Iola, Kansas goalkeeper’s long journey to play pro soccer in Sweden

When he was young, Royce Smith made a commitment to himself: The kid from small-town Iola, Kansas, decided that he would play soccer at the highest level he possibly could.

It didn’t matter that he is undersized for a goalkeeper or that he and his mom would have to drive hours to Overland Park and Lawrence just to play in youth soccer leagues that didn’t exist in Iola.

And it certainly doesn’t bother Smith that he has had to play years in semi-professional and lower-level professional teams to earn an opportunity.

“I kind of agreed to myself at a young age, like, ‘Hey, we’re going to do this at the highest level we possibly can do it,’” Smith said. “Whether it is amateur, semi-pro, professional, world-class level. Whatever it is, I’m just going to keep doing that.”

Smith, 20, is currently the starting goalkeeper for the north Swedish club IFK Umeå, which plays in Division 4, or the sixth tier of the Swedish football system. In his club’s current 12-game unbeaten streak, Smith secured eight shutouts.

He said he’s hitting his stride as a goalkeeper, three years after he first got his start in pro soccer at 17 while completing his high school degree online.

Smith played five months with Canadian club Serbian White Eagles FC as a reserve. Then came three months with Belize club Altitude FC and a chance to play for IFK Umeå in March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic altered his chances to play overseas.

“I’ve had a lot of doubts since the start of COVID with the travel ban,” Smith said. “It’s not so bad now, but it was for a while.”

Unable to return to Sweden, Smith returned home. He was cut from third-tier American soccer squad Michigan Stars FC and went to Belfast to play in a Northern Ireland semi-professional league.

In Belfast, his spirits dropped: “nasty” heckling from fans affected his morale, he said.

“I didn’t really have anywhere to go for a moment there,” Smith said. “It was quite frustrating to see my international friends go out and find new professional deals.

“And then, to also see some of my American friends who were a little bit older than me that played with me and see them say, ‘Yeah, well I’m going to throw in the towel — I’m 25, I want to move on with my life because it’s too difficult for me.’ I was wondering if I was going to maybe end up in that crowd.”

The Iola product dealt with his doubts by pouring himself into his training, both physically and mentally. Smith said he spoke daily with a sports psychologist from Finland who offered to continue to work with him after he left the team.

Those conversations helped him get out of a “dark place” that came from career uncertainty, Smith said. When he was able to return to Sweden this season, his morale was back.

“Honestly, it’s probably one of the best feelings I’ve had in terms of football-related feelings,” Smith said. “It’s just kind of like a very big, warm community welcoming me back again.”

Smith isn’t sure where his love of the game of soccer comes from, how a kid from small-town Iola ended up dedicating his career to playing the sport overseas. When he first played soccer at the age of 5, he said he really enjoyed playing defense and doing the dirty work.

But despite his early love for the game, Smith only played recreationally until 14. There were no youth leagues in Iola.

“Maybe it was just like — you want what you can’t have,” Smith said. “And for me, it was like, ‘Hey, I waited so long to play soccer at a competitive level.’ It was always recreational, and it was always just for fun. Then the moment I had other people pushing me, I really enjoyed it a lot.”

There is one thing Smith is sure of however: He will play for as long as his body lets him.

“I want to keep going for as long as I can,” Smith said. “Until the wheels fall off.”