Thompson brothers find success at IU

Freshman soccer players Tommy and Tanner Thompson aren’t twins, but the tight-knit brothers are an integral part of this year’s squad.

Soccer is in the genes for Tanner and Tommy. Their father, Gregg Thompson, was a Hoosier Hall of Fame defender who went on to play in the MLS and played in the Olympics in 1984.

Tommy and Tanner said their dad was always an encouraging influence who helped them grow as soccer players.

Tanner said he remembers younger brother Tommy, older brother Tyler and himself
being shuttled around to different training sessions when they were younger because the brothers were all a year apart in age and played on different teams. The brothers said their father always gave them the choice of whether to play.

Soccer was never forced, but the answer was always “yes.”

“My dad already made it pro,” Tommy said. “He was in the Olympics, so he knew what it takes. He knew what we would have to do, so he gave us the option, but if you want to go pro, you have to take this route and work your ass off.”

Tanner and Tommy attended Granite Bay High School in Loomis, Calif., where Tanner holds the record for most assists in a season with 21 and was the Sierra Foothill League MVP in 2011.

Tommy holds the record for most goals as a freshman with 29, but his high school career was cut short by an injury during his junior season. Before coming to the Hoosiers, Tommy spent some time with the San Jose Earthquakes’ academy and played on their reserve team.

Tanner said playing with his two brothers on the same team in high school was something special.

“Playing my junior or even sophomore year was fun,” Tanner said. “We have a sophomore brother Tyler who plays at Stanford. Just playing all three of us at the same high school team was fun. He’s a defensive mid, so we all played together up the middle.”

When it came down to picking colleges, there was one thing both Tanner and Tommy knew, that they wanted to go to school together. Tommy graduated from Granite Bay in three years in order to play in the 2013 season.

“My school is on a block system, so I had to take an extra class a year, so I was ahead initially,” Tommy said. “I had to take a couple online classes, and it did take a little foresight, but Tanner helped with that. He graduated early and was telling me how great it was, and so he just gave me some good advice as we planned it and just got it done.”

Gregg Thompson didn’t influence the brothers’ choosing Indiana. Tanner said his dad helped in the initial stages, but what sold him on Bloomington was the campus.
It just so happened that Indiana needed a forward and a midfielder, so all of the pieces just fell into place.

Both Tanner and Tommy said one of their favorite soccer memories was upsetting a team in front of IU Coach Todd Yeagley while being scouted for Indiana.

“We went to semis in the Dallas Cup, and it was actually where we got scouted,” Tommy said. “The first game Indiana came we were playing Chivas from Mexico, and Todd was at the game. We weren’t expected to win, and we upset the team 3-1, and that was one of the best memories.”

Yeagley said Tanner and Tommy have already affected the team by the way they play and the amount of effort they put into the game. He also said the two have added pressure that the others players don’t by following in their father’s footsteps.

“They have a lot of pride because they have heard their dad talk about the program for a long time,” Yeagley said. “They hadn’t really been around Indiana much until they came for their first visit. They wanna do well because there are a lot of alums that they know through their dad, and it means a lot to them.

“They’re invested like so many of our other players, but maybe in a different way. They want to do really well, and you can tell by the way they leave it on the field. They’re scrapping and clawing, and they’re doing well.”

Tanner was the first to acquaint himself with the Hoosier way of play during spring 2013. He jump started the semester also graduating early from high school. He said coming in early and getting to know the other players while also getting to know how the system works was a lot less hectic.

Tommy said Tanner was the most helpful asset he had when joining the Hoosiers in the summer because he had already had that experience with the team. Yeagley said the two read each other well from the start and are now expanding that chemistry to making great plays with their new teammates.

That was apparent three weekends ago when Tanner notched two assists in the Hoosiers’ game against Bakersfield, while Tommy had two goals: one against Bakersfield and one against UC Irvine.

“They know each other’s moves, and we’ll continue to get them out there together, Yeagley said. “Tanner and Tommy are just good soccer players, so they’re combining well with any of our attacking core because they’re smart, and they play the simple ball when it’s necessary.

“They balance and create great situations. They might have a unique combination awareness, but they also set up a lot of other players.”

Follow Alyssa Extin on Twitter @Alyssa_Extin.