Draft:Clay Holstad
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| Submission declined on 15 January 2025 by Bobby Cohn (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of people). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia. The content of this submission includes material that does not meet Wikipedia's minimum standard for inline citations. Please cite your sources using footnotes. For instructions on how to do this, please see Referencing for beginners. Thank you. Declined by Bobby Cohn 34 days ago. | |
Comment: See Help:Referencing for beginners. Bobby Cohn (talk) 15:55, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Clay Holstad | ||
| Date of birth | January 12, 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Rhode Island FC | ||
| Number | 12 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 201X–201X | Birmingham United | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2022 | Kentucky Wildcats[1] | 85 | (5) |
| 2019 | Dalton Red Wolves SC | 10 | (2) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023 | Columbus Crew 2 | 26 | (1) |
| 2024-present | Rhode Island FC | 33 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 23, 2024 | |||
Clay Holstad (born January 12, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Rhode Island FC in the USL Championship. Known for his athleticism, versatility, and defensive prowess, Holstad has been recognized for his contributions both in college and as a professional.[2]
Early life and college career
[edit]Clay Holstad was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Holstad began his soccer career with Birmingham United[3] and later at Oak Mountain High School.[4]
Holstad played 5 years as a midfielder at the University of Kentucky. While at Kentucky, Holstad appeared in 85 matches and scored 5 goals. Kentucky teams he played on were ranked as high as number 3 in the nation,[5] and his team was the number 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in his senior year.[6]
While still a student, Holstad played a summer season for the amateur USL League Two Dalton Red Wolves SC.[7] Holstad played in 10 games, scoring two goals, in Dalton's inaugural season.[8]
In 2022, Holstad was named to the NCAA All-Southeast Region Second Team[9] and was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Tournament.[10] He graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering.
Professional career
[edit]Columbus Crew 2
[edit]Holstad was selected in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by the Columbus Crew.[11] He began his professional career with Columbus Crew 2 in MLS NEXT Pro, signing his first contract on March 23, 2023.[12]
In his first professional season, Holstad made 26 appearances, starting 19 matches, and recorded one goal and one assist over 1,761 minutes of play.[13] Holstad played 84 minutes as the emergency goalkeeper for the Crew 2 against Philadelphia Union II on July 25, 2023. Never having played goaltender, he recorded 5 saves, in a 6-2 loss.[14][15]
Rhode Island FC
[edit]On January 12, 2024, Holstad signed with Rhode Island FC to compete in the USL Championship. In the press release announcing the transaction, RIFC's Head Coach, Khano Smith, highlighted Holstad's athleticism, speed, and adaptability as reasons for the signing.[16]
Holstad played in RIFC's inaugural game on March 16, 2024, and nearly scored two goals in his first USL match.[17] He was named to the USL Championship Team of the week for this game.[18]
Holstad played in 33 of 34 regular season matches, starting 31 of them, contributing 2,761 minutes of play. He scored four regular season goals, and also scored in the team's U.S. Open Cup game against Charlotte Independence.[19] Over the course of the season, Holstad developed a league reputation as scoring "bangers."[20] Two of his four league goals were nominated for the USL Championship "Goal of the Week."[21][22]
The team recognized Holstad as one of their 2024 most valuable players. At the end of the regular season, RIFC named him as "Midfielder of the Year."[23] He also won a team-sponsored contest for "goal of the year."[24] RIFC's recognized supporters' group, Rhode Island Defiance 1636, named Holstad "Player of the Year."
On December 2, 2024, Rhode Island FC exercised Holstad's option, and he is expected to play for the team in the 2025 season.[25]
Personal life
[edit]Holstad shares a deep connection with fellow Alabama native and professional soccer player JJ Williams. The two first met during their youth soccer days in Birmingham, where Holstad's family often hosted Williams during tournaments and training camps.[26]
References
[edit]- ^ https://ukathletics.com/sports/msoc/roster/player/clay-holstad/
- ^ "Midfielder joins club for 2024 USL Championship season". Rhode Island FC. January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Clay Holstad - Men's Soccer Roster". University of Kentucky Athletics. 2022.
- ^ "Technique and Intensity: Oak Mountain Player and Coach Head to All-Star Soccer Matchup". Over the Mountain Journal. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ Ahmad, Mohammad. "No. 3 Kentucky men's soccer continues historic season with shutout of Evansville". Kentucky Kernel. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ "'We have so many players.' Top-seeded UK soccer flexes offensive muscle in NCAA opener". Kentucky.com. November 27, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ SC, Dalton Red Wolves (2019-05-06). "2019 Player Announcements". Chattanooga Red Wolves SC. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ "Dalton Red Wolves SC - 2019 Regular Season - Statistics". www.uslleaguetwo.com. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ "2022 Sun Belt Men's Soccer Awards and All-Conference Teams Announced". sunbeltsports.org. 2022-11-04. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ "Kentucky Wins Sun Belt Tournament Title, Defeats James Madison 2-0". sunbeltsports.org. 2022-11-13. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ Johnson, Bailey. "Columbus Crew select two players in first round, three total in 2023 MLS SuperDraft". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ ColumbusCrew.com. "Columbus Crew 2 signs Midfielder Clay Holstad | Columbus Crew". ColumbusCrew.com. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ mlsnextpro. "Clay Holstad | MLSsoccer.com". mlsnextpro. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ "Match report: Columbus Crew 2 2-6 Philadelphia Union II". The Philly Soccer Page. 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ Union, Philadelphia. "Recap | Union II sweep defending MLS Next Pro champions | Union II". Philadelphia Union. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ "Rhode Island FC Adds Midfielder Clay Holstad". Rhode Island FC. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
- ^ Rousseau, Jacob. "RIFC coach Khano Smith looks back at recent road trip, and ahead to return home Saturday". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
- ^ Staff, USLChampionship com (2024-03-19). "USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 2". USL Championship. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
- ^ "Clay Holstad 2024 Match Logs". FBref.com. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
- ^ USL Championship [@USLChampionship] (June 23, 2024). "In case you needed a reminder, Clay Holstad scores BANGERS" (Tweet). Retrieved February 18, 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ Staff, USLChampionship com (2024-06-24). "USL Championship Goal of the Week – Week 16". USL Championship. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
- ^ Staff, USLChampionship com (2024-08-05). "USL Championship Goal of the Week – Week 22". USL Championship. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
- ^ "Rhode Island FC Announces End-of-Season Player Awards". Rhode Island FC. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
- ^ Rhode Island FC [@RhodeIslandFC] (December 20, 2024). "Bangers only. Voted by the fans, this rocket by Clay Holstad is your 2024 Ortho_RI Goal of the Year!" (Tweet). Retrieved February 18, 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Rhode Island FC Announces Roster Updates Ahead of 2025 Season". Rhode Island FC. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
- ^ "JJ Williams discusses his relationship with Clay Holstad". YouTube. Raising Anchor Podcast. 2024.