oh canada
GOLD
agree D.E. - that's why I wrote "top". If you ask the top 50 college girls if one of their goals is to play pro or make the uswnt, I bet you'd get a "yes" from 90% of them, certainly 60% of them.
Turning Pro at 13
- Thread starter sdb
- Start date
Good for her, take the money and run very little chance she would ever make that much money going the traditional women's soccer route.
But remember she is getting paid to wear Nike shoes and make commercials not play soccer. Nike is betting on her being the next big thing nobody gave her a contract to play for their team yet.
But remember she is getting paid to wear Nike shoes and make commercials not play soccer. Nike is betting on her being the next big thing nobody gave her a contract to play for their team yet.
46n2
SILVER ELITE
Exactly! You go girl, go kick some a$$! If anyones kid on here got this deal they'd take it, period!
Most posters are making numerous assumptions:
1. all are assuming the dollar amount of the contract is huge
2. everyone has forgotten about the federal and state income taxes on this money. She is not exempt from paying income taxes and if she does break six figures, the under 14 kiddie tax does not apply.
3. since she has given up her NCAA eligibility, people are assuming that she will have the numbers (GPA, AP classes, SAT/ACT scores) to get admission to a top 50 university later on should she choose to get a degree,
4. her desire to continue to play when she has to turn her fun sport into a workload job at the age of 13.
5. what type of changes her body will go through during the next 5 years and how it will affect her abilities.
We also watched the GNT game, I believe it was against Mexico. Was quite surprised as she didn't seem to know where to be on the field and kept losing the ball. Just because you have amazing footwork doesn't mean you can perform in a game under pressure with players charging at you and tackling the ball. Have also seen her play with her club team and because she was much smaller than other players on the team she kept getting knocked down. I wish her well in pursuing her dreams but not sure we can say at this time that this is a smart move.
1. all are assuming the dollar amount of the contract is huge
2. everyone has forgotten about the federal and state income taxes on this money. She is not exempt from paying income taxes and if she does break six figures, the under 14 kiddie tax does not apply.
3. since she has given up her NCAA eligibility, people are assuming that she will have the numbers (GPA, AP classes, SAT/ACT scores) to get admission to a top 50 university later on should she choose to get a degree,
4. her desire to continue to play when she has to turn her fun sport into a workload job at the age of 13.
5. what type of changes her body will go through during the next 5 years and how it will affect her abilities.
We also watched the GNT game, I believe it was against Mexico. Was quite surprised as she didn't seem to know where to be on the field and kept losing the ball. Just because you have amazing footwork doesn't mean you can perform in a game under pressure with players charging at you and tackling the ball. Have also seen her play with her club team and because she was much smaller than other players on the team she kept getting knocked down. I wish her well in pursuing her dreams but not sure we can say at this time that this is a smart move.
Watch the Nike advert. She's a living embodiment of the message. "...a woman running a marathon was crazy. A woman boxing was crazy. A woman dunking, crazy. Coaching an NBA team, crazy. A woman competing in a hijab; changing her sport; landing a double-cork 1080; or winning 23 grand slams, having a baby, and then coming back for more, crazy, crazy, crazy, and crazy, Go get em OM. Be crazy and change the game for future generations.
I have nothing but love for this kid with an amazing zinger shot. So for me, it is all love for a local girl with an amazing opportunity and the chance to pursue HER dream.
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Yes, you are right, but that would be a future plan that - it seems- would not require giving up NCAA eligibility to hire an agent and accept a Nike contract, right? The article says she can't play pro or overseas until she is 18. So... am I missing something?
I think the family was dedicated to her career and had her play everywhere in So Cal. You knew when she was 8 that she would be a historic women’s US soccer player. Getting an agent was easy. The Nike move and the family getting to move to Portland seems good for all of them. She sacrifices playing in college...big deal. She can still go to college if she wants.
rainbow_unicorn
PREMIER
A LOT of people think their kid will be a USWNT player when their kid is 8.
I was agreeing with you that her path now really doesn't have to do with soccer but is as a spokeswoman and how ridiculous this is because it doesn't have to do with her playing soccer. She is a media personality at this point. I have seen many a young player that was "amazing" at 9, 10, 11 years old to drop off or actually quit soccer, even girls that were called up to YNT have now quit soccer in high school.
I know. I see those deluded parents all the time. But as I said, with Olivia it's always been different. Go watch her play.
Have watched her play - both with GNT and in person in league games and tournaments - nice footwork but not necessarily game time soccer IQ and decision making in pressure. There are many girls that beat her on the field or tackle the ball away. Don't fall prey to professionally edited clips that are posted on social media. Like I said, wish her all the best in her dreams and she has certainly worked hard but she is not on the WNT yet - time will tell.
It's irresponsible for someone to give a pro contract to any female athlete that hasn't reached puberty. Girls change into woman which can dramatically change their bodies not to mention new hormones and attitudes. They can go from the fastest most athletic girl in the country to average or below average in a matter of 2 years, I and i'm sure many of you have seen this with many club girls. But i guess it's not my money so spend away. And for the parents, are they capitalizing on their daughters current fame, if they are it's shameful. I put her long term success at less than 10% to make the full national squad. I really do wish her luck but she needs to be a kid and young adult and have some fun at her young age.
Nike generally makes good decisions, if I'm not mistaken. The already grown 14-yr-old Freddie Adu being an exception that proves the rule.
Dos Equis
GOLD
Nike's decisions are about sales and marketing, and sometimes about social messaging/virtue signaling -- which may be their current focus in this sponsorship, given the campaign this young lady has already been part of. I respect Nike's judgment when it comes to athletic potential . . . but that is not always the basis for their sponsorships.
My daughter has played on the same pitch as this very talented young lady. Her potential is undeniable. Her level of skill is rare, not singular. Her path in youth soccer has been very unique. It is not a path I would support for most players, as I expect they would not be able to endure it, but I do hope it continues to works out for her.
MakeAPlay
DA
Nice video. Seen cone drills plenty of times. I've seen the fanciest of footwork actually executed in games against full national team competition. Any game film? I can't stipulate to anything that I haven't seen. I am just a little confused. I guess that we will see what happens. And I thought that the world wasn't crazy enough. Now we have a 13 year old "pro" female soccer player with no league to compete in. Next up is the first 13 year old to skip high school to be a pro video gamer.
I'm glad I only have one more year of this madness. I never thought it could get much crazier then when the ECNL clubs pulling out of CSL and completely fragmenting high level club soccer in SoCal. I don't even no what to call this next phase other than peculiar.