LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) - There are few players who impact a club the way new Racing Louisville FC striker Bethany Balcer impacted her old one: Seattle Reign FC.
"It's one thing to leave a club," Balcer said. "It's another to leave a club in two days that you have been investing in for six years."
Over the span of what Reign's all-time leading scorer estimated to be 10 days, she went from knowing of Racing's initial interest in trading for her, to thinking she was staying in Seattle, to finding out she was moving. On Aug. 19, the deal was official: Reign had acquired former Racing captain Jaelin Howell and $50,000 in allocation money in exchange for Balcer.
"It seemed like there was a plan in place for this to happen," she explained. "But then, there kind of came this deadline that came and went as well. And when that was over, I think I thought I was going to be staying with the Reign just because I don't know how negotiations typically work.
"It just seemed like the time had passed, and so I kind of reoriented myself back to the Reign, and was invested in staying there. Then, I got a call five days later saying that it went through and that I had to get on a plane."
May 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Reign FC forward Bethany Balcer (8) celebrates after scoring a goal against San Diego Wave FC during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports
That was not the ending a player who has played more games for Seattle than anyone else envisioned. Her story was one that inspired, as the Spring Arbor University alumna rose from being the first NAIA player to earn an NWSL contract to a star scorer for one of the league's contending clubs.
"I think that was really hard for me, just trying to say goodbye to a city that I'd been so invested in and a part of," Balcer said. "But that's pro sports for you."
The striker said this has been an adjustment after being used to one place ever since 2019, when she was the NWSL Rookie of the Year. This trade came before the league's new collective bargaining agreement became official. That CBA includes player consent being required before a trade can go through.
"I was open to opportunities," Balcer said. "Obviously, the timing of this was just less than ideal. It's so hard to make a trade midseason. The offseason is just easier. It just feels more clean cut.
"And so I think obviously, if I had a choice, my preference would have been to have waited. But I think the whole choice thing is huge now for players going into next season. Player consent is huge and it's not common in many leagues. To have that just gives us security because I know every day, some players have no idea if they're staying. I think just having that autonomy is huge.
"And I think in this situation, I thought I had that autonomy. And I think at the end of the day, I didn't and that's the nature of the sport. And I think that's something that players before me have had to deal with for so long, and it's about to change, which is a good thing."
Jul 31, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Seattle Reign FC forward Bethany Balcer (8) kicks the ball against Portland Thorns FC during the first half at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
It only gets more intriguing when she welcomes the only professional club she ever knew to the one she now represents. Seattle visits Lynn Family Stadium on Saturday night for a 7:30 p.m. match.
"I truly have no idea what emotions I'll be feeling, and I feel like it'll be really like dichotomous in nature of just my past and now my future," Balcer said. "This is where I am now and this is the team I'm riding out the rest of the season for making the playoff push."
That is something she knows very well. With six playoff games under her belt, the 27-year-old's ambitions to want more and chase a championship fit in Louisville as Racing tries to hang on to the NWSL's last playoff spot.
First-year Louisville head coach Bev Yanez and second-year general manager Ryan Dell have a vision for Racing. The pair pitched that to Balcer, along with how she would be used on the pitch as a pressing goal-scorer, to help make this what their new star called an overall seamless transition.
"It's something that comes really naturally to me, and so I think integrating myself into training was easier because of that," Balcer explained. "I knew what was expected of me. I feel like Bev leaves no questions to be asked, and so it's just really clear what they're doing here and how they're trying to implement that."
The last time Balcer and Yanez shared a pitch together, they were both playing. Yanez was a veteran and Balcer was just a rookie back in 2019.
"I was super interested how that would work out because I've obviously only known Bev as my teammate and my friend," Balcer said. "Bev was everything you could want as a rookie, someone who was instilling confidence in a young player. She was obviously a veteran and just so kind, warm and welcoming. And I think that's what gave me a lot of confidence in my rookie year. Playing in front of her on the front line, I just loved every moment of it. She's such a good human inside and out.
"Coming here now, Bev is really intense and I really like it. She knows what she wants out of her team and she knows how to get it. It's just been really cool, honestly, to see her in a coaching environment because yeah, I've only known her as a teammate and friend. She just implements herself very well and I think it's easy to learn from her and to want to play for her."
It showed in Balcer's debut against Chicago. Racing rolled past the Red Stars in a 3-1 victory that featured her first assist in a Louisville kit.Â
"As an athlete, you just switch on and you know what is required of you," Balcer said. "I'm still doing what I love. I'm just doing it for a different team.
And so, I think the mindset is still the same. When I got subbed off, just walking past the fans, they were so supportive and so welcoming. Just feeling that is really important. I think it'll help carry me through the rest of the season."
The kindness is not just limited to the pitch. As she settles in her new home, the Michigan native has already enjoyed meeting the people that make up Kentucky's largest city.
"I think that people are nicer," Balcer said with a laugh. "I'm from the Midwest. I don't know if this is the Midwest or South, I know that's like up for debate. But it does make me feel like I'm in the Midwest again. I'm in a city, but it just feels small townish. It feels like it's more communal than where I was.Â
"One day, I just kind of drove around and found all the little pockets of town that are around here. I enjoy it, it is like a slower pace of life. I feel like it's not obviously as big of a city as Seattle. So, just adjusting to that has been nice."
A slower pace may allow her some more time to still focus on folks who have nothing to do with soccer. Back in Seattle, Balcer has clients she serves virtually now as a therapist for an internship to help complete a master's degree. She is an active advocate for mental health and wants to explore opportunities in Louisville to continue her work too.
"I'm in a very low socioeconomic status population right now," Balcer said. "A lot of them are unhoused and don't have jobs. It is a different side of life than a lot of people see or recognize, and a lot of practical needs trying to be met with them. But it is just a wide variety of age, race, gender and things like that."
She meets with them weekly and tries to help them work through various problems within their respective lives. Since the striker started this in January, there has been a noticeable difference.
"It's honestly been really fulfilling just to see the growth that they've had and the changes they've been able to make and implement," Balcer said. "It's really fulfilling for me to see that, and I hope obviously for them, it's good too."
Change can be a good thing. After all, Balcer went from starring for a club that was within one win of an NWSL Championship in 2023 to now trying to build a four-year-old franchise into a contender.
"They're doing so many things right here," Balcer said. "I mean, the way that we're treated as athletes and women in sports, and the facilities, everything here is really top notch. It has the capacity to be a really great club in the future and have the history that Reign has had.
"I was obviously on a team that had that history. Now, I'm trying to make that history."
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