Ryan Gianfrancesco aims to add
to family sports success at Batavia
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Ryan Gianfrancesco never had to look very far to tilt the action to her advantage.
She also never worried about being in the shadow. She was distinctly her own person.
“I am extremely aggressive, and I have a very competitive mindset,” she said.
Family, life, competition and sports are all fiercely intertwined. Her sister Mia, three years older, was a standout cross country and track runner at Batavia, who completed her redshirt freshman year at Loyola as she recovered from an injury.
The family name and soccer are synonymous at Batavia. The girls' father, Mark Gianfrancesco, directs the girls and boys programs.
Mia’s interests gravitated toward running. She did play some soccer when she was younger, fulfilling a long ambition for her father.
“We have lived in town since my kids were little, and I have always waited for the day they would eventually play for me,” the coach said.
“Mia switched to track, but she did play a playoff game for me, and she scored a goal.”
Ryan just finished her sophomore year in what was supposed to be her fully loaded varsity debut. She got a taste of varsity play when her father elevated her to the varsity squad for the Tournament of Champions at Burlington, Iowa, in 2019.
With her older sister, she started playing soccer at the age of 4. Ryan stayed dialed in with soccer and she developed the fundamentals and an understanding of the game through her early apprenticeship work in the very competitive Tri-Cities recreational leagues.
Soccer was her dominant sport, but not her exclusive athletic endeavor. She naturally sought out new challenges, and Ryan also ran and played competitive volleyball until the age of 14.
As she began high school, Ryan formalized the coaching relationship with her father that already existed.
“He has been coaching me off the field for my whole life,” Ryan said. “My dad knows how I play, and I just wanted to prove myself and show my spot on the team. I just gave it my all.
“It’s a great bond that we share.”
Ryan is part of a deep and very talented rising junior class.
At the start of the spring, Mark Gianfrancesco was very high on the abilities of defender Mia Anzalone, forward Jaden Collins and midfielders Bella Lins and Johanna Shubert as well as Ryan. He also had his eye on rising sophomore defender Riley DiBiase.
Likewise, Ryan percolated with potential and excitement, a dynamic jet quick forward with a sure touch and the kind of diversified athletic program that enabled her to excel as a featured offensive option.
“Ryan has a heck of a shot,” Mark Gianfrancesco said. “Anywhere around the goal, she has the potential to score. She is pretty strong physically and utilizes that for hold-up play along with distribution.”
At 5-foot-3, she is powerfully built and explosive.
“I think the strengths of my game are my touch on the ball and my striking ability,” Ryan said. “I use my body a lot when I play, and I have learned how to use it to my advantage.
“I have the strength to overpower my opponent.”
She has a naturally propulsive style and that ability to play in space and be at the front of the attack proved deeply appealing.
She also flashed some creativity. Her hidden weapon, as it were, is a very shrewd and dangerous left foot. With that comes that ability to naturally curve or bend shots.
“I am flexible, and I like to play any position,” Ryan said. “I would play wherever my dad would put me.”
Mark Gianfrancesco was a coach with multiple options. He had at his command seemingly the best of both worlds with promising youngsters and 14 returners from a sectional qualifier and conference champion.
In the spring of 2019, the Bulldogs finished 17-5-2 and shared the conference title with St. Charles East.
Ryan marked the next wave of new recruits, bolstering a deep and savvy veteran lineup that featured four college recruits in midfielders Abby Zipse, Bella Zink, Haley Skupa and Hailey Flannagan.
Ryan had her first extended run during the two-week training. She was excited by what she saw.
If anything, Mark Gianfrancesco had an embarrassment of riches, with a deep roster working towards a new identity, according to Ryan.
“We were focused on increasing our endurance and just getting the fundamentals down until we moved into further play,” Ryan said. “We were working on our choreography and team building.”
The next step was the ultimate in unforeseen circumstances. Ryan was one of many players in the program to lament the lost opportunities.
“It was really tough during the actual quarantine,” Ryan said. “I couldn’t really train with my teammates, and I had to work out by myself.”
She played, alongside her father, the waiting game, hoping to get clearance for at least a condensed iteration of the season.
“We all thought we were going to get at least some games in,” Ryan said. “I was really looking forward to playing with Abby, Grace (Salyers) and Bella. I was able to play with them in the Iowa tournament the year before .
“I was really ready to bring some of that chemistry.”
What happened next was arguably worse than losing on penalty kicks. Everything turned quiet and prep sports was ostensibly locked out.
Ryan did what she could to stay fresh and energized and work on her skills with long runs and worked out with a private trainer. She put time in at a nearby elementary school to improve her shot and first touch.
The only salvation was having her father with her. The shared time provided the chance for the two to go through the experience together. That helped lessen the pain and heartbreak.
“We were both bummed out,” Ryan said. “It was nice to have him during the quarantine, because I always knew what was going on with the situation.
“He was very honest.”
As her junior year begins academically, Ryan is trying to imagine a brighter future. She has continued to work on her conditioning and strength.
She is also practicing (but not playing any games) with the Naperville-based club program, Team Chicago. For all of her competitive energy, Ryan is drawn to the larger social portrait about the game.
“The game itself is so relaxing, and I really enjoy the relationships you build with your teammates,” she said.
The game is also about scenarios underscoring an emotional hold. In turn, that drives her toward a pursuit of excellence.
“What I love the most about the game, and what gives me the greatest thrill, is when it’s a very high-intensity game and everything is pumping a lot,” Ryan said.
