Midfielder Quinn Sansone is one of five freshmen playing varsity soccer for Fenwick this season.
Unlike the others, Sansone actually has previous varsity experience. She came to the Oak Park school after starting as an eighth grader for St. Stephen’s Episcopal in Florida, which allows students in middle school to play varsity sports. Illinois does not.
“It was super fun,” Sansone said. “It was a lot different from club because there was a lot less pressure, and I was able to have fun, like express creativity more.
“I really enjoyed it. It was a really good experience for me to start early.”
Sansone didn’t merely play at St. Stephen’s, which is in Bradenton. She thrived while competing against girls as much as four years older. She won the team MVP award and earned all-state honors from the Florida Athletic Coaches Association after recording 16 goals and 10 assists.
“It definitely gave me more confidence,” Sansone said. “Just being able to play with older players really helped me raise my pace level, and it helped me work on things that I wouldn’t normally be able to work on in club, like taking more opportunities dribbling, taking more shots and working on that side of my game.”
Sansone was born in Chicago but moved to Florida in 2020 so she could play sports during the coronavirus pandemic. She attended the prestigious IMG Academy for three years, training and playing with and against some of the top young players in the country.
“IMG was a great experience to help me learn how to travel, like learn how to manage the student-athlete life,” Sansone said. “Playing with older players really helped me develop both attacking and offensive sides of the game.
“I was playing up my first two years with the 07s and 08s, so that was a great experience to get into 11-on-11 early and develop my tactical side of my game. I was already technical from a young age because I played futsal.”
Sansone, who is an only child, could have stayed in Florida. But her family moved back to Chicago so she could continue a family legacy. Sansone’s father, Rocco, who played baseball at UIC, is a Fenwick graduate.
“Here was a good option because I had the Eclipse, which is my club team, which is very competitive, and Fenwick is my dad’s alma mater,” Sansone said.
She said she has adjusted well.
“I was a little nervous going in, but after the school year started, I was really excited because I enjoy the challenging academics and the good classes,” Sansone said. “Especially playing soccer here is super fun because I get to represent my school. It’s a good experience.”
Sansone has been good for the Friars (6-8-1), who have benefited from her skill and experience to compete against a tough schedule. Seven of their losses have been one-goal decisions against larger schools.
“She’s done well,” Fenwick coach Craig Blazer said. “She’s got a high soccer IQ and is very passionate and very focused, very tough. We’re trying to learn about everybody and adapting every day, but she’s been terrific for us.
“She’s a great student-athlete already. We can see that in the short time that I’ve known her, so it’s a pleasure to have her on the team.”
The Friars have welcomed Sansone with open arms. Senior midfielder Finley Dondlinger, a co-captain, likes what Sansone has contributed.
“She’s been a huge help throughout the whole season already,” Dondlinger said. “She’s definitely one of our best players. I know I can pass to her and rely on her to keep the ball. She always can keep it.”
Sansone has had a hand in nearly half of Fenwick’s 30 goals. She has scored seven, which ranks second on the team behind freshman midfielder Lila Gaddipati’s 11, and has a team-leading seven assists.
“She’s always super positive, and she always knows what she’s going to do with the ball right away,” Dondlinger said. “All of us can trust her with the ball.”
That trust works both ways and helps explain Sansone’s comfort level.
“I think she’s a student of the game, and I think she really enjoys her teammates,” Blazer said. “I can see that they have a lot of fun together, and I think she’s passionate about Fenwick.”
Sansone has always been passionate about soccer.
“I was just drawn to it from a really young age,” she said. “I enjoy the competitive aspect of a team sport, and having the ball at my feet was just very natural.
“My dad was involved in my coaching, so he got me into it. I wouldn’t be where I am without him. He’s a big help in my soccer career.”
Sansone said she’s aiming to play at a Division I college and perhaps the professional level after that.
But the more immediate question is whether she will play for Fenwick throughout her high school career.
“If you’re in an environment that you like and you feel like you’re playing better, I can see her playing here all four years,” Blazer said.
So can Dondlinger, who gave Sansone some simple advice before the season began.
“Yeah, let’s hope,” Dondlinger said. “I just told her to keep her head up and stay positive. This is just a game. We’re playing to have fun.”
Sansone is doing just that so far.
“I really enjoy playing with this team,” she said. “I’m happy.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
