Press release
Alyssa Thompson And Bryce Boneau Named 2020-21 Gatorade® National Soccer Players Of The Year
CHICAGO, June 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 36th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Alyssa Thompson of
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[{"type":"text","content":"CHICAGO, June 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 36th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Alyssa Thompson of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, Calif. and Bryce Boneau of Keller High School (Keller, Texas) are the 2020-21 Gatorade National Soccer Players of the Year. Thompson and Boneau won the prestigious award for their accomplishments on and off the field, joining an impressive group of former winners. Past Gatorade National Girls Soccer Players of the Year have combined for 17 gold medals and nine National Championships, while past Gatorade National Boys Soccer Players of the Year have combined for 11 National Championships and 13 MLS first round draft picks. \nA significant feat, Thompson is the second-ever sophomore to receive the national honor for girls soccer. In overall program history across all sports, she is only the eighth sophomore to win a Gatorade National Player of the Year award.\nThompson and Boneau were surprised by their family, coaches and teammates at their respective schools. Mallory Pugh, Chicago Red Stars and USWNT forward, and Christian Pulisic, Chelsea FC and USMNT midfielder, also virtually surprised and congratulated the newly crowned winners on their incredible accomplishments. Check out videos of the announcements: Thompson and Boneau.\nThe award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Thompson and Boneau as the nation's best high school soccer players. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select our winners from nearly a million other student-athletes who play soccer nationwide. \nCompetition for both the girls and boys national award was fierce. Thompson topped the list of state winners in girls soccer who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including five returning state Gatorade Players of the Year, 28 with a GPA of 4.0 and above and 34 with signed Letters of Intent or verbal commitments to play soccer at Division I schools/universities. Boneau surpassed the competition among state winners, which includes 22 with signed Letters of Intent to play soccer at Division I colleges/universities, 36 who volunteered at two or mor...