Ryan Gareis

Forward • Age 28 • #24

Ryan Melissa Gareis is an American footballer who plays as a forward.

161 Appearances

16 Goals

1 Awards

Fun Facts about Ryan

Quirky facts. Inspired by her game.

As a kid, she was invited to a U.S. U-15 national team training camp.

She grew up in Naperville, Illinois.

She earned a degree in Advertising from the University of South Carolina while playing college soccer.

She worked in marketing and communications before turning pro, gaining experience in account strategy, social media, and digital strategy.

Ryan and her fiancé, Milwaukee Bucks player Pat Connaughton, welcomed their first child, Crew, in May 2024.

Returning to play after having her son gave her a whole new perspective on soccer and a new level of motivation.

She was nervous before returning to play but was extremely proud of herself, as balancing motherhood and professional soccer was a long-time goal of hers.

She always brings her childhood blanket with her on travel trips. It's called a Nani.

She was born on Friday 13th, it was her jersey number when she was younger and she now has it tattooed.

Her hidden talent is that she can do a backflip.

She started playing soccer at age 7, showing up to her first trial in jean shorts with no soccer ball and not knowing what she was doing.

She tried a bunch of different sports growing up, including cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, softball, and gymnastics.

She shared her excitement about playing against stars like Alex Morgan, someone she’d idolized growing up. Playing against her and other national team players was a surreal experience.

She has two main "lives"—one as a professional soccer player and the other as a coach. She coaches nearly 60 kids of all ages in the Houston area, which she finds incredibly fulfilling and rewarding.

She doesn't have a specific team she roots for but loves watching Liverpool and other teams, especially when her friends are playing in the leagues.

When it comes to TV, Ryan enjoys movies, especially comedies like Step Brothers, The Heat, Bridesmaids, and Talladega Nights. She also loves rom-coms, like Crazy, Stupid, Love.