10 Things to Know About Rising FilAm Soccer Stars Alyssa and Gisele Thompson
Photos Courtesy of @alyssthomp and @giselethomp Instagram
Get ready to be amazed by the unstoppable force of Alyssa and Gisele Thompson, the dynamic sister duo from Studio City, California, who are transforming the world of soccer. These remarkable millennials have left an indelible mark on the sport, not only locally and nationally, but on the international stage as well. Alyssa, the forward and 18-year-old trailblazer, made history when she debuted for the United States Women's National Team in October 2022. Not only that, she shattered barriers as the first high schooler ever drafted into the National Women's Soccer League, becoming the top pick for Angel City FC in the 2023 draft. And she's not alone in her extraordinary journey—her 17-year-old sister, Gisele, an impressive defender, is also making waves as a member of the United States Women's National Soccer Team Under 17. Prepare to be captivated as we delve deeper into the extraordinary stories of these two rising stars.
They are part Filipino! They are mixed with Filipino, Peruvian, Black and Italian. They are the daughters of Mario and Karen Thompson, San Fernando Valley natives. Mario went to Bishop Alemany High in Mission Hills and Karen went to Bell-Jeff in Burbank.
The sisters are just 13 months apart in age. They do almost everything together, and they even share a bedroom. In many interviews, Alyssa has shared that she and Gisele started playing soccer together and they fell in love with the sport at the same time. Together they “work everyday to get better. We push each other a lot. I feel having her with me makes work easier because you have a partner to do it with”.
They come from an athletic and competitive family. Their dad, Mario, played basketball, football, and ran track in high school and college. Their mom, Karen, also played basketball in her youth. These former athletes enrolled their daughters in sports to keep them busy. The Thompson sisters played basketball, volleyball, soccer, track, and gymnastics.
Soccer was their sport of choice because they knew they weren’t going to be tall. Alyssa is petite, standing at 5’3” and Gisele stands just above her at 5’4”.
In 2020, they were the first girls to play for the Total Futbol Academy, a boys’ club in the Major League Soccer’s academy system, MLS Next.
They may be small, but they are quick and strong! In an interview with Sports Illustrated, their former teammate, Brody Quinzon said, “I can’t remember the last time Alyssa or Gisele let anyone beat them at anything. They’re on top of everyone. They throw in a tackle [even if] they’re 6 feet tall—they just stuff ’em, lock ’em down.” In 2022, Alyssa was the 6th fastest in the 100m sprint in California.
They are the first two high school athletes to sign a multiyear Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) contract with Nike in May 2022. Because they live in California, they are able to profit off their NIL while in high school because the state and high school associations allow student-athletes to do so. Neither of them will be able to sport Harvard-Westlake gear in their NIL sponsored endeavors.
They come from a family that values academics. Their dad is an educator and works as a principal of an elementary school. Both Alyssa and Gisele verbally committed to Stanford Women’s Soccer. Though, Alyssa is decommitting from Stanford to turn pro while in high school. Even though Alyssa signed a three-year fully guaranteed deal with Angel City, she still plans to pursue a degree. They know they can’t play soccer forever! Between academics and sports, there’s no time to focus on anything else. They don’t have a TV in the whole house.
They were raised by their parents to always be a good person. Giving back to the community is important to them and they have been involved with No Kid Hungry.
They have a little sister, Zoe. Both Alyssa and Gisele are not only role models for Zoe, but for little girls and women of color around the world. In an interview with CNN, Alyssa shared that, “Being able to be a woman of color just as a role model for little girls is such an amazing thing…Being able to look up to someone that looks like them is such a cool thing to have.”
So what’s next for these two? You’ll just have to follow them along their journey. In an interview with SoccerBible, Gisele shares that, “I don’t think there’s a limit for us, but we want to be the best and play on the full women’s national team, hopefully together, and win all of these trophies, you know: Olympics, and World Cup, but doing it together, not just by ourselves, because I think it would just be a better experience and a better feeling to do it together.” How amazing would it be to play and win together in their hometown of Los Angeles, the host of the 2028 Olympic games? It’s quite a ways from now so we are just going to have to stay tuned and cheer them on!
Written by Jennifer Redondo
Co-Founder and Co-Author of In Her Purpose
The Filipino accent, particularly in the context of modern Tagalog and its influence from various linguistic sources, is a fascinating blend of native phonetic structures, colonial influences, and regional variances.
Read More