Sisters First HS Athletes Signed by Nike to NIL Deals

Soccer-playing sisters Alyssa and Gisele Thompson from Studio City Harvard-Westlake in California have become the first high school athletes to be signed by Nike for name, image and likeness representation.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Evan Sroka, managing partner of Everest Talent Management, is representing the sisters along with A&V Sports. He said Nike had signed them with a “multiyear” commitment involving monetary compensation. The announcement was made Monday night at a dinner in Los Angeles.

Gisele, a sophomore, started for the U.S. national team that won the U-17 CONCACAF championship in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in May. Alyssa, a junior, started for the U-20 team that won the CONCACAF gold medal in March in Santo Domingo. Alyssa also won the Division 3 100 meters on Saturday at the Southern Section track and field championships.

The Thompsons traveled to Nike’s headquarters in Oregon several weeks ago for a video to start their representation. Under the California Interscholastic Federation's NIL rules, they are not allowed to appear in Harvard-Westlake uniforms or gear. Both are committed to Stanford and have worked with Stanford officials to maintain their NCAA eligibility, Sroka said.

A third sister, 10-year-old Zoe, is also a top soccer player, according to the Times.