. You can walk in whenever you want, meet students, and see what faculty is there at the time. It is definitely helpful.”
Aiming for the future
Tweedy studied speech language pathology until she recently felt called to switch to nursing. Influenced by her maternal grandmother, Susie Krug, who is a nurse, Tweedy said a career in nursing offers many opportunities, and she hopes to be a labor and delivery nurse. She also wishes to serve the Chickasaw Nation in the medical field someday.
“Since they have given me so much and so many resources to give back in a way by working with them that would be super fun.”
Tweedy plans to complete her degree at UCO in the spring and begin the accelerated nursing program at the University of Oklahoma in May.
Spending time with her friends and family is also a top priority. She credits her family for cultivating and supporting her love of soccer and her dad for helping her every step of the way.
Her mother is Kara Tweedy. She has two siblings, sister Anna and brother Christopher.