Two years ago, Smith Hunter was on the outside looking in. The young soccer player from Seattle had recently been cut during tryouts for a local club team. Her dreams of playing soccer at the highest levels were halted, at least temporarily.
But Hunter is a fighter — she always has been — and she didn’t let that barrier stop her.
Hunter battled to earn a spot with the Reign Academy in 2016, and just a few years later, the young defender has started for the United States in the opening two matches of the U-17 Women’s World Cup, which kicked off for the U.