By OkayGoal 
Development is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle for athletes. The star players we love have spent years honing their skills from childhood AYSO games, to club soccer, to high school teams, to collegiate records, to the pros, and finally, the coveted US Women’s National Team (USWNT). Let’s take a look at what club teams these five USWNT stars played for.
Emily Fox
Image via ashburnmagazine.comDefender Emily Fox spent her days of development at FC Virginia, now known as The St. James Soccer. FC Virginia was part of the ENCL (Elite Club National League). In a profile for Arsenal, Fox discussed the U.S. trajectory for professional soccer:
“For us, the pathway was to find a local club team during your childhood and then, when you were about 12 or 13, if you wanted to reach the next level, you really had to be on an Elite Clubs National League side. Those were the bigger teams in the area and that helped you get exposure.”
Naomi Girma
Naomi Girma has a long history of youth development, from Maleda Soccer Club in San Jose, Calif., to Central Valley Crossfire, De Anza Force, and CA Thorns Academy before making the collegiate move to Stanford.
Emily Sonnett
Image via @georgiasoccerGeorgia Native Emily Sonnett and her sister played for the North Atlanta Soccer Association (NASA), a club focused on high-level player development, before moving on to the University of Virginia (and her sister, Emma, for the University of Georgia).
Emily Sams
Sams, who recently replaced Jordyn Bugg on the USWNT roster for the SheBelieves Cup, played club soccer for the Gulf Coast Texans (now, Pensacola FC), which has a “commitment to fostering talent and promoting the beautiful game.” Sams also had a storied high school career at Navarre High School with an incredible 107 goals.
The Thompson Sisters (Gisele and Alyssa)
Angeleno native Gisele Thompson, along with her sister, Alyssa Thompson, both started playing for Total Futbol Academy in Los Angeles at a young age, and played alongside the girls and boys’ teams (they were the first girls to play for the MLS boys’ team).
“They are part of a new generation of women’s soccer, one which is benefiting from the work of past U.S. Women’s National Teams, which has helped the women’s game grow around the world,” according to USA Soccer.
Club teams have been wonderful pathways for professional athletes to hone their skills and learn important techniques and team-building practices. These USWNT stars each come with a long and impressive history of playing soccer, and these clubs likely played a critical role in their development into becoming some of our favorite players to watch.