There are thousands of young girls of all races, colors and shapes thinking the same thing!
Turning Pro at 13
- Thread starter sdb
- Start date
SoccerFan4Life
PREMIER
With the new ncaa rulings, the smart money is for kids to finish high school, go to college, get Instagram likes, and go after those advertising dollars. Worse case scenario you get a degree that pays more than double the salary of the women’s soccer league.
OM is cool for young kids to see. The kids need to look at her interviews and see(listen to) the mental commitment this young lady puts into her craft.
Its all about timing sometimes, I do not know of anyone who has tried this until her. The going to college route is most of the time a win-win for the player. Also note: it does not mean that some random 15yr old girl from club soccer who goes to college can not surpass her(OM) down the road.
Its all about timing sometimes, I do not know of anyone who has tried this until her. The going to college route is most of the time a win-win for the player. Also note: it does not mean that some random 15yr old girl from club soccer who goes to college can not surpass her(OM) down the road.
MacDre
PREMIER
I agree but my kid hasn’t seen anything yet. My kid has seen lots of marketing. My kid keeps hearing folks say how good she is. I remember OM saying “I will show you better than I can tell you” a couple of years ago.
It’s time for y’all to stop saying how good she is and let her actions speak for themselves.
Pressure either burst pipes or makes diamonds-which is it gonna be?
I understand MacDre I have a kid who is talented as well. But I am also not worried about any of this until I see women's soccer take off with more income generation. Sometimes “first will be last and the last will be first” when its all said and done.
what-happened
GOLD
Plenty of video on her. At 12 she was playing U17. At 13 she was playing U18. I don't get the negative vibe. She's an excellent player, beyond excellent really. She wasn't a fringe player, she was an impact player on those teams, making girls 5 years her age look pedestrian. Imagine being a senior in HS and getting your ankles broken by 7th/8th grader. There are Thorns practice videos floating around. From a distance you can't tell she's 15.
Is her social media/marketing on point - absolutely. Needs to be. Forsaking college to go pro is a big risk, especially at that age. Monetize that kid and make sure she's taken care of down the road. An athlete's life span is extremely short. Risky but appears to be calculated risk.
MSK357
GOLD
You are mad, at the very least a hater. She's a good player, but more than that she was marketed well by her parents. Get your kid as many followers as she does and she can follow her path, at the very least get some sort of sponsorship deal you crave lol. The fact is she's got more than twice as many followers than some uswnt players. In the end its all business and she's got enough game to not embarrass herself on the field.
MacDre
PREMIER
Well said sir. However for me, this isn’t about being first, second, or third. Let me clarify my points:
1. I am responding to all of the hype being promoted regarding OM being a trailblazer and opening a new path from many. I think between Nike and the Thorns OM is making a “pretty penny” for a 15 y/o. I was previously informed that OM’s talent was so exceptional and rare that there would always be money for players blessed with such talent.
I responded because my kid has not benefited from this new pathway allegedly created by OM despite me reaching out to folks and trying to make it happen; and
2. My kid is interested in seeing her play because OM plays one of the same positions as my kid and she is trying to discern if she can compete with OM for that USWNT spot since they are close in age.
MacDre
PREMIER
You do realize OM’s dad KC is on record saying “it doesn’t’ matter if she’s the best at 13, if she’s not at 16.” So, no negative vibe. I’m simply following along. My kids want to compete and wants to see OM “show her what it do.”
I have no problem with folks trying to get paid. I do have a problem with marketing a kid as a perfect athlete. My life has taught me that development is painful and involves setbacks and mistakes. I kinda want to mollywop OM’s camp for unnecessarily making her so unlikable. Hopefully, her camp will soon realize the benefit of showing her vulnerability and share her character building experiences with the public in addition to all the clips of perfection that have been released.
I think it’s irresponsible to promote unattainable perfection to teenage girls for profit. Any teenage girl contemplating taking a grown woman’s jobs should know that it’s not all fun and it’s gonna hurt like this:
MacDre
PREMIER
You are moving the goal post. I thought we were talking about all the opportunities available to younger soccer players because of OM’s efforts?
Please clarify. Are you saying now that all my kid has to be is an influencer with followers and she’ll be fine-thanks, I got it.
By the way, what are all those folks following? Sure isn’t soccer!
