Peninsula High School
Gabe Krishnadasan
Gabe Krishnadasan, 17, has learned to not allow what others think stand in the way of success. What many believed would be a transition year for the Peninsula High School soccer team turned into a successful year, especially considering they had many players graduate last year.
“The whole season our team motto was, ‘Show them who we are,’ and we did! We finished second in league and made it to the first round of state,” said Gabe, who has been on the varsity team since his freshman year.
Gabe also served as the team captain this past year and received honorable mention for South Sound 3A, the Coach’s Award (2017) and Most Team Spirit Award (2019). In addition to soccer, Gabe also played on the tennis team in 2017 and 2018. And his success is not limited to sports. Gabe has a 3.99 GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society, and has been recognized by the South Sound 3A Conference for academic excellence.
Gabe said he would like to play soccer at the collegiate level, either at the varsity level or intramurals. As far as a career path, Gabe is interested in computer science.
He shares that what he enjoys most about soccer are the relationships that are formed among his team.
“My freshman year I didn't know many people who were trying out for the high school team, especially the upperclassmen. The day after tryouts one of the team seniors asked me and a couple other freshmen to go to lunch,” said Gabe. “I immediately gained so much respect for this person, not only because of his skills on the field but his leadership on the team. Even though he has gone on to college, we remain friends, and I continue to look up to him because of the way others respect him and, more importantly, how he respects others. I hope to set this kind of example and provide the same type of influence on incoming freshmen in the years coming.”
Claire Bosselmann
Gig Harbor High School
When Claire Bosselmann was a sophomore, she decided to forgo her other sports—basketball and track—to focus solely on the sport she is most passionate about, soccer.
It was a commitment that paid off as this last season her team secured first place in the girls’ 3A State Championship.
“This was a huge accomplishment for all of my teammates who worked so hard through to the last seconds of our season, and for me,” said Claire, who is the team’s keeper.
“Hard work, teamwork and a coach who believed in us and held us to a high expectation allowed our team to compete in the 2017 Region IV Presidents Cup Championship game after winning the Washington Presidents Cup—which was the highlight in my soccer experience up until the Gig Harbor women’s soccer state win,” said Claire. “But I know I still have work to do in my final high school year to help accomplish our team’s goal of leaving a legacy,” said Claire.
The biggest lesson Claire has learned from soccer is that confidence is key, something she had to put into play in the spring of 2016 after getting kicked in the face and dealing with months of doctors appointments and missed school.
“My coaches pushed me to recover, and I was back to playing again two games before state cup. Overcoming that injury wasn’t easy because of the effects that it had on my confidence, mindset, and impacted my level of skill,” said Claire.
She shares that her favorite part of soccer is being part of a team, especially when there is a good dynamic and energy among the players.
“The most successful teams that I’ve played with have all had a really good dynamic off the field, and it changes the whole environment of games and practices. We’re all happy to be there, and you meet a lot of different people.”