13-Year-Old Soccer Player Olivia Moultrie Turns Pro, Signs Contract with Nike

[Anonymous]

Nike's been looking for the next Mia Hamm ("the most marketable female athlete of her generation") for a long time. Problem is, the things that made Mia Hamm so marketable are probably the fact she was an Army brat growing up and so relatable--not a prodigy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait they pulled her out of school to pratice all day and she got a full ride to UNC at age 10 or 11?

They pulled her out at age 7.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/25/sports/olivia-moultrie-us-soccer.html

[Anonymous]

If she develops into a world class player, I can see parents will start pulling their kids at 7 years old too.

They home schooled her in order for her to focus more on soccer. I’m curious if her grades will be good enough based upon NCAA standards to be accepted to UNC at 18 if she didn’t go pro. I’m not bashing home schooling, but rather the extreme amount of time focused on soccer instead of education.

[Anonymous]

So UNC didn’t care if she had the academic aptitude just that she had amazing soccer ability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So UNC didn’t care if she had the academic aptitude just that she had amazing soccer ability.

LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So UNC didn’t care if she had the academic aptitude just that she had amazing soccer ability.

Welcome to D1 sports.

[Anonymous]

This shouldn't be allowed. This poor girl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This shouldn't be allowed. This poor girl.

I agree. When schools started recruiting LeBron James' kid for basketball, LeBron said it should be a punishable violation to recruit 10 year old kids. I agree with him.

[Anonymous]

I wish her the best but sounds like Freddie Adu & Michelle Wie Part 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she develops into a world class player, I can see parents will start pulling their kids at 7 years old too.

They home schooled her in order for her to focus more on soccer. I’m curious if her grades will be good enough based upon NCAA standards to be accepted to UNC at 18 if she didn’t go pro. I’m not bashing home schooling, but rather the extreme amount of time focused on soccer instead of education.

La Masia requires the academy kids to get an education, learn Catalan as well as a second foreign language. Players come out with a great education. They state so few make it to first the teams/get the big contracts, they need an education. They have schooling 7-2pm. Talking to former Academy players/ex-Barca players in Barcelona- they had lucrative careers having nothing to do with soccer— business, phDs, etc. They also help their academy players deal with media/can’t talk to media (they are banned from it), protect them, train only a certain number of hours, etc.

Not all European academies are the same. Some are notorious for bringing over African players and then dumping them with zero resources when they don’t pan out.

I think this girls parents are a-holes trying to make bank like a Hollywood mom.

[Anonymous]

^ residential Barca Academy in Arizona also puts a priority in education.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure her grades will be good enough, NCAA requirements aren't really that high (or many athletes wouldn't make it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she develops into a world class player, I can see parents will start pulling their kids at 7 years old too.

They home schooled her in order for her to focus more on soccer. I’m curious if her grades will be good enough based upon NCAA standards to be accepted to UNC at 18 if she didn’t go pro. I’m not bashing home schooling, but rather the extreme amount of time focused on soccer instead of education.

La Masia requires the academy kids to get an education, learn Catalan as well as a second foreign language. Players come out with a great education. They state so few make it to first the teams/get the big contracts, they need an education. They have schooling 7-2pm. Talking to former Academy players/ex-Barca players in Barcelona- they had lucrative careers having nothing to do with soccer— business, phDs, etc. They also help their academy players deal with media/can’t talk to media (they are banned from it), protect them, train only a certain number of hours, etc.

Not all European academies are the same. Some are notorious for bringing over African players and then dumping them with zero resources when they don’t pan out.

I think this girls parents are a-holes trying to make bank like a Hollywood mom.

You would never have a La Masia player making Nike commercials. It's not allowed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait they pulled her out of school to pratice all day and she got a full ride to UNC at age 10 or 11?

They pulled her out at age 7.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/25/sports/olivia-moultrie-us-soccer.html

No, 5th grade. From the article:

Moultrie has been on her unconventional path for years. She began intense, soccer-specific training when she was 7 years old, started home schooling as a fifth grader to free her schedule for more soccer, and eventually became the first girl to play for a boys’ club team in the United States Development Academy system. She was 10 when she began attending college showcase camps, and at 11 she accepted a full scholarship offer from North Carolina.

[Anonymous]

They spent $60,000 on a turf field behind their house so Olivia could literally train in her backyard. She began homeschool in fifth grade and eventually, K.C. Moultrie’s father's primary job became Olivia’s training.