Talia Gabarra is no stranger to adversity. For a solid year, Gabarra has rehabbed and worked out to heal a serious knee injury as well as a herniated disc in her back in order to play soccer at the University of Central Florida this fall.
Gabarra never imagined she’d be sidelined by two separate injuries. “I worked so hard to get back on the field,” says Gabarra, a recent Broadneck graduate who plays the sport year-round. “It’s one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to go through. It was horrible, but it has made me a stronger person.”
The 5-foot-7 Gabarra tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee in June of 2018 while playing for the U19 Washington Spirit Development Academy team.
She rehabbed the injury for three months and worked out for another seven before being cleared to resume soccer activities in April.
Then, Gabarra, a midfielder, suffered a herniated disc and had a stem cell shot help alleviate the problem. She believes the injuries were related.
Gabarra’s rigorous routine during her comeback, which included lifting weights for eight hours a week and running for another six, made her a stronger and more determined player.
“I learned to really appreciate the game when you are not playing it,” Gabarra explains. “I missed it so much. You realize how important it is to you. I also learned how to really take care of my body in every way possible. I learned how to work well in the weight room and out on the field running. I learned a lot about mental and physical strength.”
Gabarra couldn’t wait for fall practices to start with Central Florida on August 5th. The Knights, who Gabarra chose over scholarship offers from Virginia and Florida, opened the season August 22nd against Wisconsin.
The 18-year-old Gabarra hasn’t appeared in a game in 13 months.
“She’s as motivated as anybody can be because she hasn’t played in a while,” says Gabarra’s mother, Carin, the women’s soccer head coach at Navy. “Central Florida is a very accomplished program. It’s a really big jump for her. She is playing with 21- and 22-year-olds. She has to earn playing time and get after it.”
At Broadneck, Gabarra had a stellar career, leading the Bruins to two Class 4A championships. She assisted on the game-winning goal in both title games.
Gabarra finished her career with 24 goals and 23 assists, including a school-record 16 assists in 2017. That year, she earned Capital Gazette’s Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
“She’s probably the best player skill-wise we’ve had in school history,” Broadneck Girls’ Soccer Coach John Camm says. “She was so calm with the ball and had such an innate ability to beat defenders one-on-one. She spent a lot of time playing on high-level club teams.”
Gabarra played two years with the Washington Spirit, traveling to tournaments all over the country. She also had stints with two other club teams: Maryland United FC and Bethesda Soccer Club. She’s played soccer for 15 years.
“Her strengths lie in her technical and tactical ability,” Carin says. “She has a very high soccer I.Q. She processes and figures things out very quickly.”
Gabarra comes from a soccer family. Her mother has served as head coach at Navy since 1993 and played on the 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. national team. Her father, Jim, played on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team and was a longtime professional coach and player. Gabarra’s brother, Tyler, is currently playing at North Carolina State.
“I think I can go on and on about how central they were to my development,” Gabarra says of her parents. “I am blessed to have grown up in a house with two soccer coaches.”
