Last Updated on September 17, 2026 by Siara Costa
Aaron Long is an American professional soccer player who has represented the United States national team and established himself as one of Major League Soccer’s experienced central defenders. Born Aaron Ray Long on October 12, 1992, in Southern California, he grew up in the High Desert in a highly athletic family before playing college soccer at UC Riverside and eventually reaching MLS.
Family has remained an important part of Long’s life and career. He is married to Elise, whom he met during an important early stage of his professional journey, and they have two children, Kaia and Rome. Aaron’s parents are Dan and Kandi Long, while he grew up alongside an older brother named Auston and a younger sister named Alexis.
Who Is Aaron Long’s Wife?
Aaron Long is married to Elise. LAFC’s official player biography and club announcements consistently identify Elise as his wife.
Their relationship has an interesting connection to Aaron’s early professional soccer career. In a first-person feature published by LAFC, Long explained that he met Elise around the Fourth of July in 2014, when he was in Seattle on a trial after leaving the Portland Timbers.
Elise was originally from Seattle but was living in Southern California at the time. She happened to be visiting her family in Seattle when she and Aaron met during a night out.
According to Long, they immediately developed a connection. They spent time together during the short period Elise was visiting before she returned to California.
Aaron signed with Seattle shortly afterward, and Elise eventually moved back to Seattle to finish school while giving their new relationship an opportunity to develop.
Years later, the relationship had resulted in marriage and two children. Long described himself and Elise as happily married when recounting their story for LAFC.
Is Elise Still Aaron Long’s Wife?
Yes. As of now, official LAFC information continues to identify Elise as Aaron Long’s wife.
When LAFC re-signed Long to a contract through 2027, the club specifically mentioned Aaron, Elise and their family while discussing his decision to remain in Southern California.
The opportunity to live closer to Aaron’s extended family was also one of the attractions of joining LAFC after spending several years with the New York Red Bulls.
How Many Children Does Aaron Long Have?
Aaron Long and his wife Elise have two children: a daughter named Kaia and a son named Rome.
Long has explained that becoming a husband and father significantly changed his motivation as a professional athlete. Rather than playing only because he enjoyed soccer, he began viewing his career as a way of providing for his family.
Who Is Aaron Long’s Daughter Kaia?
Kaia Rae Long is Aaron and Elise’s daughter. According to U.S. Soccer’s official biography of Long, Kaia was born on June 19, 2020.
Kaia was the couple’s first publicly documented child. U.S. Soccer previously highlighted spending time with Elise and Kaia among Aaron’s interests away from the field.
When Long later told his life story through LAFC, he described Kaia as an important part of the family life that had changed his perspective on professional soccer.
Who Is Aaron Long’s Son Rome?
Rome Long is Aaron and Elise’s younger child.
LAFC officially identifies Aaron and Elise as parents of both Kaia and Rome. In Long’s 2023 first-person account, he said Kaia was three years old while Rome was one, indicating that Rome was born around 2022.
An exact birth date for Rome has not been prominently documented by the reliable official sources reviewed, so it is preferable not to give a specific date without confirmation.
How Fatherhood Changed Aaron Long
Aaron Long has been particularly open about the effect fatherhood had on his priorities.
In his LAFC story, he explained that his purpose as a professional player became much clearer after starting a family. Long said soccer had become his way of providing for Elise, Kaia and Rome.
He also described the contrast between being a professional athlete at the training ground and returning home to become a regular father. That responsibility encouraged him to pay greater attention to preparation, recovery and extending his career for as long as possible.
Who Are Aaron Long’s Parents?
Aaron Long’s parents are Dan Long and Kandi Long.
UC Riverside’s official athletics biography identifies Aaron as the son of Dan and Kandi Long. U.S. Soccer independently lists the same names for his parents.
Aaron grew up in an unusually athletic household. Both parents encouraged their children to participate in numerous sports, while martial arts played a particularly interesting role in the family’s history.
Long has revealed that his parents met through martial arts. Both earned black belts in Shotokan karate and practiced the discipline for many years.
Who Is Aaron Long’s Father, Dan Long?
Dan Long is Aaron Long’s father.
Aaron has described his father as an athletic person who participated in sports and ran marathons. He also characterized his father as particularly interested in fighting and martial arts.
Dan’s background was part of a wider family environment in which physical activity was normal. Aaron and his siblings were exposed to soccer, basketball, baseball, American football, boxing, tennis, roller hockey, archery and rock climbing, among other activities.
Although Aaron has shared these details about his father’s sporting interests, reliable public sources provide relatively little information about Dan Long’s professional occupation.
Who Is Aaron Long’s Mother, Kandi Long?
Kandi Long is Aaron Long’s mother and was an accomplished athlete herself.
According to UC Riverside, Kandi played both softball and basketball at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Aaron has credited his mother with ensuring that he and his siblings remained constantly involved in activities while growing up in California’s High Desert.
He explained that Kandi deliberately kept the children busy with sports because there was relatively little for young people to do in their community. Aaron believes that structure helped keep him and his siblings focused while also developing their athletic abilities.
Like her husband Dan, Kandi also practiced Shotokan karate and earned a black belt.
Does Aaron Long Have Siblings?
Yes. Aaron Long has two siblings: an older brother named Auston and a younger sister named Alexis.
