GREEN RIVER — Isa and Tommy Vasco have spent most of their lives with a soccer ball at their feet. This spring, their years of dedication and hard work earned them a national spotlight: both were named to the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Teams, representing different age groups.
Isa, a junior at Green River High School, made the Under-17 girls’ team and is preparing to travel to Milan, Italy, later this month for the Italia Pro Cup. Her younger brother Tommy, an eighth-grader who will be a freshman this fall, made the Under-15 boys’ team and recently returned from a tournament in Costa Rica where Team USA won all three of its matches.
Tommy is believed to be the first boy from Wyoming to ever make the U.S. ODP National Team. Isa joins a small but growing list of girls from the state to achieve the honor, with previous selections coming from Casper and Laramie.
“For me, it was very surprising that they both made the national team,” their father, Joe Vasco, said. “It’s a feeling of how proud I am of them to get there.”
The Olympic Development Program is a national talent identification system used by U.S. Soccer to build its youth national team pools. Each state runs its own program, with top players advancing to regional squads. From there, the best of the best are chosen to represent the country. Across all four U.S. regions, only 18 players per team are selected at each age level.
Isa has been involved in ODP for five years, while Tommy has participated for three. Both previously earned spots on their regional teams before breaking through to the national level this year.
“They were super excited,” Joe said. “They are living the dream and doing what they were inspired to do.”
For Tommy, the dream recently took him to Central America. In Costa Rica, the U.S. U15 team played and won against three different opponents. Tommy started four of the six halves played across the three matches, with every player on the team starting at least one half.
Isa’s next step is international as well. She will depart for Italy on April 12 and spend 10 days competing in one of Europe’s premier youth tournaments.
The siblings train with their club and ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) teams, similar to other youth players in Sweetwater County, Joe said. But the edge, he believes, comes from their mindset and long-term commitment.
“They’ve played soccer since they could walk, really,” Joe said. “They’ve worked very hard over the years to get to the top.”
Soccer runs deep in the Vasco family. Joe’s father played professionally in Spain, Joe himself played in college, and now he’s a coach. He first started coaching Isa when she was just 3 years old, after she was waitlisted for indoor soccer due to a shortage of volunteer coaches. Joe now serves as head coach for Wyoming’s ODP 2010 boys’ team and assistant coach for the 2008 girls’ team.
Managing a household with two national-level soccer players—and a third younger child—is a challenge, but Joe said the family makes it work.
“It’s difficult, with both of them traveling and playing,” he said. “Thankfully, their teams usually go to tournaments and towns at the same time.”
The community has rallied behind the Vasco siblings, and Joe said local support has meant a lot. Several of Tommy’s friends reached out before his trip to Costa Rica, cheering him on as he left to represent the U.S.
Looking ahead, both Isa and Tommy have their sights set on college soccer, and potentially more. Isa has already received some full-ride offers according to Joe. Tommy, who is just starting high school, is eager to follow in her footsteps.
“They’re always aspiring to play at the next level,” Joe said. “They would both love to keep going and represent the country again.”
