soccer
Stokes Goes Pro ThisPassaic Valley sophomore just signed with the New York Red Bulls WRITTEN BY JANE HAVSY
Aidan Stokes has wanted to play professional soccer since hefirst touched aball when he was about 2years old . His father , Nick Stokes , promised his young son aprize if he beat his previous record juggling the soccer ball around their Totowa home .
Aidan is living out that dream far earlier than expected . Inmid-April , he signed aMLS NEXT Pro contract with the Red Bulls for the 2023 season . Nick and Christine Stokes actually handled the paperwork since Aidan is only 15 . But Aidan signed copies for the cameras .
He is expected to join the Red Bulls first team asaHomegrown next spring through the 2027 Major League Soccer season , with aclub option for 2028 . Aidan will be the youngest Homegrown goalkeeper in Red Bulls ’ history .
The Homegrown Player Rule allows MLS teams to sign local players from their own development academies directly to MLS first team rosters .
“ I felt ready . Ifelt prepared ,” Aidan says in aphone interview .“ Just walking in the building every day and training knowing I ’ m apro , and I ’ ve accomplished one of my many dreams , itfeels surreal . Istarted to train with the pros even before Isigned the contract , so I ’ ve been with the same group of guys for awhile … Iwant to make my ( pro ) debut and continue to go up through the ranks .”
QUICK PATH TO PROFESSIONAL SOCCER
Aidan played striker at TSF Academy in Lincoln Park , but had always been training as agoalkeeper with his father , who had been asemiprofessional goalie in Wales before emigrating to the United States in 1999 . Nick Stokes says Aidan “ is better at
HOMEGROWN ADVANTAGE Totowa ’ s Aidan Stokes is expected to join the Red Bulls as aHomegrown player , and advance in the MLS .
COURTESY OF NEW YORK RED BULLS
10 BACK TOSCHOOL 2023 WAYNE MAGAZINE