Trio of teens makes professional debut for Carolina Ascent FC

CHARLOTTE — A trio of teens is among the youngest players signed to Charlotte’s newest professional sports team, the Carolina Ascent FC.

Among them is 14-year-old Stella Spitzer from Columbus, Ohio.

“When I was standing there next to the sideline ref, that’s when I got really nervous. But I think once I stepped on the field for the first time, those nerves went away,” Spitzer said.

Spitzer’s teammates Jaida McGrew and B. Hylton said they had similar experiences when they faced their pro debuts as teammates.

“It’s one thing signing a young player. You get some nice headlines and you get some feel-good stories,” said Head Coach and General Manager Philip Poole. “It’s another thing being brave enough as an organization to say there is a true pathway to professional minutes.”

Spitzer, McGrew, and Hylton are on USL Academy contracts, which means they can train and compete with the pros without losing the option to play in college.

“My personal initial thoughts were like, ‘This is going to be really cool to watch.’ But I never really pictured myself playing until they reached out to me in early February this year,” said McGrew.

“It definitely felt like the right fit, so I was really happy to commit to it,” Hylton said.

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