18-Month-Old Soccer Ace Gets Pro Contract

An 18-month-old Dutch toddler has won a pro contract after a video of him expertly kicking soccer balls into his toy box scored almost a million hits on YouTube. Baerke van der Meij was offered the symbolic contract by Venlose Voetbal Vereniging, the team his grandfather once played for, the Telegraph reports. The toddler, with a little help from his pop, put crayon to paper to seal the deal.

"The toddler's favorite position has not yet been determined," the club said in a statement. "However, we can speak of a right-footed player with a very good kicking technique, perseverance and, importantly: football genes via his grandfather." Little Baerke's only comment was "ball." (More Netherlands stories.)