JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gaby Rourke will graduate from Atlantic Coast High School at the end of May, ending an athletic career that has grown into prominence around Northeast Florida.
“It still doesn’t feel real to me so it’s kind of surreal for me right now,” Rourke said. “It’s just crazy to me that it’s all over. I had so many memories at Atlantic Coast and I’m so grateful for the time that they’ve given me while I was here.”
Recommended Videos
Rourke will attend the University of Kentucky this fall to play on the Wildcats soccer team.
“I’ve been dreaming about this day since I was a kid,” Rourke said. “I always wanted to go Division I and everyday it’s getting closer and closer.”
Soccer was the first sport Rourke played. It also turned out to be her first love.
“Once I stepped on the pitch when I was around 8 years old I just knew I wanted to play soccer,” Rourke said. “Nothing just has the same passion that I get with soccer. It’s unmatched.”
But Rourke wasn’t just a one-sport athlete. That would have been too easy.
“I would rather stay busy with sports than have nothing to do with my free time,” Rourke said.
During her four years, she played five different sports for the Stingrays. In addition to soccer, she played flag football, tackle football, volleyball and softball. Just like the challenges on the field, at first Rourke struggled to keep up with school and athletics.
“Balancing the AP classes, balancing all the sports, all the practices, all the games, it was a struggle,” Rourke said. “I really don’t think it gets talked about enough about academics and how that can really tear down an athlete’s mental health.”
She became a leader in the local flag football and soccer communities.
“Sometimes I’ll go out to these little flag football events or little soccer events and some girls will walk up to me and just be like, ‘I’ve seen you before. I’ve seen you on Instagram. I’ve seen you on the news. You’re my idol. I look up to you.’ That just like really means so much to me because when I was younger I didn’t have someone like that,” Rourke said.
Rourke loves to compete. The first opponents she ever faced — her two older brothers, Tyler and Austin.
“Growing up I always wanted to be like them,” Rourke said. “They were two baseball players: [Tyler] played at Dvision I level, [Austin] played at a Division II level. You know, they’re my idols. They’re everything to me and I always wanted their approval so any chance I get to compete with them I would.”
As Gaby Rourke wraps up a high school career for the history books, she will continue on with the first sport she ever fell in love with.