Hi! My name is Gianna Sannella and I was privileged to take part in an amazing team and experience something very special.  

 

I am 13 years old and am a student at MBMS. I play AYSO soccer as a forward. This past fall was my second year playing for AYSO. I was on Coach Christopher Talbott’s and Coach Scott Steuber’s team the SHARKS, 14UG, and our practices were at Marine Ave Park.   

 

Our team uniquely bonded with every single player on the team.  It was great watching our team grow together with positive sportsmanship. We really had each other's backs! As well, all the parents and friends were raving, supportive fans and were always cheering us on at every game.  

 

I had played Club soccer for 3 years before I moved to AYSO. My Favorite mentor is my Uncle John Paul.   I used to watch him play soccer when I was little. My mother’s entire family plays soccer, so it truly runs in my blood.  Uncle John Paul was so good, fast and always loved the game with a positive attitude, which made me want to be like him.  

 

One time, my Dad introduced me to soccer icon, Mia Hamm, the two-time gold medalist and a two-time World Cup champion. That was so cool!  

 

Our coaches always pushed us to play at our potential, with such positivity.  They treated us all the same, without any favoritism. I am SO proud of our team and our accomplishments.  We went into the first tournament Undefeated! We first won the 2022 Manhattan/Hermosa AYSO 18.  We then moved on to AYSO Beach Cities Area 1D League playoffs Champion 2023 playing 2 back-to-back games, taking 1st place.  We then traveled to Jurupa Valley, CA for the AYSO Section One League playoffs 2022-2023.  It was nice to have the team stay at a hotel together and spend time just laughing together and being friends, not just teammates.

 

It was exciting playing 3 games with hardly a break in between, but we managed to pull it off and we took 1st place!  We could hardly wait for what was in store for us going into this highest level of competition for AYSO, the Western States Championships!

 

In the semi-finals, we played a tough team, but we overpowered them in the end and won 3-2.   The Sharks (our team’s name) were anticipating a really tough game in the finals and our coaches mentally prepared us during the break to reassure us that we belonged there and we could win!

 

With adrenaline pumping hard through our bodies, we went into the finals with the mindset of winning. Playing unbelievably well, we ended the game 5-0 taking home the Big Win! The Sharks all did their part to get to this moment and it was an exhilarating moment! We beat out all Western States from Washington down to Arizona. What an amazing ride and we did it Undefeated all the way to the end! It was so thrilling and rewarding.

My advice to any young player is to try your best and never give up.  Go into it with a positive mindset and give 100%.  Practice on your own whenever you have time. Talk with your teammates because bonding with your team is so important.  Working together is key.

 

I have to give a big Thank You to all my SHARK teammates.

Coach Christopher Talbott, Coach Scott Steuber, Candence Tseng, Charlotte Wright, Desiray Ortiz, Giada Talbott, Isabella Amy, Juliette Wetzel, Katie Maloney, Kylie Jaboury, Olivia Reeds, Talia Faynsod, Tara Shivpuri, Tristan Del Riego and Vivian Steuber. CONGRATS, EVERYONE! WE DID IT, SHARKS!!!