In 2017, 11-year-old Olivia Moultrie became the youngest women’s soccer player to publicly accept an academic scholarship to play collegiate soccer. Recently, at 13-years-old, Olivia became the youngest female soccer player to forgo her academic scholarship as she announced she would be represented by Wasserman Media Group and was accepting a multi-year endorsement deal with Nike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDsCDhhOeQM

Moultrie’s pro status and Nike endorsement deal signal two major trends in women’s sports. Nike was not the only major athletic brand interested in Moultrie; Addidas had also expressed interest in the young soccer phenom. An endorsement deal at age 13 marks the true beginning of major athletic brands showing interest in elite youth sports. Alex Morgan is the only other American female soccer player endorsed by Nike. Nike’s deal also marks a major shift towards more interest in female athletes in general. Women account for less than 5% of the Nike endorsed athletes. Moultrie’s decision to go pro also signifies the beginning of a new path for elite female soccer players. It is common for elite male soccer players to forgo college and go professional in the United States, but Moultrie is one of three female cases and the youngest by five years. Age restrictions will not allow her to compete in the NWSL or FIFA until she is 18, so it remains a mystery what she will spend the next five years doing as she comes of age. She may be the special case that changes NWSL bylaws or perhaps she will merely continue to play on the United States youth national team and boys club teams while she waits out her time.

13-year-old Olivia Moultrie turns pro, will sign a contract with Nike

(via @COPA90US) pic.twitter.com/zvlmoQ9cF8

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 26, 2019

K.V. Switzer was the first female to run a marathon. Simone Biles was the first American female gymnast to win medals in every event on the world stage. Mo’ne Davis was the first female to throw a shutout in a Little League World Series game. Olivia Moultrie is the first female soccer player to go pro at 13. Sports are filled with stories of greatness, athleticism, and overcoming the odds.

Olivia Moultrie may be 13-years-old, but she is much more than her accolades and endorsements, she is a pioneer. LeagueApps admires athletes such as Moultrie for what they stand for. Our company values are represented in the SPORTSDOG acronym. Sportsmanship, Passion, Openness, Results, Team, Students of the game, Difference Makers and Grit represent the values we hold most dear. Moultrie embodies a true Sportsdog. Her age and gender are not stopping her from changing the landscape of elite youth sports and women’s soccer. If anything, they are propellers empowering her to break the status quo and redefine greatness. Olivia Moultrie’s career has only just begun. On behalf of LeagueApps and the youth sports community, we can’t wait to see what she has in store for the world in the years to come.