Alyssa Pennington (born January 15, 1996) is an American soccer referee.
Pennington was born on January 15, 1996, in Jackson, Mississippi, to Pearl and Andrew Pennington. [1] She attended Murrah High School in Jackson, where she was a member of the school soccer team. [2] 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. [2]
Pennington started refereeing at the age of 17. [3] 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. [2] In January 2023, Pennington became the youngest Black woman, as well as the first woman from Mississippi, to earn a FIFA referee badge. [2] [4]
Pennington has lived in Tampa, Florida, United States. [4]