Chadwick alumna Christen Press ’07 has retired from professional soccer, leaving behind a decorated legacy that embodies the core values.
After playing professionally for fourteen years, Press announced her retirement at the end of the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League season.
“I feel a mix of everything,” Press told Good Morning America on Oct. 15. “There’s relief, there’s joy, there’s excitement, there’s fear, there’s so much grief. I have so much grief, a part of me, a piece of me, I’m losing her.”
On Oct. 19, Press’s current club, Angel City Football Club (ACFC), held a ceremony to honor her during her last hometown game. Press was the first player ACFC signed in 2021 and has since helped grow the club—and women’s soccer—in LA.
While she was at Chadwick, Press was a starter on the girls’ soccer team all four years and captain for her last two. She scored a total of 128 goals throughout her career and holds the school record for goals scored in a single year with 38 in her junior year.
Press’ accolades include four-time Prep League Offensive MVP, two-time Southern Section Division IV Offensive Player of the Year, NSCAA High School All-American 2006, and Parade Magazine All-American that same year.
She also led the team to two Southern Section Division IV titles. Additionally, she holds the track and field record for the 200-meter dash and was the final leg for the record-holding 4×100-meter relay.
Press was recruited by Stanford University, where she continued her record-breaking career.
Among the many records she still holds for the Cardinals are most career goals with 71 and most career points with 183. In her senior year, she was awarded the Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in college soccer.
Press’s professional career started in Sweden with Tyresö FF, where she scored 23 goals and became the first American to win the Golden Boot in 2013.
She returned to the US in 2014 to join the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars. Press was traded to Houston, went back to play in Sweden, returned to the US to play for Utah, signed with Manchester United, and then eventually came back to her home to play for ACFC.
Press has also made her mark internationally. She joined the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) in 2012 as an alternate.
In 2015 and 2019, she was a key player in helping the USWNT win back-to-back World Cup titles, and in 2021, she helped the US win the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. She has the most international goals in USWNT history with 64, making her one of the top scorers internationally.
Off the field, Press is outspoken about athlete advocacy and the growth of women’s sports. She’s fought for better conditions for all players and helped negotiate collective bargaining agreements.
Her brand RE-INC, co-founded with her wife and former teammate Tobin Heath, aims to reinvent the status quo by creating products that champion equity, creativity, and self-expression.
Post-retirement, she hopes to invest more time to help grow RE-INC with Heath.
“It’s hard to find the words to say goodbye to a sport that has defined my life for over three decades,” Press reflects.
“Football has given me everything, and I will miss being on the pitch so very much. Thank you to my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and community for this beautiful ride. I promise we will continue to reimagine sports in this next life!”