“I have a lot of confidence to do my best and help my team out. That thrill of winning is such a great feeling.”
to family sports success at Batavia
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Ryan Gianfrancesco never had to look very far to tilt the action to her advantage.
She also never worried about being in the shadow. She was distinctly her own person.
“I am extremely aggressive, and I have a very competitive mindset,” she said.
Family, life, competition and sports are all fiercely intertwined. Her sister Mia, three years older, was a standout cross country and track runner at Batavia, who completed her redshirt freshman year at Loyola as she recovered from an injury.
The family name and soccer are synonymous at Batavia. The girls' father, Mark Gianfrancesco, directs the girls and boys programs.
Mia’s interests gravitated toward running. She did play some soccer when she was younger, fulfilling a long ambition for her father.
“We have lived in town since my kids were little, and I have always waited for the day they would eventually play for me,” the coach said.
“Mia switched to track, but she did play a playoff game for me, and she scored a goal.”
Ryan just finished her sophomore year in what was supposed to be her fully loaded varsity debut. She got a taste of varsity play when her father elevated her to the varsity squad for the Tournament of Champions at Burlington, Iowa, in 2019.
With her older sister, she started playing soccer at the age of 4. Ryan stayed dialed in with soccer and she developed the fundamentals and an understanding of the game through her early apprenticeship work in the very competitive Tri-Cities recreational leagues.
Soccer was her dominant sport, but not her exclusive athletic endeavor. She naturally sought out new challenges, and Ryan also ran and played competitive volleyball until the age of 14.
As she began high school, Ryan formalized the coaching relationship with her father that already existed.
“He has been coaching me off the field for my whole life,” Ryan said. “My dad knows how I play, and I just wanted to prove myself and show my spot on the team. I just gave it my all.
“It’s a great bond that we share.”
Ryan is part of a deep and very talented rising junior class.
At the start of the spring, Mark Gianfrancesco was very high on the abilities of defender Mia Anzalone, forward Jaden Collins and midfielders Bella Lins and Johanna Shubert as well as Ryan. He also had his eye on rising sophomore defender Riley DiBiase.
Likewise, Ryan percolated with potential and excitement, a dynamic jet quick forward with a sure touch and the kind of diversified athletic program that enabled her to excel as a featured offensive option.
“Ryan has a heck of a shot,” Mark Gianfrancesco said. “Anywhere around the goal, she has the potential to score. She is pretty strong physically and utilizes that for hold-up play along with distribution.”
At 5-foot-3, she is powerfully built and explosive.
“I think the strengths of my game are my touch on the ball and my striking ability,” Ryan said. “I use my body a lot when I play, and I have learned how to use it to my advantage.
“I have the strength to overpower my opponent.”
She has a naturally propulsive style and that ability to play in space and be at the front of the attack proved deeply appealing.
She also flashed some creativity. Her hidden weapon, as it were, is a very shrewd and dangerous left foot. With that comes that ability to naturally curve or bend shots.
“I am flexible, and I like to play any position,” Ryan said. “I would play wherever my dad would put me.”
Mark Gianfrancesco was a coach with multiple options. He had at his command seemingly the best of both worlds with promising youngsters and 14 returners from a sectional qualifier and conference champion.
In the spring of 2019, the Bulldogs finished 17-5-2 and shared the conference title with St. Charles East.
Ryan marked the next wave of new recruits, bolstering a deep and savvy veteran lineup that featured four college recruits in midfielders Abby Zipse, Bella Zink, Haley Skupa and Hailey Flannagan.
Ryan had her first extended run during the two-week training. She was excited by what she saw.
If anything, Mark Gianfrancesco had an embarrassment of riches, with a deep roster working towards a new identity, according to Ryan.
“We were focused on increasing our endurance and just getting the fundamentals down until we moved into further play,” Ryan said. “We were working on our choreography and team building.”
The next step was the ultimate in unforeseen circumstances. Ryan was one of many players in the program to lament the lost opportunities.
“It was really tough during the actual quarantine,” Ryan said. “I couldn’t really train with my teammates, and I had to work out by myself.”
She played, alongside her father, the waiting game, hoping to get clearance for at least a condensed iteration of the season.
“We all thought we were going to get at least some games in,” Ryan said. “I was really looking forward to playing with Abby, Grace (Salyers) and Bella. I was able to play with them in the Iowa tournament the year before .
“I was really ready to bring some of that chemistry.”
What happened next was arguably worse than losing on penalty kicks. Everything turned quiet and prep sports was ostensibly locked out.
Ryan did what she could to stay fresh and energized and work on her skills with long runs and worked out with a private trainer. She put time in at a nearby elementary school to improve her shot and first touch.
The only salvation was having her father with her. The shared time provided the chance for the two to go through the experience together. That helped lessen the pain and heartbreak.
“We were both bummed out,” Ryan said. “It was nice to have him during the quarantine, because I always knew what was going on with the situation.
“He was very honest.”
As her junior year begins academically, Ryan is trying to imagine a brighter future. She has continued to work on her conditioning and strength.
She is also practicing (but not playing any games) with the Naperville-based club program, Team Chicago. For all of her competitive energy, Ryan is drawn to the larger social portrait about the game.
“The game itself is so relaxing, and I really enjoy the relationships you build with your teammates,” she said.
The game is also about scenarios underscoring an emotional hold. In turn, that drives her toward a pursuit of excellence.
“What I love the most about the game, and what gives me the greatest thrill, is when it’s a very high-intensity game and everything is pumping a lot,” Ryan said.
“I have a lot of confidence to do my best and help my team out. That thrill of winning is such a great feeling.”