Normally, athletes must be professionals before their sport takes them around the world. Noelle Bratcher is making memories that will last a lifetime before she even enrolls in high school.
The Centertown eighth grader, who currently stars for the WCMS Lady Pioneers, made a journey to Iceland in July to play in the 2023 ReyCup. Bratcher, 13, went with her King’s Hammer Murfreesboro G10 Premier Team, a top travel squad in the Southeast.
Playing in an event that had nearly 100 teams and 1,500 players from all over the world, King’s Hammer finished seventh in a 16-team division in Bratcher’s age group. She played right fullback as a primary position during her stay in Iceland, which featured six games over the span of July 26-30.
The fiery fullback wasn’t afraid to mix it up in Iceland, especially when she and her teammates realized whistles weren’t going to be blowing much on the pitch.
“It was a big adjustment for all the girls on the team due to the high level of aggressiveness being played by the foreign teams and the lack of refereeing that we’re accustomed to in the states,” said Noelle’s mom, Cheryl Bratcher as she accompanied her daughter on the trek. “After the first couple of games, our players became acclimated to the European style. The girls went to the tournament as soccer players and came home as futbolers.”
The ReyCup is played in Reykjavik, Iceland and has been bringing teams from all over the globe since 2002. Played in the heart of the city, it first began as a tournament for all Icelandic teams before growing into one of the best preseason tournament in Europe.
Teams with kids ages 13-16 came from Denmark, Germany, Malawi, the United Kingdom and the United States to compete, but before they got on the pitch, there was an opening ceremony held to introduce the squads. Much like the Olympics, each team was represented by their country flag and flew their team flag as well while meeting and greeting with other squads.
Noelle has stayed in contact with some of her foes from Iceland, using various social media accounts to talk to her new friends from across the pond. All of kids shared the same interest that made for an easy bond: everybody was a lover of the game, one Noelle picked up when she was 3 and has been in love with ever since.
While games took up the majority of everybody’s time in Iceland, the Bratchers were still able to see some sights on the trip. It was the perfect mix of business on the pitch and pleasure on a quasi-vacation.
“We enjoyed the Blue Lagoon, which is a geothermal seawater spa that is considered one of the 25 wonders of the world, whale watching from the harbour of Reykjavik, touring the Golden Circle, which included the beautiful Gullfoss Waterfall and going on a Fly Over Iceland tour,” said Cheryl. “While in Iceland, the girls were also able to take in a professional women’s soccer game at the home of the FH Verslun Soccer Club.”
It was a trip of a lifetime for Noelle, one that took nearly a year of fundraising after coach Serkan Orsan brought it to the parents of his team last fall. Orsan, or “Coach Turkish,” to his players due to his country of origin, pitched the idea and the group ran with it, leaving the kids with a wonderful story to tell when they got back to their school teams.
Bratcher hasn’t slowed down since getting home in August. She’s been on the pitch plenty, including lately while helping the WCMS soccer team compete in the Central Tennessee Conference.
She’s had no trouble settling back into the American style of soccer, but Bratcher can always know she got to play futbol with some of the best in the world too.
