It hadn’t quite sunk in yet Thursday afternoon, a day after Riley Thompson had signed her letter of intent to play soccer at the University of Florida.

Thompson, a Collinsville native who was a member of West Lauderdale’s first state championship team in girls soccer as a seventh grader, had been committed to Florida since last December and finally made it official Wednesday when she signed with the Gators. Playing soccer at the Division I level has been a dream of Thompson’s for a long time, and she said Thursday it felt good to finally make it official.

“I don’t think it’s set in all the way yet, but I’m super grateful,” Thompson said.

A desire to develop her soccer game to an elite level led Thompson to enroll at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, as an eighth-grader, meaning she would be away from family and hometown friends for much of the next five years. It was a major sacrifice, but Thompson’s No. 1 goal is to one day play for the U.S. Women’s National Team, which requires major sacrifices, and earning a scholarship to Florida is a big step toward that goal.

“I credit IMG a lot,” Thompson said. “They’ve definitely put me in front of the right people and put us in good leagues and had us play against good teams, and they have great resources to make us the best athletes we can be.”

Her father, Brent Thompson, said he was hoping she would choose an SEC school.

“We got our wish,” Brent Thompson said. “She earned it, and we’re ready to go on to the next level. I can’t thank IMG enough and all the people who have supported us from Meridian this whole time. The support group has been great.”

Brent Thompson said he and his wife, Dr. Sandra Webb-Thompson, have traveled to Sarasota just about every other weekend for the last five years during the months Riley Thompson was on campus at IMG. It’s been tough for both of them not having their daughter home for much of the last five years, but Brent Thompson said it’s paid off.

“She’s been gone since the eighth grade, so it’s been a great journey, and like any journey there have been ups and downs,” Brent Thompson said. “IMG is a great school, the best boarding school in the world for athletics, and she was fortunate enough to get a scholarship there because we couldn’t have done that on our own.”

Having the support of her parents makes a big difference, Riley Thompson said.

“I’m just thankful for my family for putting me in position to succeed, and all my hard work has paid off,” Riley Thompson said. “I’m also thankful for the coaches who have helped me get to this stage, and it didn’t come without hard work.”

Seeing that dedication in his daughter is one of the most rewarding parts of the journey, Brent Thompson said. 

“She’s gotten six state championships — three in Mississippi, two in Alabama, one in Florida — she’s led the nation two years in a row in goals scored and she went to the quarterfinals of the national championship (with IMG),” Brent Thompson said. “This was all before COVID. She’s proven herself, and it’s been fantastic for her mother and I.”

Following the conclusion of her fall season, in which her team went 9-1, Riley Thompson said she’s looking forward to the spring season, where she hopes to finally win a national championship to cap off her senior year.