Ever since he was five years old, Gianni Goss has always had a soccer ball in between his feet. Raised in a Colombian family, Gianni grew up around the sport of soccer and was introduced to it by his brother, Aaron. At a young age, Gianni was inspired by players, such as famed Cristiano Ronaldo, and would soon pick up their skills on the field.

Gianni began playing soccer for small intramural organizations. Shortly after coaches saw his talent, Gianni was quickly selected for more elite travel teams such as Valley AA Tigers and the Warrington Soccer Club.

“It seemed like I was always at soccer practice, a game, or kicking the ball around my backyard,” Gianni said with a laugh.  His exposure through playing on so many local teams at such a young age meant that more coaches wanted him to play on their teams so they could win more games.

“It was a nice compliment to be in demand by a lot of coaches,” Gianni recalled.  However, he chose to stay with his main club team, Warrington, and went on to be very successful with them. “Warrington was my favorite team because everything about it was fun,” said Gianni.

After being ranked 25th in the state, the Warrington Soccer Club went on a remarkable run in 2010 and ended up winning the state championship. Gianni later played with Montgomery Soccer and won states with them in 2013.

After making a name for himself on all of the local club teams, Gianni still had to make an impression on the Central Bucks teams at his school soccer tryouts. “I was kind of nervous because I really wanted to make my school’s team,” he said.  

He ended up making both seventh and eighth grade soccer for Tamanend Middle School, playing center midfielder and striker. The Tamanend team was very successful when Gianni was there and went on to beat every single team in their path. “I really enjoyed playing for Tamanend, and it was hard to say goodbye to the team when eighth grade ended,” Gianni recalled.

In Central Bucks School District, there are no ninth grade teams for the middle school. “You either make the high school team or you don’t play that year,” Gianni said. “Trying out for CB South soccer is very nerve-racking for everybody because it’s extremely competitive.”

Approximately 60 kids try out every year but only about 25 of them will make the varsity or junior varsity teams. An athlete who tries out needs to realize that the coaches are looking for the very best. They want players who will lead their team to victories for CB South.

After Gianni’s tryout for ninth grade, the coaches must have definitely liked what they saw because he was brought on board to swing between the junior varsity and varsity teams during his freshmen year. “I went from being on an inexperienced eighth grade middle school team to making both high school teams,” he said. “I would start on junior varsity and attend the varsity practices, sitting with the team at games.”

While proud of his accomplishments, Gianni continued to stay focused both on his schoolwork and on his task of doing well in his school’s soccer games. During his freshman year, Gianni put up eight goals for his team and helped them get to a record of over a .500 winning percentage.

While the 2015 season is over, it’s no surprise that Gianni was the starter striker for the varsity team. One goal he’s proud to brag about is the tying goal against CB South rival, North Penn.

When Gianni needs a break on the field, he usually gets subbed out by Giacomo Spatola, a junior here at CB South. Gianni will be the first one to tell you that, “the only reason I do well is because of my teammates.”

Something must be working for the varsity team because they are ranked tenth in the district for boys’ soccer with the record of 8-2-1. When all the team players are as talented as Gianni Goss, it’s certainly the formula for a successful soccer season.