Another day, another LouCity Academy success story. Kentucky Country Day’s Hayden Stamps (Twitter/Insta/SportsRecruits) has signed a USL Academy contract with the club. The 16-year-old sophomore gets the benefit of training and playing with the first team, all while maintaining his amateur status. He could also benefit from a new USL Championship rule for 2024 that allows clubs to dress up to two additional players under age 17 for home games without taking a spot on the standard 18-player team sheet.
Stamps, a midfielder, was the feature of a spotlight article following the Atlante FC friendly last year. His father, a former Charleston Battery outside back/midfielder, aided in his development along with his academy instruction. With the academy, he earned U15 First Team accolades in the 2022-23 ECNL Boys Ohio Valley All-Conference Teams. He has also seen success with his school team, including Athlete of the Week honors.
“We are excited to be able to sign Hayden to a USL Academy contract," said Coach Danny Cruz. "This is another important step in his development, as he is now training with us every day. We also believe the new initiative from the league is going to allow our young academy players another opportunity for growth by experiencing everything that goes into a game day. We have seen throughout preseason Hayden's personality come out with the group, and I am looking forward to continuing to see how he develops with the first team.”
"I want to thank all my friends, my family, and most importantly God for getting me to where I am today," Stamps said. "I’m extremely excited to start working toward lifting that cup at the end of the season, and I can’t think of a better club to work with than Louisville City."
It is always a great day when an academy kid gets one step closer to his dreams. Stamps, along with a growing list of names, showcases the accessibility of professional play. If you’re good enough, you're old enough. His play has proven to the staff that he is ready to take the next step in his playing career. The new roster rules are a welcome change which only increases the opportunities for Stamps and others in his position. Looking forward to watching the development of this promising youngster!
Parting Thoughts
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