Meet Our Alumni
AYSO alumni grow up and become teachers, doctors, truck drivers, lawyers, artists, plumbers and…professional soccer players!
For AYSO registration, some of AYSO's most famous professional soccer playing alumni want to help tell parents and kids that AYSO is the right place for every child to sign-up to learn and play soccer! Join with Landon Donovan, Julie Foudy, Carlos Bocanegra, Shannon Boxx (who will be playing in this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany) and Eric Wynalda to welcome our newest players to AYSO -- and remind our returning players – that Great Soccer Starts Here!
Landon Donovan
America's Brightest Goal Scorer
Landon Donovan, an AYSO alum, started playing soccer at age 2 in Ontario, Calif., after his older brother, Josh, introduced him to the sport.
“Josh would take me out to the backyard and kick the ball around with me,” said Donovan, who joined an AYSO team at age 5 and kept playing AYSO until age 14. “The beauty of AYSO was that you had kids from all walks of life who just wanted to be active and run around and play soccer,” U.S. Men’s leading goal scorer Landon Donovan said. “I started playing club soccer at the age of 10 but I wanted to continue playing AYSO because I enjoyed the camaraderie and the ability to just play for the love of the game.”
Donovan turned pro at 16 years old, when he signed with German club Bayer Leverkusen. He’s come a long way in the past 12 years, becoming the most recognizable American soccer player. The 2010 Player of the Year currently plays for the U.S. National team and Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Los Angeles Galaxy.
A three-time World Cup veteran, Donovan is the all-time leader in both scoring and assisting goals for the national team; he also became the fourth-youngest player to reach 100 appearances for his country. He scored three goals in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, including the goal in the 1-0 defeat of Algeria, propelling the U.S. to the second round of the games. He scored two goals in the 2009 Confederations Cup, scoring against soccer power houses Italy in the group round and Brazil in the final. In his first World Cup, Donovan scored in the 2-0 Quarterfinal win over Mexico in 2002. Donovan has also represented the U.S. at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where the U.S. finished fourth.
Donovan has scored 103 goals in his 10-year MLS career. In 2010, Donovan helped the Galaxy win the Supporters Shield (given to the team with the best record in the regular season) and became the all-time leading goal scorer for the team. Before the start of the 2010 MLS season, Donovan went to English Premier League (EPL) team, Everton, for a short loan. During that time, Donovan played in 13 games, scoring two goals and was named the January Player of the Month. In 2009, Donovan won the MLS’ MVP and Goal of the Year award. He led the team to the MLS Cup Finals, where the team lost in penalties to Real Salt Lake. Donovan has won three MLS Cup championships—one with the Galaxy (2005) and two with the San Jose Earthquakes (2001, 2003).
Julie Foudy
Hall of Famer Started Her Career in AYSO
When Julie Foudy won two World Cups and two Olympics medals, she wore the number 11—the same number that she wore when she started playing AYSO at age 7 while living in Mission Viejo, Calif.
"I begged my mom to sign me up for soccer and joined a team called the Strikers," said Foudy. "When it came to pass out the shirts, I knew what I wanted. I was this feisty little 7-year-old who thought I was the best, so I should have the No. 1. They told me the goalie has to take that number, so I went with the double No. 1. That's how I became No. 11 for the rest of my life. Thanks to the Strikers."
Foudy has many fond memories of her AYSO experience that led to one of the most illustrious careers in women's sports history. She believes that being allowed to enjoy the game and explore it on her own terms was the key to her success.
"AYSO emphasizes all the positives of soccer: the enjoyment that kids get from the sport, understanding how to play on a team and be a good teammate, and developing skills in a fun environment. I watched my nieces and nephews go through AYSO and I look forward to watching my own kids enjoy soccer through AYSO!"
Foudy retired in 2004 after captaining the U.S. Women's National Team 13 of the 18 years she played on it. She played in three Olympics and four World Cups. And, only two players in the world, former teammates Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly top Foudy's 271 U.S. National Team appearances.
Foudy's U.S. National Team soccer career is a storied one. She's won two World Cups (in 1991 and 1999), two Gold Medals (in 1996 and 2004) and a Silver Medal (in 2000). In her 271 appearances for the U.S. National Team, Foudy scored 45 goals. Foudy played pro soccer with the San Diego Spirit of the now defunct WUSA, where she captained all three years. Foudy was inducted to the AYSO Hall of Fame in 2006 and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007.
Foudy's had a profound impact off the field as well. She was the President of the Women's Sports Foundation from 2000-2002, served on the Women's Sports Foundation Board of Directors for seven years and was a WSF advocacy consultant for two years, with a focus on Title IX, childhood obesity, and athletes' rights issues. Foudy currently sits on the board of Athletes for Hope (AFH), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization created by successful athletes who have a deep commitment to charitable and community causes. Foudy is the global spokeswoman for Global Girl Media, a new non-profit helping young women around the world find their voice through journalism. She is also an ambassador for Beyond Sport, a global organization that promotes, develops and funds the use of sport to create positive social change across the world. Foudy has been instrumental in a number of women's rights and child labor issues around the world. FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, awarded her the FIFA Fair Play Award for her work against child labor in the stitching of soccer balls. She was the first woman and first American to receive the award.
She is currently an analyst for ABC/ESPN and the NBC Olympics, director of her Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academies, a motivational speaker, and proud mother of two children, Isabel and Declan.
