Huntington Beach native Jenna Nighswonger will take to the soccer field with the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) at the 2024 Paris Olympics in a game against Zambia. As she reaches this incredible milestone that many dream of but few achieve, Soccer iQ Institute co-founder Trey Brocksen Scharlin will eagerly watch every moment of action on the field.
Trey has over 25 years of coaching experience at various levels, including coaching Jenna since she was just seven years old. After working with her for so many years and watching her evolve into an elite soccer player, Trey takes great pride in the results of their combined efforts. Jenna said his coaching prowess has been a key to her incredible success.
“I have an equally strong passion for playing and coaching soccer. It’s incredibly satisfying to help players develop their skills and mature as athletes and individuals,” says Trey. “However, when an athlete I’ve worked with makes it to soccer’s highest levels, it’s truly a special feeling. I’m honored and thrilled to watch Jenna play in this year’s Olympics, and I’ll be cheering every step of the way!”
Through the Deft Touch Method, now adopted by Soccer iQ Institute, Trey has also trained other World Cup and Olympic athletes, such as Lakewood native Kevin Venegas, who plays for Detroit City FC, and Los Alamitos-raised Jonathan Bornstein, who played on the U.S. National Team for four years and in the 2010 World Cup.
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Launched in 2023 in Los Alamitos, Soccer iQ Institute reimagines traditional schooling for 6–12th graders by combining rigorous, structured education with elite indoor soccer training daily. The school was launched to help its student-athletes attain the highest levels of academic achievement while fully supporting their athletic career aspirations—an often difficult balance for parents and students in a typical school environment. Soccer iQ is one of the few schools in the world that offer such a unique format.
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With Olympic soccer kicking off on July 24, Soccer iQ Institute is also holding its second summer event on July 29 geared towards young athletes who aspire to play at the highest levels. Aptly named “Goals, Gains, and Grit,” this unique program focuses on enhancing soccer players’ mental toughness through confidence building, ego management, coping with defeat, and more.
Jenna Nighswonger’s soccer career includes playing for Florida State University, where she scored 19 goals and holds the second-place record of 34 career assists. In addition, she was named ACC Tournament MVP, honored by the United Soccer Coaches and College Soccer News as a First Team All-American, and recognized as a top female soccer player by being one of three finalists for the MAC Hermann Award.
Jenna, 23, currently plays as a defender for NJ/NY Gotham FC, part of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), and was the 4th pick overall from the 2023 draft. In 2023, she won six NWSL awards, the most of any rookie that year, which included earning the prestigious title of 2023 NWSL Rookie of the Year.
Additionally, she played more regular season minutes than any other rookie, tied for the most league rookie goal contributions. She had 35 tackles, the most on Gotham FC.
Jenna started playing with the USWNT in December 2023 and has scored twice in six games. Find more information about Soccer iQ Institute here- https://www.socceriqinstitute.com/