Happy New Year, Purple Family! I’ve been out of the loop for a few weeks, what with Christmas and New Years and an attempted coup at the United States Capitol. However, nothing stops the Louisville soccer train, and news abounds! Let’s get to it:
Simon Lefebvre signs with LouCity
For those of us nervously looking at the goalkeeper depth chart of one, our prayers were answered yesterday with the signing of another Frenchman, Simon Lefebvre. Let’s get the obvious part out of the way first: he tall.
Lefebvre is a younger guy, too – he was just drafted in last year’s MLS Super Duper Draft by DC United. However, the Capitol city club decided Bill Hamid was still good for some reason and sent Simon to Loudoun to get plenty of practice in instead. He did! After being released from DC, Simon became a free agent/transfer, and Hackworth and Scott Budnick snapped him up.
The presser from the club stays Lefebvre is expected to compete for a starting spot with Chris Hubbard, because of course it does. I’m sure it’ll be a competition, but Hubbard actually has a lot more experience than Monsieur Simon does and I think that’ll play out. Either way, Lefebvre definitely has size and potential, and I’m excited he’s joining the team.
Racing Louisville adds defender Brooke Hendrix
To the press release!
Claimed on waivers from the Washington Spirit, the 27-year-old totaled five appearances across the NWSL’s Challenge Cup and Fall Series in 2020, boasting an 86% pass completion rate during an abbreviated campaign.
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Before signing on for her debut NWSL season, Hendrix competed for West Ham United in the FA Women’s Super League. She saw time in 35 games for the English club, including in the 2019 FA Cup Final, during her two years there.
The Sharpsburg, Ga., native also has on her professional resume a stint with Serie A club Brescia Calcio Femminile. Crucial to the club’s 2017-2018 campaign, Hendrix helped lead her Italian side to a league runner-up finish, Round of 16 Women’s Champion League run and Women’s Super Cup victory.
Hendrix competed in 23 Brescia games, bagging two goals with two assists in her back line role.
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Hendrix enjoyed a decorated college career as a four-year starter for the University of Southern Mississippi, netting seven goals during her time there while serving as the Golden Eagles’ minutes leader in 2014, her senior season.
Following her time at Southern Miss, Hendrix signed with Women’s Premier Soccer’s Atlanta Silverbacks in 2016 and won a Southeast Division title. Well-traveled, Hendrix also spent time with the Glasgow Rangers of the Scottish Women’s Premier League, Swiss Nationalliga A club FC Staad and Iceland’s Úrvalsdeild Kvenna side Fylkir FC.
Lots of experience, knows how to be a pro, great team-oriented attitude. Sounds familiar! Welcome to Louisville, Brooke!
Racing adds director of player experience and operations
If you’ve never heard of that role before, that’s because it’s a brand new one that Brynn Sebring is filling for Racing Louisville in its inaugural season. Sebring worked in several front-office roles with Seattle Reign the past several years, and developed a passion for making sure the players were well looked after. Her newly created role at Racing will include handling day-to-day logistics and assembling a support staff that makes it easy for the players to focus on soccer. She also wants to do everything in her power to maximize players’ earning potential during their careers, including connecting players to social media and branding experts.
‘This is what I think players deserve. This is what I’m passionate about.’ It went from there. Racing Louisville has been so intentional about that and really crafted this position with the idea that they want to serve their players better than any other team in the world.”
Brynn Sebring, Jan. 6, 2021 Louisville Courier-Journal by Jonathan Saxon
Making Racing Louisville something unique is going to have to be a great selling point for the club. This is a crafty move by Christy Holly and James O’Connor, as the market for players in the women’s game becomes evermore competitive. I’m excited to see what Brynn does and hope she’s wildly successful. Welcome to Louisville, Brynn!