Olivia Moultrie - Wikipedia
Patandpats
SILVER
When Freddy Adu joined MLS, he was the first young player to do so and had ads as a result. He was 14 years old. Everyone knew who he was. Do you remember the hype when 14 year old Emmanuel Ochoa signed with San Jose? How about Gabriel Slonina with the Fire? Both were 14. Do you remember when Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty signed with Toronto last winter at 15? Have you heard of any of these players? Probably not because they weren't the first. OM was the first girl to play DA. Nobody on this site talks the two girls who now play MLS with TFA. Being first matters to the story. It makes it more interesting and yes, more marketable.
I hope your daughter becomes an all time great, but your posts sound like sour grapes and certainly give off the tone of rooting against OM because your own child hasn't been able to do what she has done yet. Will say it again, root for kids to succeed. If you are then you won't worry that she's being "marketed as a perfect athlete" or that your kid "has not benefited" despite you reaching out.
Why so negative? The world has some fantastic soccer to watch, with more than one great player. This is a good thing. It would be kind of boring if it were all “Marta versus the little people.”
Good luck to your DD.
MacDre
PREMIER
I don’t care about my kid being great. I simply want my kid to have equal opportunity.
What makes you think my kid hasn’t accomplished what OM has?
MacDre
PREMIER
Not negative; I would call it smart and analytical. I am simply correcting the record. No opportunities have been presented to my kid by NWSL so I am at a loss as to why this untruth about increased opportunity is being circulated. It was reported that multiple teams were interested in signing OM, which means there are a few teams currently with the desire and budget to sign a teen but my phone is not ringing. What a bogus, sham, farce situation.
I would love to see OM play. I have nothing against her.
You sound like Crush.
Who promised you the first thing, and why did you believe them? Regarding the second, getting a negative answer is almost certainly because she isn't as good at either soccer or as an "influencer" as OM. No shame in that. I'm unaware of anyone else who has both, which is what is required.
If Nike or Adidas thought they could make money on your daughter, they would be positively responding to your overtures. They apparently don't at this time. I don't see where or how anybody really owes you anything. You seem to mistakenly think the OM story is all about soccer.
IF there were multiple NWSL teams interested in OM, it doesn’t mean they are in the market to sign any female teenager. They were interested in her and all of the visibility that she had amassed already. They weren’t looking to find the some young “phenom” that no one knows and create a marketing opportunity out of her. Especially when “Project OM” has yet to bear any fruit.
They say the rising tide raised all boats, but even the tide takes time to fill in. It appears you interpret people saying that OM is trailblazing and opening opportunities for young women as something that will happen immediately and that simply isn’t the case.
I have a feeling your DD will do amazing things but will define her own path, not follow one that someone else cut.
MacDre
PREMIER
Spot on. I thinks there’s a lot of speculation and conjecture being put out in the world. Time will tell.
I think the OM story will be interesting, however it turns out. What turns me off is her parents.
MacDre
PREMIER
One more thing y’all, this ain’t about being an influencer-it’s about EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.
In the words of the learned and honorable Judge Karin J. Immergut
"This Court again finds that the merits clearly favor Plaintiff’s position, that she will be irreparably harmed if it does not grant the preliminary injunction, and that the balance of equities and the public interest strongly favor affording girls in the United States the same opportunities as boys." (Emphasis Added).
None of the boys that sign MLS contracts or Generation Adidas contracts as teens are required to be influencers and Immergut has opined that girls should be given equal opportunities as boys in the MLS.
I therefore reject the notion that being an influencer should have any bearing on the situation. The analysis should be guided by whether girls in NWSL are given the same opportunities as boys in the MLS.
In the words of the learned and honorable Judge Karin J. Immergut
"This Court again finds that the merits clearly favor Plaintiff’s position, that she will be irreparably harmed if it does not grant the preliminary injunction, and that the balance of equities and the public interest strongly favor affording girls in the United States the same opportunities as boys." (Emphasis Added).
None of the boys that sign MLS contracts or Generation Adidas contracts as teens are required to be influencers and Immergut has opined that girls should be given equal opportunities as boys in the MLS.
I therefore reject the notion that being an influencer should have any bearing on the situation. The analysis should be guided by whether girls in NWSL are given the same opportunities as boys in the MLS.