Morgan Proffitt has been to Europe twice to play in soccer tournaments, but when she goes back across the pond next month, she plans to stay a little longer.
The 23-year-old Proffitt has signed to play for Slavia Praha, a Champions League team based in Prague, Czech Republic.
“It’s not like a two-week trip,” Proffitt said. “It will be a few months. I’m excited to see what the culture is all about and play soccer.”
The 2013 Columbus North and 2017 Marquette graduate has spent the past year-and-a-half in the National Women’s Soccer League. She was drafted 12th by the Chicago Red Stars and played the first half of last season with them before being picked up by the Washington Spirit.
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Proffitt played with the Spirit the second half of last season and the first half of this season, but saw action for only 10 minutes of one game until making her first start two weeks ago. She played 90 minutes in that game, then started and played 65 minutes in the next, but by that time, she was thinking of a career move.
“I had already kind of made up my mind,” Proffitt said. “When I got those starts, it was kind of bad timing.”
The NWSL was cut from 10 teams to nine when the Boston franchise folded after last season. The Boston players were dispersed among the nine remaining teams, and a national team defensive midfielder — the same position as Proffitt — went to Washington.
The Spirit also drafted a national team defensive midfielder, and those two newcomers were playing in front of Proffitt.
“It was competitive to start with, but after that, it became 10 times harder to get playing time,” Proffitt said. “Ultimately, at the end of the day, I want to be on the field and playing.”
So Proffitt’s agent had her to put together highlight video and send it out to several teams. Slavia Praha came back with a lot of enthusiasm, she said. Proffitt asked for and was granted her release last week by the Spirit.
Proffitt went to Holland her freshman year of high school to play with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) region team. Two years ago, she helped the U.S. U-23 women’s national team win the Nordic Cup in England.
Slavia Praha’s season starts Sunday, but Proffitt is back in Columbus, where she will be part of former North teammate and classmate Michelle Amlung’s wedding on July 14. Proffitt leaves for Prague the next day.
“I think excitement overpowers my nerves,” Proffitt said. “But once I get on the plane, it’s all going to be a lot of changes and take an adjustment, but ultimately, I think I’ll grow from it as a person and a player.”
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Name: Morgan Proffitt
Age: 23
High school: Columbus North
College: Marquette
Professional career: Chicago Red Stars (2017), Washington Spirit (2017-18), Slavia Praha (2018-)
Height: 5-foot-10
Position: Defensive midfielder
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