Aaron personally identified both siblings in his detailed LAFC autobiography. He described growing up in a household in which all three children were constantly involved in sport and competition.
Who Is Aaron Long’s Brother Auston?
Auston Long is Aaron’s older brother. According to Aaron, Auston is approximately two years older than him.
The two brothers spent much of their childhood competing against one another. Aaron recalled that he and Auston regularly played basketball and soccer together, often competing one-on-one.
Auston’s age also allowed Aaron to test himself against older children. Long said that he frequently played in older age groups with his brother, which provided him with an additional competitive challenge.
That experience appears to have complemented Aaron’s natural athletic ability and helped him become comfortable competing against physically older players.
Auston has maintained a considerably more private life than his professional-footballer brother, and reliable public sources provide little information about his current occupation or personal life.
Who Is Aaron Long’s Sister Alexis?
Alexis Long is Aaron’s younger sister. Aaron has said she is approximately two years younger than him.
Alexis also participated in the family’s highly competitive childhood activities. Long humorously recalled that she wanted to join Aaron and Auston during their games, although the older brothers sometimes excluded her because she was smaller at the time.
Like Auston, Alexis has remained largely outside the public spotlight, and little reliable information has been published about her adult life.
Aaron Long’s Athletic Family Background
Sport was a central part of the Long household in Southern California.
Aaron has said that describing his family as simply interested in sports would be an understatement because they essentially lived sports. Aaron, Auston and Alexis were constantly playing games, attending practices or creating competitions around their home.
Their parents’ athletic backgrounds contributed heavily to that environment. Kandi had collegiate experience in basketball and softball, while Dan participated in sports, marathon running and martial arts.
Both parents’ Shotokan karate backgrounds also meant that the family was exposed to disciplines beyond conventional team sports.
Where Did Aaron Long Grow Up?
Aaron Long grew up in California’s High Desert, particularly around Oak Hills and Hesperia in San Bernardino County.
Long has explained that when speaking with people unfamiliar with Southern California geography, he sometimes simply says he is from Los Angeles because explaining the location of the High Desert can be difficult.
His upbringing there remains an important part of his identity. The relatively small community helped create the circumstances in which sport became such an important activity for Aaron and his siblings.
He later attended Serrano High School in Phelan, where he competed in both soccer and American football before attending the University of California, Riverside.
Why Aaron Long Returned to Southern California
Family played a significant role in Long’s decision to join Los Angeles FC.
After spending several seasons with the New York Red Bulls, Long became a free agent following the 2022 MLS season. LAFC offered him the opportunity not only to join a successful team but also to return close to where he had grown up.
Long explained that playing professionally near family and longtime friends was something he had hoped to experience during his career.
The move also allowed Elise and their children to establish their family life in Southern California while Aaron’s parents and childhood connections were much closer than they had been during his years in New York.
How Did Aaron Long Meet His Wife Elise?
Aaron met Elise in Seattle in 2014 under circumstances closely connected to his soccer career.
Long had recently left Portland and was participating in a short trial with the Seattle Sounders. Around the Fourth of July, he went out in Seattle and met Elise, who was visiting her family.
Although she was from Seattle, Elise was living in Southern California at that point. Aaron said they immediately connected and saw each other on both days she remained in the city.
Long subsequently signed in Seattle, while Elise eventually returned to the area to complete her studies. Their relationship continued despite beginning during a period of considerable uncertainty in Aaron’s career.
Years later, they married and became parents to Kaia and Rome.
Frequently Asked Questions About Aaron Long’s Family
Who is Aaron Long’s girlfriend?
Aaron Long does not have a publicly known girlfriend because he is married. His wife is Elise.
Who is Aaron Long’s wife?
Aaron Long’s wife is Elise. They met in Seattle in 2014 while Aaron was attempting to establish himself in professional soccer.
How did Aaron Long meet Elise?
Aaron met Elise during the Fourth of July period in Seattle in 2014. He was on trial with the Seattle Sounders, while Elise was visiting her family in the city.
How many children does Aaron Long have?
Aaron Long and Elise have two children, Kaia and Rome.
Who is Aaron Long’s daughter?
His daughter is Kaia Rae Long, who was born on June 19, 2020.
Who is Aaron Long’s son?
Aaron Long’s son is named Rome. He is the younger of Aaron and Elise’s two children.
Who are Aaron Long’s parents?
Aaron Long’s parents are Dan Long and Kandi Long.
Was Aaron Long’s mother an athlete?
Yes. Kandi Long played basketball and softball at Cal State Dominguez Hills. She also earned a black belt in Shotokan karate.
Does Aaron Long have a brother?
Yes. Aaron has an older brother named Auston Long, who is approximately two years older than him.
Does Aaron Long have a sister?
Yes. Aaron has a younger sister named Alexis Long, who is approximately two years younger than him.
How many siblings does Aaron Long have?
Aaron Long has two siblings: his older brother Auston and younger sister Alexis.
Where is Aaron Long’s family from?
Aaron grew up with his family in California’s High Desert, around the Oak Hills, Hesperia and Phelan area of San Bernardino County.
Siara Costa is a football editor and writer covering both European men’s and women’s football, with a focus on league competitions, match coverage, and in-depth storytelling.
