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At 13, like every other thirteen year old, she was playing against other thirteen year olds. Now 15 year old Ryley Bugay, diligent and confident, starts in midfield for FC Indiana women’s team. Early this year, like many top athletes her age, Bugay faced a conflict that’s confounded some of the best athletes in North America: what sport do I play?

Gone are the days of Lionel Conacher’s three-sport dominance. The demands placed upon athletes at the highest level make it impossible for to know they can cope and continue to grow,” says FC Indiana coach Shek Borkowski. “Occasionally they get bloody noses, but that’s the only way to learn the physical side and most important they get genuine criticism from older players and be under more realistic pressure than in youth soccer. Top young players must elevate their play and that doesn’t and can’t happen against players their own age.”

Bugay - a star in three sports – needed to make the choice between soccer, softball and basketball. Her heart and her family’s passions are firmly entrenched in soccer. Her two brothers and a sister are also soccer players. Her dad – a former rugby player – and the entire Bugay family breathe soccer.

Back in 2009, Bugay became the youngest player to train with FC Indiana. Every day she watched and kicked the ball with many national team players playing for FC Indiana. So she defended against Laura Del Rio (SPA), Lisa-Marie Woods (NOR) and against Kelly Parker (CAN). Shetook on Marie Eve-Nault (CAN) and Mizuho Sakaguchi (JPN). Those experiences increased Bugay’s ambition and realization of what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

Even more important during that time, she’s learned what it takes physically and mentally to succeed against players who are 10-15 years older than her. She learned how to make up for differences in athleticism and physical development with anticipation and quick mind. Since then, she has gone from a wide-eyed practice player to one of the team’s key players.

Bugay has always been one of the top soccer players within her age group, but after three years with FC Indiana, she has become a dependable midfielder in a league full of D1 college players.

“You know, Ryley is not like other youth players who prefer to stay in their comfort zone,” Bugay’s technical coach Chris Castro says. “I’ve always told my kids: ‘I don’t care what you choose to do, but you need to do it one hundred percent and challenge yourself at the highest level possible. She gets that at FC Indiana and now she can demonstrate her drive and ability. Just watch her compete against D1 college players. She can right now, as a high school freshman, play for most college teams.”

Bugay, Borkowski says, has the intangibles required for success, “her composure and confidence are increasing with each game but her decision making what separates her even from some college players she plays against. She doesn’t give the ball away.” “What can I control?” asks rhetorically Bugay. “My attitude and my effort. I am always told to be strong on the ball, accurate in my passing and aggressive when defending. That’s all I focus on.”

At such a critical moment in Bugay’s career, the Bugay family established a remarkable level of trust with the FC Indiana coaching staff – enough to send their daughter out into the world. “We were straightforward with Ryley and her family – we told her, ‘We are going to bring you onto the team at 15, and we’re not guaranteeing you any playing time. What we promise you is that you will get every opportunity to train and to earn your playing time, and if you’re not working you’re butt off, we’re going to be the first to let you know,” said Borkowski.

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