D9and10Sports.com is highlighting returning high school student-athletes this summer. The year in school listed next to the athlete’s name is the year the athlete is entering this fall.
Full List of 2021 Player Profiles
(Photo by Kelli Surra)
Gianna Surra – Sophomore – St. Marys
Parents Names: Dominic Surra and Kelli Surra
Sports Played: Soccer (Attacking Midfield) and Softball (Catcher)
Siblings: Sophia Surra (13) Maria Surra (11)
Social Media Handles: Instagram: giannasurra
2020-21 Highlights: Becoming a varsity starter and letterman as a freshman in both soccer and softball is a good start, but I know there is much more I want to accomplish as an individual player and team goals too. One of my team goals in the future for both soccer and softball is to win districts in both sports.
College Athletics plan if applicable: I haven’t committed to a college yet since I am only going to be a sophomore next year, but I would like to play a sport at the collegiate level.
Q&A With Gianna Surra
D9and10Sports: How did you first get involved in sports and did you like it?
A: I originally got involved in sports at a pretty young age. It started as something fun for me to do in my free time. I started rec soccer as soon as I possibly could and I have played since I was 4 years old. I had so much fun playing it with my friends. I started playing softball at 9 years old when my younger sister Sophia began playing. I didn’t originally want to play, but one of my now high school coaches, Jim Hanslovan, thought that I could be a good catcher, so I tried out softball and have been playing ever since..
D9and10Sports: Who has been your biggest influence in life and why?
A: My parents were probably my biggest influences. Both were college athletes at Clarion University, my dad was a wrestler at Clarion while my mom played tennis. My dad and mom both push me to be the best player and person I can be. We do a lot of extra training in the off season. As Coach Mike Beimel says, “Hard work pays off.”
D9and10Sports: What is your favorite high school sports memory?
A: I haven’t made any big memories that I think stand out to me yet, but having a “Hat Trick” against Port Allegany in soccer this past season was pretty cool! I would love to be able to create many more memories in the future of my high school career.
D9and10Sports: What is your favorite social media platform and why?
A: My favorite social media platform is Instagram because there is a variety of content to look through.
D9and10Sports: What would someone who is meeting you for the first time be surprised to find out about you?
A: I think that many people would be surprised to know that I love to watch musicals.
D9and10Sports: If there was one period in history you could go back to, what would it be and why?
A: I love learning about history, but I would never want to go back to any of the famous eras. The main reason would have to be that I am a woman, and there aren’t many time periods where women were treated the greatest or had a lot of opportunity. Right now in our society women are making huge leaps, especially in sports. Women like me live in a world where we have a woman vice president, women excelling in business and sports. Going back in time isn’t an option that fits well with who I am and what I want to accomplish.
D9and10Sports: What will you tell your kids someday about living through the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: I will tell my kids that COVID-19 was a pandemic that I had to live through my freshman year. I would tell them about some of the restrictions we had to deal with, but most importantly as difficult as it was, I would tell them that we still got through it.
D9and10Sports: What is your ideal place to live? Country, City, Suburb and why?
A: I have learned throughout my life that I do not like the city. I always thought that the city would be amazing to live in, but when I visited some cities it was terrible. I think that I don’t like the city since I live in a rural area. Living in a rural area is also why I don’t like the countryside. Suburban areas are a good place in between cities and the countryside. I like having a good mix with suburban areas.
