The Dallas Texans alone could probably field an all-star club team across age groups that could compete against some of the best players in other regions.

But the strength of the Texas region isn’t built on one club alone, rather a legion of standouts: here are a few in particular:

Abby Smith is one of the first players who comes to mind when thinking of female talent in this region. Coaches around her have stated that she could very well be the future goalkeeper for the U.S. National team and watching her play it’s easy to see why. Smith has all the physical tools you can’t teach and she’s plugged in and serious about the game in a way that seems to imply big things for her.

A 2012 player of the Dallas Texans, Smith always organizes her team well – and that includes national team squads where she’s provided leadership alongside other big names like Whitney Church, Abby Dahlkemper, Courtney Proctor, Cate Parchinski and Morgan Andrews.

A teammate on some of those U.S. U17 teams was Taylor Smith, a player we have ranked in the top echelon of the Texas 2012 class as well. Taylor plays for the Solar FC where she provides quite a bit of offensive firepower. She offers great speed, size as well as agility and shoots with good accuracy.

In the U17s, speedster Chioma Ubogagu is always an exciting player to witness. Ubogagu has been in and out of U.S. national camps this year as she establishes her reputation as a dangerous player. Quiet and unassuming off the field, Ubogagu can be dominant on it. She has a deadly left foot and has to be located on the field at all times or she can hurt you. Ubogagu has a laundry list of college pursuers and is a player many people are keeping an eye on - for good reason.

A fellow stellar U17 is Solar SC winger Dixie Kurrus, a fast and technical worker who is tenacious on defense and loves to get the ball forward.

Speaking of forwards, U18 Dallas Sting striker Danielle Nottingham is one of the best. Small but precise, the Missouri-bound standout earns her respect through both her performance and approach.

“She’s probably one of the hardest working players I’ve ever coached,” said longtime coach Kenneth Medina. “She wants it, and what makes her stand apart is she just knows how to evaluate an opposing team and make the right play. She makes great runs and just plays with great pace and timing. I really think she’s only going to get better and the college game will make her elevate her play even more.”

Nottingham is a versatile player who can also perform anywhere in the midfield on a talented squad that includes Players To Watch Emily Reid and Samantha Howell.

Not quite as acclaimed maybe as some of her peers but a player who shouldn’t be ignored nonetheless, is Amanda Burgardt, an eye-opener playing for Polaris.

What she lacks in skill she makes up for with her speed. She can get in behind any defense and put herself in places to finish. She’s worth keeping an eye on.

Other Texas Girls Stars

U18
Mary (Addie) Eggleston, Challenge SC

U17
Taylor Narvaiz, West Texas United

U16
Kelsey Shimmick, Dallas Texans

U15
Maddy Crabtree