The Mak Whitham signing: what is and is not worth criticizing

On July 26, NJ/NY Gotham FC announced the signing of Mak Whitham via the under-18 entry mechanism. This system allows each NWSL team to sign up to four players under the age of 18 and allows them to bypass the draft to do so. This rule came about in November of 2022 after both Olivia Moultrie and Jaedyn Shaw received special dispensation to sign in the league with Portland Thorns FC and San Diego Wave FC respectively, despite being younger than the minimum age requirement of 18.

Notable signings under this mechanism include Casey Phair and Gisele Thompson for Angel City FC, Claire Hutton and Alex Pfeiffer for the Kansas City Current, and Chloe Ricketts for the Washington Spirit. So if these signings are commonplace in NWSL, why the uproar with Gotham FC's signing of Whitham? While these players are obviously younger than usual when it comes to American sports, Whitham is even younger than them. Whitham signed her first professional contract a day before her 14th birthday, making her the youngest signing in league history by nearly one and a half years.

This has raised plenty of comments, questions, and concerns from NWSL fans about whether this is actually smart or the best thing for her as a player and person. As many people know, this league is not far removed from a league-wide abuse scandal that was the catalyst for institutional change in the league and across multiple teams in this league. And while the NWSL has come a long way in the time since, there are still ugly situations that still arise like what was recently seen in San Diego.

All of these factors have led many to believe this could not just be too much too soon for someone her age, but that there are legitimate concerns for her safety given recent events in this league. But there are still plenty of questions still to be answered. Are all of these concerns completely valid? Has the league potentially made enough progress to where people should not be as concerned? And what about Gotham, who in their previous history as Sky Blue FC were rife with controversy and off-the-field issues? Has the club progressed enough as an organization to warrant less criticism and more trust?

Why concerns are valid

The NWSL is still a very young league and has previously and will continue to go through growing pains and have moments it needs to learn from. With the u18 signing mechanism, it is something the league is continuing to learn about and improve upon as time goes on. While having teenagers play professionally is very much the norm in men's and women's leagues around the world, every situation is unique.

Just because it works one way somewhere else does not mean it will work that way here. Seemingly everything has worked out well so far involving these player signings. That is great for the future u18 signings in this league, but it does not guarantee anything. Especially for Whitham as this is Gotham's first foray down this path. While the team and head coach Juan Carlos Amorós have shown that they are willing to dole out as many minutes to as many of their players as they can, there's no guarantee that they will get everything right on their first try with a u18 player.

There is also the obvious concern regarding this league's history of player safety off the field. The NWSL has taken steps forward to try and leave the past behind them and ensure that those situations do not rear their ugly head again. Changes in the front office, team ownership, and lifetime bans for those who perpetrated the abuse were 100% necessary to move forward.

That however doesn't guarantee everything will be all unicorns and rainbows moving forward. As seen with San Diego, there will forever be bad actors who find their way into this league. It is then up to league and team leaders to make sure that these people are dealt with swiftly and strongly.

As known, this does not always happen, so worrying about the long-term safety of a 14-year-old in a league with a history of player abuse scandals, albeit under a different regime, is a more than valid feeling to have.

There are then on-the-field questions. Just because someone is the best in their age group at 14 does not guarantee future success at senior levels. There have been failed wonderkids in every sport in the past and it's not unfair to question whether this is too much too soon for a player her age. As mentioned before, this is Gotham's first u18 signing in team history. There is a history of the Bats developing young players in recent memory. Delanie Sheehan and Jenna Nighswonger are two such examples, but those players are 8-10 years older than Whitham. They did their development in college or with other teams.

Gotham FC helped them reach their full potential and did not have to help them grow from square one. There has to be a first time for everything and unfortunately for Whitham, she's the guinea pig for Gotham's development program. While they do have plenty of time to make a few mistakes given her age and the amount of time they have to make her a real contributor for this team, they can't make too many of them. Otherwise, it will not only put Whitham's career on the back foot but could make other potential u18 signings wary of joining the club in the future.

Check out why concerns are not valid on the next page.