CHICAGO (June 18, 2026) — In its 41 st year celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Felicity Nguyen of Santa Margarita Catholic High School is the 2025-26 Gatorade California Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community. The award recognizes Nguyen as California’s best high school girls soccer player, and she joins an elite legacy that spans professional athletes and coaches to CEOs, such as Mallory Swanson (2014-15, Mountain Vista High School, Colorado), Riley Jackson (2021-22, Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, Georgia) and Addison Halpern (2024-25, Rutgers Preparatory School, New Jersey).
The 5-foot-3 junior forward led the Eagles to a 19-2-5 record and the Southern Section Open tournament championship this past season. Nguyen scored 29 goals and passed for eight assists, scoring twice in the Eagles’ 3-0 win over Mater Dei High School in the sectional final. Ranked as the nation’s No. 14 recruit in her class by PrepSoccer.com, she was the Orange County Register and Open Division Player of the Year.
Nguyen is member of her school’s BuddiesBeyondBoundaries Club, part of a youth-led nonprofit and advocacy initiative dedicated to creating inclusive communities, friendships and opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome and other neurodivergent brain function. She has also volunteered locally at a food bank and as a youth soccer coach. In addition, she’s donated her time to multiple community service initiatives through her church. “What makes Felicity special is her ability to create something dangerous on her own,” said Sebastian Alvarado, head coach of Oaks Christian High School. “She is technically very good, confident on the ball and has the ability to change a game with one moment of quality.”
Nguyen has maintained a weighted 3.84 GPA in the classroom. She has made a verbal commitment to play soccer on scholarship at Texas A&M University beginning in the fall of 2027.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade, Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY and X (Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.
