Floridian Rookies Series: Taylor Smith

The Teenager Making an Impact in the USL Super League

Born: October 14, 2007 in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Current Team: Fort Lauderdale United FC

Connection to Florida: born and raised here, she joined her local team for their inaugural season

Covering Floridian rookies, there is a big range of ages. Players out of college are in their 20s, while those signed straight from an academy are generally younger. Taylor Smith is likely to be the youngest of all, making her professional debut at only 16-years-old. It’s the dream of many aspiring players to suit up for their local side one day. Destiny seems to have reached out to Smith, putting a club in her backyard right as she hit her stride at youth level.

The former headquarters of the Miami Dolphins may seem an unlikely venue for the growth of soccer. But, there on the campus of Nova Southeastern University, Smith got her start by playing for the Sharks’ high school equivalent team. She was named a team captain as a freshman, and immediately justified that decision, scoring 17 goals that season, 24 in her sophomore year, and 13 more after that.

Around the same time she was named her high school district Player of the Year, the prospective Fort Lauderdale United Football Club announced she would join their roster on an academy contract. This arrangement is used across the USL to allow players to maintain NCAA eligibility. After sitting the bench in the first game of the season, on September 6, 2024, Smith made her professional debut, coming on in the 50th minute of a 2-1 road loss to Carolina Ascent. (At time of writing, the Ascent top the league.)

Only 13 days after turning 17-years-old, Taylor Smith was trusted to make her first ever start in the USL Super League, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3-1 away loss to Brooklyn FC. While she has not scored or assisted so far in the pro ranks, she is racking up minutes and earning valuable experience at her age. The coaching staff must feel pretty positive as well: they announced in March she would be the first academy player to sign on full time in Super League history. “Smith’s journey from being on an academy contract to now a professional contract at just 17 is a testament to her dedication, maturity, and talent. From day one, she’s shown a level of composure and work ethic that sets her apart,” her coach Tyrone Mears told the USL website.

Lining up mostly in central midfield, Smith contributed to several strong performances from Fort Lauderdale since the turn of the year. Joining United hasn’t all been smooth sailing, though, as she stated she felt some butterflies at first: “In the beginning, definitely like my first game, I was super nervous. Honestly, the girls have made it so welcoming that I look up to them, and they help me throughout this path.” Smith, in turn, has turned mentor to even younger girls, helping out when the club hosts clinics for local youth players. All this should help her keep a level head as she moves through the ranks of professional women’s soccer.