In just a few days, Gianna Paul’s lifelong dream will become reality.
The Huntington native is set to take the field for the first time as a member of the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League, marking the start of her professional career.
“It’s surreal,” Paul told Greater Long Island. “I’m a little worried this is all a dream and I’m going to wake up.”
The 21-year-old signed her first professional contract—a three-year deal with the Current—last month. It’s a milestone she says she’s been working toward since she was a child.
“I always told anyone who asked that I wanted to play soccer for a living,” Paul said. “As far back as six years old, my friends wanted to be doctors or lawyers, but I knew soccer was my thing.”
That certainty came with conviction—and an understanding that dreams only become reality through work.
“I always had lofty goals,” she said. “It’s easy to say things, but it’s about putting in the time and effort.”
Everyone believed in her along the way — except for one person Paul remembers.
It was back during her days at Silas Wood Middle School in Huntington Station that she heard the words from her gym teacher that she says changed her life.
But they were not words of encouragement.
Quite the opposite.
“He told me I was wasting my time if I wanted to be a professional soccer player,” Paul said, with disdain in her voice. “To this day, I never forgot how negative he was and it motivated me more than anything else.”
The motivation paid off.
By the time she graduated from Walt Whitman High School in 2022, Paul was an All-American and a two-time state champion in track. She earned a scholarship to play soccer at the University of Alabama, where she went on to set the program’s career goals record. As a freshman, she helped lead the Crimson Tide to the NCAA semifinals for the first time in school history, and by graduation, she had twice earned All-American honors.
Then came the professional offers, including from Kansas City.
The Current plays its home games at CPKC Stadium, a soccer-specific venue in Kansas City, Miss. It’s described as a state-of-the-art stadium built for the team that opened in March 2024 with a seating capacity of about 11,500 fans.
Still, Paul knows the next chapter will require starting over.
“I have no guarantee I’m going to get on the field,” she said. “I love the harsh truth. I know it’s something I’m going to have to work hard for. I fuel off honesty, and I’m confident I’ll work my way into minutes.”
“I’m living my dream,” she added, “but there’s so much work to be done before I say I’m satisfied.”
Training camp opens Saturday.
Top: With the skyline of Kansas City behind them, the Kansas City Current and the Portland Thorns FC line up before the start of an NWSL soccer match at the new CPKC Stadium, March 16, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)
