It was announced today that Travis Smith (IG/Twitter) and Colin Elder (IG/Twitter) have signed academy contracts with Louisville City, joining Issac Cano, who signed an academy contract in February. USL Academy contracts allow players to train with and play for a professional team while retaining their NCAA eligibility.
Smith is a 6’1” All-State First Team selection defender from Manual who has committed his future to Wake Forest. “I’m really excited and grateful for the opportunity,” Smith said. “Learning from the pros has been an amazing experience. The real work starts now.” Check out his recruiting profiles to see the future D-1 player in action: SportsRecruit, NCSASports, TopDrawerSoccer, SoccerWire
Elder is a forward from Bullitt East who will be playing collegiately for Bellarmine. He featured in a preseason match against Nashville SC. “As a local player who has come through the LouCity Academy I know how much this opportunity means and I hope to be a role model for future academy players,” Elder said. “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to take the next step in my soccer career. I want to thank the first team and academy coaches for this opportunity. Now, I am looking forward to the challenge and all that comes with competing for the USL Championship’s top club.” More on him on his recruiting profiles: SportsRecruit, TopDrawerSoccer
The pathway to the pros will be a critical component of the club’s future. It's no secret that LouCity’s core is aging and preparing for the future is a must. The rise of the academy is one of my stories to watch this season and I’m thrilled to see Coach Danny Cruz and staff leaning into this pipeline and providing opportunities to deserving local talent. Having a connection to the community is a wonderful thing to have and I can’t wait to cheer on and watch the careers develop of these young, local players!
Parting Thoughts
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