Today, NC Courage have announced the signing of 17-year-old USYNT star, Sydney Schmidt to a three-year, guaranteed contract through the 2027 season. The deal was completed before the end of last week’s NWSL roster freeze.
She will join the team after the conclusion of the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco this month.
“I’m thrilled to take this next step in my career and join the Courage. It will be an honor to represent this club, and I can’t wait to get started,” said Schmidt.
“We’re delighted to welcome
Sydney to our club, a young talent with an incredibly bright future. Sydney has had a tremendous amount of experience for her age with the U.S. Youth National Teams and, more recently, Sporting JAX, where she has shown the necessary maturity and desire required of a professional. We are excited to watch her continue to develop and grow in our environment, and know the sky is the limit for her,” said Courage Chief Soccer Officer Ceri Bowley.
For the US Youth National Team, Schmidt has already earned 12 caps. She began training with the USYNT in 2023 and has played in the midfield and at fullback. Her experience includes being a part of the winning team at the 2024 U-16 UEFA Friendship Tournament championship and 2025 U-17 4 Nations Tournament.
At the club level, she brings professional experience, making two appearances (one start) with USL Super League’s Sporting Jax after joining on an academy contract in September.
Originally committed to play at Florida State University, Schmidt opted to sign a professional contract to join the NWSL and North Carolina Courage.
