Vasco Siblings Achieve Historic US ODP National Team Selection for Wyoming

Isa and Tommy Vasco, two young soccer players from Green River, Wyoming, have made history as the first siblings from the state to be selected for the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Teams, SweetwaterNOW reports.

Their achievement marks a significant milestone for Wyoming soccer, with Tommy also believed to be the first boy from the state to earn a spot on the national squad.

Isa, a junior at Green River High School, was named to the Under-17 girls’ team and is preparing to travel to Milan, Italy, this month to compete in the Italia Pro Cup. Meanwhile, Tommy, an eighth-grader soon to enter high school, secured a place on the Under-15 boys’ team and recently returned from Costa Rica, where his squad won all three of its matches.

“For me, it was very surprising that they both made the national team,” said their father, Joe Vasco. “It’s a feeling of how proud I am of them to get there.”

The ODP is a national talent identification system that helps US Soccer build its youth national team pools. Players first compete at the state level, then advance to regional teams before the final selection for the national squad. Across all four US regions, only 18 players per team are chosen for each age group.

Isa has been involved with ODP for five years, while Tommy has participated for three. This year, both siblings took the next step by earning national team spots.

“They were super excited,” Joe said. “They are living the dream and doing what they were inspired to do.”

For Tommy, that dream became reality in Costa Rica, where he started in four of the six halves played across three matches. Isa is about to embark on her own international journey, departing for Italy on April 12 for one of Europe’s premier youth tournaments.

Soccer runs deep in the Vasco family. Joe’s father played professionally in Spain, and Joe himself played in college before becoming a coach. He first started coaching Isa at age three when she was placed on a waitlist for indoor soccer due to a shortage of volunteer coaches. Today, Joe is the head coach for Wyoming’s ODP 2010 boys’ team and an assistant coach for the 2008 girls’ team.

“They’ve played soccer since they could walk, really,” Joe said. “They’ve worked very hard over the years to get to the top.”

Balancing a household with two national-level athletes—along with a younger sibling—can be challenging, but Joe said the family finds ways to make it work. The community has also been a source of encouragement, with friends and supporters rallying behind the siblings.

Looking ahead, both Isa and Tommy have aspirations to play at the collegiate level and beyond. Isa has already received full-ride scholarship offers, while Tommy is just beginning his high school journey with similar ambitions.

“They’re always aspiring to play at the next level,” Joe said. “They would both love to keep going and represent the country again.”