Shannon Boxx
Midfielder to Lead U.S. in Women's World Cup
Shannon Boxx, who has won both an Olympic Gold Medal and NCAA Division 1 College Cup for Notre Dame, started playing AYSO when she was four-years-old in Torrance, Calif.
"I remember the oranges and halftime, parents lining up on the sideline to make a tunnel after the game and Prince's 'Purple Rain' blasting on the boom box," Boxx remembers of her AYSO days. "I learned that real ball skills were more important than tricks to win the ball in AYSO. I also learned that it was ok to get knocked around and fall down while playing soccer. You just got to get back up again!"
Boxx will be playing in the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany this summer. As of January 2011, Boxx has played for the U.S. Women's National Team 136 times, scoring 21 goals. Boxx played every minute of all five U.S. games during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, and helped the women reach the semifinals in the 2007 World Cup. Missing most of the 2006 season due to injury, Boxx was named a finalist for the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year, coming in third. Boxx won a Gold Medal in the 2004 Olympics. Boxx made her first appearance with the U.S. Women's National team after being named to the 2003 World Cup squad. Boxx became the first American woman to score three goals in her first three games with the national team. She started all five World Cup games, and was voted player of the game against Canada by the FIFA Technical Study Group.
The midfielder was allocated to the Los Angeles Sol in the inaugural Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) season in 2009, where she also captained the team, scoring three goals and three assists. After the Sol dispersed, Boxx was selected by St. Louis Athletica. Prior to joining the WPS, Boxx played in the now defunct WUSA for San Diego Spirit and New York Power. During her time in the league, Boxx scored six goals and 15 assists. Boxx also helped the University of Notre Dame win their first NCAA Women's Soccer Championship her freshman year in 1995.
Carlos Bocanegra
U.S. Captain Had Mom As First Coach
U.S. Men's National Team captain, Carlos Bocanegra, played AYSO while growing up in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. His first team was coached by his mom and named the California Kickers.
The two-time World Cup veteran has been the captain of the U.S. National team since 2007, and most recently lead the team to its first ever group win in World Cup history in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He's had 85 appearances for the team, scoring 12 goals and plays can play both at center back and left back. In 2009, Bocanegra captained the team that defeated No. 1 ranked Spain in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Bocanegra has won the CONCACAF Gold Cup twice with the National team (2002, 2007). He played his first game with the senior National team on Dec. 9, 2001, against South Korea.
Currently playing in France, Bocanegra plays for Ligue 1 club Saint-Etienne in France, scoring his first goal on Dec. 15, 2010. Prior to the 2010 season, Bocanegra played fellow French team, Stade Rennais. In his first season with the team, he played in all 38 league matches, scoring his first goal on March 8, 2009. He also scored at the Coupe de France final. Bocanegra started his European career in the English Premier League (EPL), playing for Fulham FC. During the 2006-07 season, Bocanegra was the team's second leading scorer, with five goals. Before making the leap overseas, Bocanegra played for the Chicago Fire from 2000-03. During his time with the Fire, Bocanegra won an U.S. Open Cup (2000), MLS Rookie of the Year (2000), MLS Defender of the Year (2002, 2003) and MLS Cup runner-up (2000, 2003).
Eric Wynalda
A Soccer Career Of Firsts
Eric Wynalda's AYSO team was called the Westlake Wolves. Coached by his dad, Wynalda won a AYSO state championship. The future U.S. National team goal scorer started showing what he was capable of doing when he scored more goals (56) than the entire division his team played in.
Wynalda's soccer career is filled with a number of firsts—the first American-born player to play for a top level German club (Saarbrucken), first American-born player to receive the prestigious award in an overseas league (Bundesliga's Best New Comer of the Year Award), first American-born player to receive an MVP league award (1994-94) and the first player to score in Major League Soccer.
The impact that Wynalda has made on U.S. soccer is undeniable.
Wynalda is the second-leading goal scorer for the U.S. National Team with 34 goals in 106 appearances. He played in three World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998), scoring in the 1994 World Cup off a corner kick in the U.S. tie to Switzerland. Wynalda was named the Honda Player of the Decade for 90s, CONCACAF All-Decade Team of the 90s, U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year (1996) and elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004.
In his tenure in MLS, Wynalda played for four separate MLS teams, the San Jose Clash, the Miami Fusion, the England Revolution and the Chicago Fire. On April 6, 1996, Wynalda scored the first goal in league history when the Clash beat D.C. United. The Clash traded Wynalda to the Fusion in 1999, and a year latter Wynalda ended up in New England. Wynalda ended his MLS career in Chicago. Wynalda had 34 MLS goals, plus two playoff goals. Prior to joining MLS, Wynalda played in Europe for German Bundesliga club, Saarbrucken, where he scored eight goals in the first half of his first season with the team. That year was named, Bundesliga New Comer of the Year. The following year, the forward scored 14 goals and 25 assists and was named league MVP.
Wynalda is currently the president of international operations at the Mexican third division club, Murcielagos. After retiring, Wynalda turned to a broadcasting career working for ESPN. He was the in-studio analyst for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as well as MLS and U.S. National team games. In 2009, Wynalda joined Fox Soccer Channel as the co-host of the weekly discussion show, Fox Football Fone-in. While at Fox, Wynalda has worked as a commentator for some of the channel's MLS broadcasts.
In June and July 2010, Wynalda covered the World Cup for Yahoo! Sports as a video blog analyst.
