“If you’re good enough, you’re old enough” — that’s the motto Olivia Moultrie likes to live by. And little did she know it would define her pursuit of something unprecedented in American women’s domestic soccer: challenging the NWSL‘s rule that prevented players under 18 from signing club contracts.
For someone who kickstarted her career at just 15 — giving up college eligibility to sign a Nike deal, yet left without a team to play for due to FIFA and NWSL age restrictions — it was the only option she had. Fast forward to today, as the rule finally shifts, turns out this radical movement once left Christen Press ‘concerned’ than proud of Moultrie’s bold leap.
Why, you ask? Well, today you may come across this growing American women’s league having introduced CBA, a players association, and many other safety protocols. However, back in the day, the league was actually going through a lot, with the league’s culture not deemed fit. So when Press got to know a teenager was about to challenge the NWSL to just come and play, it struck a chord within the USWNT veteran.
“The first thing I thought when I heard about you was, ‘Oh my gosh, she cannot come to this.’ Not because you weren’t good enough but because I was actually concerned for your well-being,” began Press while interviewing Moultrie alongside Tobin Heath on the RE—INC podcast.
By concern, Christen refers to the challenges that she faced back in the day. Like playing under the then-Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames, who created an abusive and toxic environment for the team. Meanwhile, Paul Riley of the Portland Thorns was found guilty of engaging in sexual misconduct and verbal abuse across multiple teams.
Press and many players who had seen and gone through a lot already were facing difficulties. So seeing Moultrie potentially also face this was the last thing she wanted. “I was really nervous for you not knowing that—because we didn’t talk about it—you being exposed to that. There was really resistance because I was afraid that anyone young shouldn’t be in the environment,” admitted the Angel City forward.
But talk about fighting for her place, as there came a shift in the NWSL that no one ever imagined. Moultrie, who once considered moving to Europe sued the stakeholders of the league with the help of her parents. The then-15-year-old took on the league’s age restriction policy, securing a preliminary injunction and reaching a settlement within two months. Eventually, the NWSL decided to relax its rules, allowing teams to sign up to four under-18 players by 2024.
Without Moultrie’s battle, one perhaps couldn’t have witnessed anyone else reshape the league’s future. After all, just see for yourself how this change has boosted both the NWSL and the USWNT’s ability to compete on the world stage. In fact, it also created a wave of revolution within Christen and other players.
Olivia Moultrie’s ‘forcing mechanism’ was really needed for NWSL’s sake!
Currently shining for the Portland Thorns in the NWSL and having already made her breakthrough debut for the USWNT, it’s fair to say that Olivia Moultrie played a pivotal role in changing the course of the league. That would be one of her decisions to stand up for herself and declare she deserved a place. Meanwhile, Christen Press, who had been genuinely concerned about the teenager, couldn’t help but think that if it wasn’t acceptable for Moultrie, why should it be acceptable for anyone else?
“It was a lens which we were able to see and hold ourselves to a higher standard because we wanted to look out for the next generation,” admitted Press in the podcast, insisting every player deserves to be protected. Fellow co-host Tobin Heath also agreed, calling Moultrie a “Catalyst” for so much that has transpired in the NWSL. It’s due to the Thorns midfielder’s radical movement that everyone calls it a young league.
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