Coupeville Sports

Gillian Crossley

   Crossley and her Islander teammates prepare for their season-opening tourney, where they threw down three straight shutouts. (Kali Barrio photo)

Gillian Crossley made a major change in her life when she was in the fifth grade.

A youth football cheerleader up until that point, Crossley began to hang out with soccer players. What began as a sideline activity soon transformed into a new way of life and a soccer junkie was born.

“I would go out at recess with them and kick a soccer ball around with them,” Crossley said. “That’s when I decided that I would like to try something new and join recreation soccer.”

Crossley, who will be a sophomore at Oak Harbor High School in the fall, never looked back.

After playing rec soccer for three seasons, she tried out for her first select squad, the GU13 Whidbey Islanders. Waiting for the call back put her on pins and needles, but paid off nicely.

“My friends that had been playing soccer for a long time wanted me to try out for their team,” Crossley said. “I was really nervous, but two long days passed, waiting for call backs and I had made it!

“My first season on select, my coach, Ryan Baker, would put me nowhere but center defense,” she added. “He pushed me to get better and become a stronger player. That is how I became a forward.”

Now in her fourth season of select soccer, Crossley, who bounced between JV and varsity for OHHS as a freshman, made the jump to join the GU18 Islanders this season.

She made her debut at a tournament this past weekend and immediately drew praise for her play.

“Gillian was a pleasant surprise at the striker position,” said Islander coach Sean LeVine. “Her speed and strong beast-like presence up top opened up several opportunities to score and we expect her to do very well.”

Crossley, who enjoys the camaraderie she has with her teammates (“I enjoy playing soccer with my friends. Soccer has caused me to develop strong relationships with some of the most amazing people”) is still a work in progress, like most younger players.

“As a player, one of my strongest strengths would be my speed,” she said. “It’s always nice to have speed as a forward.

“If there was something I had to work on, I would work on my foot skills and trapping the ball out of the air,” Crossley added. “I will really need to get used to trapping the ball out of the air with (Islander goalie) Kenzie (Perry’s) amazing drop kicks.”

When she’s not on the soccer pitch, Crossley enjoys her science classes (“I have always been best at science. I am lucky I enjoy science, because there are very few things I like”) and spending time with her friends.

And, since many of her friends are equally involved in soccer, so much the better.

“I am great friends with a lot of people from the Islander teams,” Crossley said. “It’s nice having friends that all have something in common.”