After starting the year on academy contracts, two of North Carolina FC’s academy products have signed professional deals, marking another milestone in the club’s focus on youth development. 

Last week, 15-year-old goalkeeper Nicholas Holliday put pen to paper on a professional deal and this week, 18-year-old Cole Frame followed suit. Both players have been excellent for NCFC since signing academy deals prior to the season. 

When Holliday made his debut on June 20, he became the youngest goalkeeper to start a match in USL League One or the USL Championship. Holliday faced a League One record 36 shots in that game, making 10 saves, the third-most in a single match in USL League One history — and on Sept. 2, he signed his first professional contract. 

“With Nicholas, his maturity is well beyond his years,” said NCFC head coach John Bradford. “It has a lot to do with mom, dad and how he’s been brought up. But he approaches it the right way. … It’s a long term process. And I think he looks at that the correct way. To come into training, just try to get better to try to learn from all the pros around him and guys that can influence him. It’s a long term, multi-step process for him.”

On the other end of the field, Frame has proven to be an exciting and dangerous attacking player. Scoring three goals in 827 minutes, Frame came in and made a tangible impact in the team’s attack. Frame’s three goals put him just one off the pace of the team’s leading scorer, Robby Kristo.

“Cole is a very talented player that has grown up in our club,” said President and GM Curt Johnson in a press release. “He has seized the opportunity of playing in the professional environment, scored goals, committed himself to improving daily, and earned this contract. In addition to Nick Holliday’s signing, this is another tangible example of investment in our ambitious young players. We are thrilled for Cole and can’t wait to see him grow as a person and player.”

Both Holliday and Frame rose through the ranks of NCFC’s, or previously CASL’s, youth ranks. Joining at the age of 12, Holliday started to play for the U-13s before progressing through the age groups, eventually playing for the U-23s in USL League Two against college players before making his way to the first team this season.

“Every environment we’ve put him in, he’s recognized that he’s not going to solve every problem right away,” Bradford said. “But there’s a sincere desire to learn, to improve, to get better. Match that with a lot of talent and we’ve seen a lot of potential with him throughout. Super exciting for him and for our club and for us. And for me specifically, just having had conversations with Nick and his parents over the years. Exciting moment to get to where we are today.”

Frame has been involved in the youth system since he was 7 and with over a decade of experience with the club, signing a pro deal is a special moment for him.

“I am thankful and excited to sign my first professional contract with North Carolina FC,” said Frame in a press release. “For as long as I can remember my goal and dream has been to play professional soccer. I am grateful for the many coaches and teammates that have contributed to my development, along with the support I continue to receive from North Carolina FC… I am excited to see what we can accomplish now and in the future. It’s certainly a special moment that I will always cherish, but not for too long, as there is more work to be done!”

The pair’s jump from the academy right to the professional level is another major milestone in NCFC’s focus on youth development and a tangible example of that pathway for others in the academy.

“NCFC Youth, prior to that CASL, has many decades of history developing really good players, many of which, thousands, going on to play at the college level, some going on to play at the pro level as well, and some of them playing for North Carolina FC, and prior to that the RailHawks,” said Johnson on Sept. 3. “This is the next level up from that. … It is certainly the dawn of a new age, I would say, but it’s going to be exciting to see additional players signed over the coming weeks and months.”

In addition to their pro deals, the club said in both announcements that it has made a financial investment in both players’ future education. 

While the majority of the 15 players NCFC signed to academy deals at the start of the year are headed to play in college, Frame and Holliday provide an example of the other choice that NCFC provides to young players.