When Kalani Kossa-Rienzi began his college recruiting process, he had no interest in pursuing any Pacific Northwest schools.
The now 24-year-old was unenthused with the idea of living in a climate that consisted of rain and a winter that saw little to no sun. But with his reluctance, his coaches and family encouraged him to take visits to schools like the University of Washington, regardless of his initial opinion of the region.
What was originally a last-ditch excursion to the Pacific Northwest turned into something much bigger: a new home, a tight-knit community and the eventual opportunity to pursue a soccer career after college with the Seattle Sounders.
“[When] I came up here, slowly, my head started to turn, and I was like, ‘Well, it's actually pretty cool here,’” said Kossa-Rienzi.
Through the culture of togetherness embodied at UW and the newfound hobbies he discovered even on the dreariest of days, the California native has embraced Seattle and all that it has to offer since his arrival to the city in 2020.
And that camaraderie didn’t change after joining the Sounders. Whether it be the continued relationships from his college experience or the family-like atmosphere built at the club, Kossa-Rienzi has been able to maintain a strong sense of community that has helped him navigate his first two years at the professional level.
“My other buddies who didn't get drafted to the same city team that they were in before, it was just hard for a lot of [them]; they felt isolated. They felt like they didn't have their family or friends around, and it was hard to make new friends, because you're so busy with soccer,” Kossa-Rienzi said. “But for me, I already had my community and everything built in. So when it came down to it, I didn't need to focus on the outside stuff as much, and I could really just dial in on soccer.”
He credits fellow UW alums Cristian Roldan and former Sounder Dylan Teves for serving as guides when he was initially drafted to the club.
“Dylan was somebody that I could just text or call and I remember when I got drafted, he was one of the first people I [reached out to],” Kossa-Rienzi said. “And I was like, ‘Can you give me a rundown? What should I be expecting? What should I come into preseason looking like?’”
“And then even the same with Cristian,” he continued. “I texted him before I really knew him and he was able to just give me [advice] like, ‘Look, coach likes this. These are the types of players that succeed here. Try not to worry too much, try not to stress, and just go out there and be yourself.’”
In addition to internal support at the club, Kossa-Rienzi found it necessary to separate himself from the game and its daily stressors through the help of his partner, Alex, and his two dogs, Oppa and Roscoe.
“With the intensity and the energy that you're expending and the focus that you have, and the stress on your body from games, and all the fans, the noise, all this stuff happening, [you’re at an] all-time high,” said Kossa-Rienzi. “And then being able to come and do stuff like [going on a walking trail] just like, mellows it all out.”
He also finds ways to sustain a positive well-being through implementing daily routines, such as cold plunges and stretching. Kossa-Rienzi says his swim sessions in the ocean allow him to fully decompress.
“The ocean is so humbling and just nice to be in. It makes you feel so good. For me, it's just one of those things that I use to ground myself,” Kossa-Rienzi said. “It's always a very comforting feeling of just enjoying Mother Nature…So, the ocean's always been a big part of my life.”
His underlying talent on the pitch has earned him the opportunity to compete in the professional soccer space. But it’s the balance he incorporates between his career and life outside of soccer that has allowed him to flourish.
“When it's too much intensity and focus and all this stuff, I don't perform as well. And then the same thing on the other side, when there's not enough and it's just all mellow, I get antsy and want to do more,” Kossa-Rienzi said.
“I think it's good to just get the complete opposite ends of the spectrum.”
