Longtime friends and teammates, Owensboro Catholic middle schoolers Kathryn Grant and Zoë Smith have grown a rapport on the pitch. The duo has played together since 2019, stretching across multiple club teams and the Lady Aces middle school team.
Currently, they both play for Indy Eleven, a club team based in Evansville and an affiliate of Indianapolis. They arrived in Portugal on July 1 to compete against numerous European squads in the IberCup Estoril. Indy Eleven will play multiple games on July 2nd and 3rd, and based off of their results, the playoffs are scheduled for July 4-6.
For Smith, she has previous international experience, having traveled to Brazil in 2023 for a futsal tournament. Grant, on the other hand, has yet to face international competition.
“I am excited to play the teams and see all of the sights, but it is also kind of nerve-wracking to travel,” Grant said. “This is my first time in Europe, but I have been to other countries before. I am looking forward to playing against harder competition and competing against teams from different countries.”
Only 12 years old, Grant and Smith are two of the younger players in the upcoming tournament – Indy Eleven and all of the European teams are 2010 based. Grant will turn 13 on July 2nd, the opening day of the IberCup. Both are looking forward to the uptick in physicality that the European teams will bring.
“We are playing older girls, so I think it will definitely be challenging, but I think it will help me improve my physicality and technical skill,” Smith said. “I think we will be able to hold up technically, but we might struggle a bit physically because we are playing up.”
Having joined Indy Eleven last fall, it is reassuring to both players and their families that they have each other to rely on. Dama Smith acknowledged that she believes her daughter Zoë is probably more comfortable passing to Kathryn than anyone else on the team.
“It is really cool to play with Zoë because we play school soccer together, and it is cool that we both made the team, and we get to play in Europe together,” Grant said.
Outside of the scheduled games, the girls and their families will also have time to explore the city. Smith has her eyes set on the local cuisine and the opening ceremony – comparing it to a miniature version of the Olympics.
“Our team gets to go on the field and I believe they will make statements,” Smith said. “The entire process seems pretty cool.”
Indy Eleven will also have the opportunity to train at a local facility used by teenage athletes.
“I am ready to train with the professional coaches that are going to be there,” Grant said. “It will be cool to train in an actual stadium that a professional team plays in.”
