Stella Spitzer Makes History: Youngest Pro in Gainbridge Super League

CHARLOTTE, NC – Carolina Ascent FC has officially signed 15‑year‑old forward Stella Spitzer to a multi‑year professional contract, pending league and federation approval. With this milestone, Spitzer becomes the youngest-ever to sign a pro deal in Gainbridge Super League history.

🌟 A Record-Setting Debut

Spitzer previously made headlines as the youngest player to appear in a U.S. professional women's match. She stepped onto the field on October 19, 2024, against Brooklyn FC at just 14 years, 198 days old.

👨‍💼 Coach Poole's Perspective

Head Coach Philip Poole, who led Carolina Ascent during their inaugural season, shared confidence in the decision:

"This signing has been a long time coming. Stella did exceptionally well in our environment last year and taking the next natural step to signing as a full professional makes sense for everyone involved... watching Stella make her debut and the amount of growth we've seen in the last 12 months makes this decision easy for us."

On guiding Spitzer through her early career:

"As Stella takes the next step in her career—we are aware that the development of young players takes time and will undoubtedly have its ups and downs. We've got so much belief in Stella and the impact she can have on the future here in Carolina."

💬 Spitzer's Own Vision

Stella Spitzer expressed her gratitude and ambition:

"Having the opportunity and the right people behind me to be able to sign this contract is honestly a dream come true... This is not just about me, but it's also about inspiring the next generation and showing everyone aspiring to be professional soccer players that it is a realistic goal worth chasing."

🏗️ Building on Carolina's Youth Pipeline

Spitzer first joined Carolina Ascent in June 2024, on an academy contract—part of the club's philosophy to develop local youth talent from across the Carolinas. Her professional signing follows that of midfielder B Hylton, who inked her pro deal in June 2025 after rising through the academy ranks.

🏆 Context: A Premier Inaugural Season

Carolina Ascent's debut campaign in the 2024–25 USL Super League was marked by triumphs including:

• Players' Shield Champions: Clinching the regular-season Players' Shield, finishing first in the standings
• Attendance Milestones: Selling out games and averaging over 4,000 fans per match in Charlotte's American Legion Memorial Stadium
• Club Awards: Coach Poole earning Coach of the Year, Jill Aguilera for Defender of the Year, and standout players earning All-League recognition

Spitzer's signing aligns with this momentum, as Carolina doubles down on progressing youth development and sustaining competitive success.

🎯 Why It Matters

• Breaking Records: Spitzer is the youngest player ever to sign a professional contract in U.S. women's soccer history.
• Youth-Pipeline Proof: Following Hylton's transition to pro, this signing spotlights a thriving academy structure within the club.
• Long-Term Vision: Carolina is building sustainable success not just on results, but on developing homegrown talent to shape the future of women's soccer in the Carolinas.

🔜 What's Next?

• Awaiting formal approval from the league and federation to finalize the contract.
• Spitzer will now enter the pre-season training cycle, with eyes set on contributing in the 2025–26 USL Super League season opener on September 6, 2025, at American Legion Memorial Stadium.
• Fans and media alike will be watching to see how this historic path unfolds—and how Spitzer continues influencing the game in her bold rookie season.

🤔 Questions for Discussion

As Stella Spitzer embarks on this historic journey, we'd love to hear your thoughts:

1. Will Stella Spitzer thrive in professional soccer at just 15, or is the step up too soon?
2. Is Carolina Ascent FC the ideal environment for nurturing such a young, talented female athlete?
3. With the political and social pressures around women's sports in the U.S., how will that impact a rising star like Spitzer?
4. Could Spitzer's story inspire more girls across the Carolinas to pursue professional soccer?
5. Will Carolina's youth‑focused approach make them a long‑term powerhouse, or is it a risky strategy?

💬 Share your thoughts below! We'd love to hear your perspective on this historic signing and what it means for the future of women's soccer.

