What Olivia Moultrie’s Journey To Turning Pro Could Mean for Young Players Everywhere

In 2018, Elli Carpenter became the youngest player to ever play in the NWSL. The Australian defender was just 17 years old at the time. She’s not the only young phenom to make waves by turning pro. In a women’s soccer first, Lindsey Horan decided to skip UNC and sign a professional contract with PSG straight out of high school. In a much-buzzed-about will-she-or-won’t-she saga, Mallory Pugh shook up the NWSL when she ultimately decided not to play at UCLA and instead join the league. Tierna Davidson decided not to play her final year at Stanford and turned pro early to prepare for the 2019 World Cup. And in 2021, Trinity Rodman made headlines as the youngest player to be drafted in the league. 

These hallmark WoSo moments were celebrated and welcomed as huge accomplishments and steps forward in the players’ careers. But when it comes to Olivia Moultrie, the 15-year-old star who signed a professional contract with Nike in 2019 and has been training with the Portland Thorns since, the situation is much more complicated. 

In 2019, Moultrie was just 13 years old and only just beginning her journey into the professional world. But at the time, Thorns coach Mark Parsons said there were training sessions when Moultrie was one of the top five players out of the entire Portland roster. Mind you, she’s playing with women more than a decade or even decades older than she. Now, two years later, it seems Moultrie feels she is more than ready to play with the Thorns for real. In quite a shocking turn of events, Moultrie sued the league, demanding they let her play. And she has support, too. Becky Sauerbrunn and Lindsey Horan are both on her side.

Just to be clear, Olivia is a pro in all but matchdays. She should be able to play in the @NWSL and we should be nurturing young talent—allowing them to develop by playing against the best. Let her play. https://t.co/61poKXp7an

— Becky Sauerbrunn (@beckysauerbrunn) April 14, 2021

If you’re good enough, you’re old enough. Situations like this would not only benefit Olivia but women’s soccer in this country. https://t.co/0KHZ8xXCmt

— Lindsey Horan (@LindseyHoran) April 16, 2021

The NWSL seemingly struggles with the fact that Moultrie is a minor and refuses to let her play until she’s 18, but that argument doesn’t have much weight or precedent. All around the world, on both the men’s and women’s side, teenagers are making full-team international debuts and signing big contracts with major clubs. 

This isn’t a new trend either. Almost 20 years ago, Marta debuted for the Brazilian national team and started playing professionally as a teenager, only one or so years older than Moultrie. So if the idea is to protect young players from the physicality of playing in a professional league and safeguarding their development, why is this not a problem for the scores of other teenagers around the world playing pro with seemingly no issues? 

The league is holding steadfast to their minimum age rule, and Moultrie’s filing signifies she’s unwilling to give up her side of the fight anytime soon. Whichever way the pieces fall here, the result of this deadlock will have huge implications on the women’s game. Young players with dreams of playing professionally should keep their eyes on this case. It could mean that if you’re good enough and ready to commit to a soccer career, you can do so whenever you’re ready, no matter how old you are.

Featured Image via Craig Mitchelldyer/ISI Photos/Getty Images

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