Local high school senior rocks the NWSL
She was set to go to Stanford after finishing up her senior year at Harvard Westlake, but as a first-round draft pick, Alyssa Thompson decided to go pro for the Angel City Football Club, and her rise in soccer is inspiring. Eighteen-year-old Alyssa Thompson is juggling a lot. Alyssa Thompson, could this be the moment? Go pass the goalkeeper and punch it in the back of the bag! A local soccer phenom drafted as the first-ever number one pick right out of high school, turning pro for Angel City Football Club in the National Woman's Soccer League. Angel City FC select, Alyssa Thompson. I've had a lot of pinching moments. I feel like that one, it was so surreal because I'm saying in a leg, I get to be around my family and friends, and that was the biggest part for me. She's finishing up her senior year at Harvard Westlake while preparing for the season, but she's been working for this moment her whole life, at thirteen, playing with college players in Santa Clarita, then playing as the only girl in the National Boys Soccer Academy, perfecting her passes and performance on the pitch.
The conversation doesn't need to be a boys or girls thing, it's just to be how good you are as a player. That is just another level play from the youngster. It's clear this multiracial player who's half Peruvian and part Filipino and Black isn't afraid to pave her own way or to practice passing with this soccer mom. Go easy on me! I know growing up there weren't a lot of Filipino or Peruvian, not even a lot of Black women playing, being able to be one of the younger generations and little girls can be like, oh I want to be like her. I'm happy that it can be an inspiration to little girls. And her team at Angel City is nurturing Alyssa's ability to inspire. She's coming, she's made an impact right away.
You see her day to day growing in confidence, off-field confidence. She wants to learn so much potential there, her ceiling is so high and she's already exciting. So for her to come in with the attitude and the mentality that she has, like she's just going to continue to grow. Angel City is so much more than a soccer club, they are just amazing in what they stand for and I'm so happy and glad to be a part of it. Part of the newest team in the National Women's Soccer League, founded just last year by women and owned by women. The team pushes for sports equality, inclusion and works to give back to LA communities. We are the present, the future and the past.
So much bigger than what is on the field, ultimately our goal on the field is to be successful and to win games and to win championships. But off the field it's how can we continue to grow the game and leave it better than what we left it. And finding and developing homegrown talent like Alyssa is already a W. Welcome to NWSL. Volamos, let's fly, we fly, that is Angel City's motto. Of course they're angels, that's why they have wings. And that's what the team is all about, celebrating and embracing diversity.
They're certainly showing it on and off the field. And that's what's amazing about this team and obviously we've been talking about that. There's a lot of hype around this team because it was founded and owned by Natalie Portman and there's so much buy-in in terms of helping women really succeed in the sport. Let us start power.
angel city football club, sports, california, los angeles, soccer