June 2023

From cleats to caps and gowns, San Ramon FC's senior class is poised to begin the next stage of their lives.  For these talented young men and women, many will focus on educational pursuits at college, while others will pursue career or vocational opportunities. As the class of 2023 take off their SRFC uniforms for the last time, the club would like to remind each of them that they will always have a home for soccer at San Ramon FC.

The club is honored to have helped these student athletes take advantage of the opportunity to develop themselves as soccer players, and, most importantly, as individuals and responsible young adults.  Learning to play soccer is a fun, challenging, and rewarding pursuit. There are highs and lows and lessons to learn along the way.  Who you become while playing the sport is more important than how many games you win or lose. 

Below you will find the names of the graduating seniors in the club's recreational and competitive programs, along with additional photos and quotes from the families of seniors who chose to share them with the club.

Below you will find photos and messages of the graduating seniors in the club's recreational and competitive programs, provided by families who chose to share them with the club. 

If you have a graduating senior in the club and would like to add a photo or quote to this article, please contact the club for details. 

Gabe White
Gabe White's mother, Carina, shared the photo and asked to share the below message for her son.  Gabe is senior at Cal High and played on the club's 04/05B NPL team with Coach Alex Uribe. Gabe is going to Las Positas College to continue his studies and where he will play in the men's soccer program in the fall:

"I have watched you learn and master so many important life skills on the soccer field over the years. You have learned teamwork, sportsmanship, humbleness, perseverance, and grace in defeat. These skills will carry you further in life. Take pride in the athlete you are, and for all the hard work you put in. I can’t wait to see you move to the next step. Love, Mom"

Regan Stiner
Regan will graduate from California High School and attend UC Santa Barbara where she will play on the women's soccer program for the Gauchos.  Regan played for the club's 04/05G NPL team this year and helped her high school team reach the championship match in the NCS playoffs last winter.  

San Ramon FC wishes Regan all the best in school and her coaches look forward to watching her play soccer for the Gauchos.

Connor McGinley
Connor has played center back for the club's 04/05B NPL team and as well as the same position for Dublin High School's men's soccer program.  He has served as captain for both teams. After graduation, he will attend Las Positas College and play for the school's soccer program.

His parents, Mike and Ingrid, shared this message:

"Connor has played soccer in the club since the age of 4, back when the club was known as San Ramon Soccer and his soccer shorts reached his knees (and so did his shin guards). 

We are proud of his effort and dedication to playing a sport that he loves. Soccer has taught him many valuable lessons about life. He's encountered various challenges and setbacks during his soccer playing years. He's overcome them with a combination of hard work, intelligence, self-confidence, dedication, and resilience. That's a great recipe for success no matter what you do in life.

The McGinley family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the coaches in the club who have helped Connor over the years, with a special shout out to Coaches Alex Uribe, Bijan Sadeghy, and Mani Salimpour for their guidance and support."

U19 Boys Independence - Graduating Seniors
Pictured left to right: Joel Frazee, Jason Furman, Evan Johnson, Milind Yeddu, Arjunan Easwarachandran, Jehan Vanniasinkam, Elias Barakzoy

Last fall, before their final game of the fall recreational season, the club received the photo and the below message from their coach, Joseph Vanniasinkam:

"Next Saturday morning will be our final game of the season and for 7 of our seniors, it will be the last time they play in a San Ramon FC uniform.  Most of them have played for the club for 10 years or more, some of them all 12 years of school (my guess is over 60 combined seasons for this group of 7 at SRFC, playing Rec, Select and Comp at the club)!  It would mean the world to them, their parents and to me if you could post this picture on one of your social media accounts to honor them."

San Ramon FC would like to congratulate these outstanding young men and their families on their graduation. Best of luck to each of you as you pursue your educational and career goals in the years to come. Thank you for making the club your home for soccer.

Lili Loney
Lili plays on the 04/05G NPL team as well as the Cal High women's soccer team, helping her school reach the championship match in the NCS Playoffs last winter. 

Lili will attend the University of California, Santa Cruz in the fall and recently announced her commitment to play for the women's soccer program too. Congrats to Lili and her family! The SRFC coaches and staff look forward to following Lili's collegiate academic and soccer pursuits.

Nishanth Kankipati
Nishanth's Dad, Raju, shared this message with the club:

"We have been part of SRFC since 2016 and are happy to see Nishanth graduate with valuable lessons and wonderful memories from SRFC. We will continue to be part of SRFC with our daughter (Niki) for several more years."

Nishanth is a goalkeeper for the 2005B White team with Coach Luis (pictured) and also played on the Dougherty Valley men's soccer program, helping the team reach the championship match in NCS playoffs for the first time in school history. 

Alex Estupiñan
Alex is a goalkeeper for the club's 04/05B NPL team and his Mom, Lucia, shared the photo and this message:

"Alex has played Goalkeeper for the club's 04/05B NPL team. Watching him play since he was 4 years old has been very rewarding. Although he recently joined SRFC in the last few years, the team was very welcoming. We are appreciative of the family atmosphere and enjoyed getting to know the players and their families. Soccer has helped shape him into the young man he is today, disciplined, passionate, sportsmanship and being a team player overall.

Alex will be graduating from Pittsburg High School and will continue his "Hands-On" skills in a vocational career.

Our family would like to thank the best Team Mom ever! KC Koo, thank you for all your time and dedication to the team. Coach Alex Uribe, thank you for your work with the boys. Alex grew as a player with this team under Coach Alex.

We will miss everyone and best of luck to all of the graduating seniors!"

Dawson Vy
Dawson plays on the club's 04/05B NPL team as well as the Cal High men's soccer team in high school.  His parents, Katie and Tinh, shared the photo and this message:

"Dawson is a graduating senior from California High School and will be attending San Jose State.  He joined SRFC family since 7 year old and had been loyal to the club through thick and thin.  He and his family became part of the community and had been sharing the love for soccer in over 10+ years.

Playing soccer for SRFC, through interactions with the many fine coaches and wonderful families from the club has nurtured and helped Dawson develop into a kind and compassionate young individual. Recalling one of the proudest moment for his parents while competing at a tournament in Davis one year, a parent from the opponent team came searching for #45 jersey’s parents, thanking us for raising a fine son because he stood up for her son while other players were making fun of his weight. This was definitely one of the character traits that Dawson has honed in playing sports for SRFC.

We are so proud of him, and will continue to instill in him what the coaches had taught him at trainings and out in the fields, far and near. The Vys will hold a special place in our hearts for having gone through this journey with SRFC community.

Wishing all the senior class of 2023 families the best of luck!"