中文版本 (Chinese Version)

北卡罗来纳州夏洛特 – 卡罗来纳上升FC已正式与15岁前锋斯特拉·斯皮策签署多年职业合同，等待联盟和联合会批准。凭借这一里程碑，斯皮策成为盖恩布里奇超级联赛历史上最年轻的职业球员。

🌟 创纪录的首秀

斯皮策此前曾以美国职业女子足球比赛最年轻球员的身份登上头条。她于2024年10月19日对阵布鲁克林FC的比赛中登场，当时年仅14岁198天。

👨‍💼 普尔教练的观点

在首个赛季带领卡罗来纳上升的主教练菲利普·普尔对这次决定表示信心：

"这次签约已经酝酿很久了。斯特拉去年在我们的环境中表现异常出色，迈出成为全职职业球员的下一步对所有人来说都是合理的...看着斯特拉的首秀以及我们在过去12个月中看到的成长，这个决定对我们来说很容易。"

关于指导斯皮策早期职业生涯：

"随着斯特拉迈出职业生涯的下一步——我们意识到年轻球员的发展需要时间，无疑会有起起落落。我们对斯特拉以及她能在卡罗来纳的未来产生的影响充满信心。"

💬 斯皮策自己的愿景

斯特拉·斯皮策表达了她的感激和抱负：

"有机会和正确的人在我身后能够签署这份合同，说实话是梦想成真...这不仅关乎我，也关乎激励下一代，向所有渴望成为职业足球运动员的人展示这是一个值得追求的现实目标。"

🏗️ 建立在卡罗来纳青年梯队之上

斯皮策于2024年6月首次加入卡罗来纳上升，签订学院合同——这是俱乐部从卡罗来纳各地发展本地青年人才理念的一部分。她的职业签约紧随中场球员B·希尔顿之后，后者在2025年6月通过学院梯队晋升后签署了职业合同。

🏆 背景：出色的首个赛季

卡罗来纳上升在2024-25赛季USL超级联赛的首秀赛季以以下成就为标志：

• 球员盾牌冠军：获得常规赛球员盾牌，在积分榜上排名第一
• 上座率里程碑：在夏洛特美国军团纪念体育场售罄比赛，平均每场超过4,000名球迷
• 俱乐部奖项：普尔教练获得年度教练，吉尔·阿吉拉尔获得年度后卫，杰出球员获得全联盟认可

斯皮策的签约与这一势头一致，卡罗来纳加倍投入青年发展并维持竞争成功。

🎯 为什么重要

• 打破纪录：斯皮策是美国女子足球历史上最年轻的职业合同签约球员。
• 青年梯队证明：继希尔顿转为职业球员后，这次签约突出了俱乐部内蓬勃发展的学院结构。
• 长期愿景：卡罗来纳不仅在结果上建立可持续成功，还在发展本土人才以塑造卡罗来纳女子足球的未来。

🔜 下一步是什么？

• 等待联盟和联合会的正式批准以完成合同。
• 斯皮策现在将进入季前训练周期，目标是在2025年9月6日美国军团纪念体育场举行的2025-26赛季USL超级联赛揭幕战中做出贡献。
• 球迷和媒体都将关注这一历史性道路如何展开——以及斯皮策如何在她大胆的新秀赛季继续影响比赛。

🤔 讨论问题

随着斯特拉·斯皮策踏上这一历史性旅程，我们想听听您的想法：

1. 斯特拉·斯皮策在年仅15岁时能在职业足球中茁壮成长，还是这一步太早了？
2. 卡罗来纳上升FC是培养如此年轻、有才华的女性运动员的理想环境吗？
3. 在美国围绕女子运动的政治和社会压力下，这将如何影响像斯皮策这样的新星？
4. 斯皮策的故事能激励卡罗来纳各地更多女孩追求职业足球吗？
5. 卡罗来纳以青年为中心的方法会使他们成为长期强队，还是这是一个冒险的策略？

💬 评论 (Comments)