{{Short description|American soccer referee (born 1996)}} {{Redirect|Alyssa Nichols|the actress and DJ|Indigo (actress)}} {{Infobox football official | name = Alyssa Pennington | image = NC Courage vs Portland Thorns (Apr 2026) 21 (Pennington).jpg | caption = Pennington in 2026 | fullname = | birth_name = Alyssa Pennington | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|01|15}} | birth_place = Jackson, Mississippi, United States | years1 = | league1 = NWSL | role1 = Referee | years2 = | league2 = USL Championship | role2 = Referee | years3 = | league3 = MLS | role3 = Referee }} '''Alyssa Pennington''' (born January 15, 1996) is an American soccer referee.
==Early life== Pennington was born on January 15, 1996, in Jackson, Mississippi, to Pearl and Andrew Pennington.<ref name="darkhorse">{{Cite web|url=https://darkhorsepressnow.com/jackson-native-makes-history-becoming-first-fifa-referee-in-mississippi-read-alyssa-nichols-story/|title=Jackson Native Makes History Becoming First FIFA Referee In Mississippi: Read Alyssa Nichols Story|work=Dark Horse Press|first=Morgan|last=Howard|date=January 10, 2023|access-date=January 14, 2024}}</ref> She attended Murrah High School in Jackson, where she was a member of the school soccer team.<ref name="guardian">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/18/alyssa-nichols-fifa-referee-mississippi-jackson-state|title=Alyssa Nichols: the trailblazing US referee chasing her World Cup 'dream'|work=The Guardian|first=Adria R|last=Walker|date=August 18, 2023|access-date=January 14, 2024}}</ref> Pennington went on to earn her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Jackson State University, joining the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and graduating magna cum laude.<ref name=guardian/>
==Refereeing== Pennington started refereeing at the age of 17.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.supertalk.fm/alyssa-nichols-to-represent-mississippi-as-the-states-first-fifa-referee/|title=Alyssa Nichols to represent Mississippi as the state's first FIFA referee|publisher=supertalk.fm|first=Caleb|last=Salers|date=January 31, 2023|access-date=January 14, 2024}}</ref> She became the first woman from Mississippi to receive a national referee license from the United States Soccer Federation when she was 23 years old.<ref name="guardian" /> In January 2023, Pennington became the youngest Black woman, as well as the first woman from Mississippi, to earn a FIFA referee badge.<ref name="guardian" /><ref name="Andscape">{{Cite web|url=https://andscape.com/features/fifa-referee-alyssa-nichols-is-aiming-for-the-world-cup/|title=Alyssa Nichols is aiming for the World Cup|work=Andscape|first=Tamerra|last=Griffin|date=March 3, 2023|access-date=January 14, 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Pennington has lived in Tampa, Florida, United States.<ref name=Andscape/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{Sports links}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pennington, Alyssa}} Category:Living people Category:1996 births Category:American soccer referees Category:Women's association football referees Category:Jackson State University alumni Category:Sportspeople from Jackson, Mississippi Category:National Women's Soccer League referees