It's been a magical year for Jamie Tatum.
Due in large part to her magic, the Cowgirl soccer team also enjoyed a magical year.
Tatum, who just completed her fifth year in the program, led the Mountain West in points (22), goals (nine) and game-winning goals (three). All three of her game-winning scores came in the match's 88th minute or later.
She is listed among the top-three in Wyoming history in career goals, points and game-winning goals. Chances are, that when her remarkable Cowgirl career is completed a year from now, she will be the school's all-time leader in each of those categories.
But Jamie doesn't allow that to define her.
No way.
I had a delightful visit with her the other day, and she never mentioned the season she had, or the goals she scored. I had to bring it up.
She wanted to talk about her teammates, her mother, her step dad, her grandparents, and her future as a nurse.
"My mother (Laura) is my biggest fan, and my best friend," she says. "She has believed in me from the start, and has been there for me every step of the way. She always told me that there was something special about me and to keep going when at times I didn't believe that. She's been everything to me."
Jamie graduated with her nursing degree last May, and for as long as she can remember she wanted to do two things. . .be a nurse and play collegiate soccer. Those goals are well on their way to being met. She's currently working on a master's degree in Health Service Administration.
"When my soccer career is over, and I would like to keep that going beyond Wyoming, I want to be an OR nurse, or work in labor and delivery," she says. "I had a wonderful OR nurse after I had my surgery (ACL, freshman year), and I knew that's what I wanted to do."
There was a winter night during the middle of her Cowgirl career when an incident could have prevented all of that from happening. She was involved in a terrible car accident in which she escaped with minor injuries.
"I was home for Christmas break and was delivering food for Uber Eats. It was right before I was coming back to school. I crashed into a tree, hit the windshield, and was extremely fortunate to survive. My mom told me I survived to do special things. I'm not sure about that, but I do know this, I definitely learned the value of life."
Tatum has been a team captain since her sophomore year and is obviously a very special leader. "I love that role, but there are times when it's very difficult. I love encouraging and supporting my teammates. But as Colleen (Head Coach Corbin) says, sometimes as a leader you have to be the bad guy. I understand, but I hate that part."
A fierce competitor, Jamie has been playing soccer since she was four years old. She credits her two older brothers (Trevor and Derek) for contributing to that competitive part. "It's pretty tough hanging around two older brothers, like pushing me down the driveway on roller skates," she laughs. "But they really helped me whether they know it or not, and I know they are there for their little sister".
Jamie was fortunate to be involved in a top-notch club soccer program during her formative years.
"I've always been driven and that comes in part from my club soccer days," she says. "I played from age 11 through 18 on Real Colorado which was an extremely competitive team. There's a core group of five of us who all have played Division I soccer, that's how good the program was. I really learned the sport and how to be competitive there."
She also was an outstanding player at Rock Canyon High School in her hometown of Highlands Ranch, Colo. She was a first-team All-State selection as a senior.
But she freely admits that when she was recruited to Wyoming she wasn't prepared for the commitment college athletics requires.
"It's a different animal," she says. "I wasn't really ready for the things I had to do to be successful at this level. It's so much more than just playing soccer. The conditioning, the lifting, and the commitment to nutrition is so important. You have to dedicate every moment to getting better."
She sure learned how to face adversity early in her Cowgirl career. Before it ever began she faced a setback. She tore her ACL in July as a freshman playing in a camp scrimmage. "It was two weeks after I got here, and I was helping with a camp. I had to redshirt, and never even got to practice as a freshman. It was so disappointing.
"While I didn't understand it at the time, that redshirt year really helped me. It forced me to focus on other aspects of soccer. Being on the sideline during practice and our home games, I became a sponge, and learned as much as I could, while getting to know my teammates. As I look back on it, that disappointment really benefitted me."
It was quite a season for the 2022 Cowgirls, obviously. Their stretch run that allowed them to earn the number one seed at the Mountain West Tournament in Albuquerque, a week ago, was special. While disappointing, the loss in the championship match to San Jose State on penalty kicks didn't diminish the tremendous accomplishment of the season overall.
"It was a rollercoaster ride," Jamie says. "I don't think any of us saw it coming. "The non-conference portion of the schedule wasn't super amazing by any means. "We had been playing well at home, but were not carrying the same mindset on the road. The turning point came when we won at Nevada. That win changed the season. It gave us the confidence that we could beat anyone home or away. That was a big win.
"After last season, we were bummed. We knew we were better than what we showed. With the leadership of Colleen and the coaches, we committed ourselves to the process during preseason practice. It was the most difficult off-season that I've ever experienced. Colleen really pushed us. But we wanted to be better, believed physically and technically we could be better, and the hard work paid off.
"The level of athletes that our coaching staff has brought into the program has really helped too. We have even more good players who are committed to success. It turned into an exciting year. Of course we wished we could have won the championship, but we now know what it takes and we know that we can get there.
"My teammates call me 'grandma' because I've been around so long," she continues, "but I've experienced some of the low points of college soccer, and now I've been fortunate enough to experience the highs of college competition. It's been so rewarding, and a lot of fun. I can't wait to experience to even more success."
I have no doubt that will happen for Jamie and the Cowgirls.
