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McCallie soccer star Gui Vivaldini wins Tennessee Gatorade award before heading to UNC
After a stellar senior season, McCallie boys soccer senior midfielder/forward Gui Vivaldini added the state’s Gatorade Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to his impressive resume. (Photo: Scottie Jones)

McCallie soccer star Gui Vivaldini wins Tennessee Gatorade award before heading to UNC

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (BVM) — During the 2021 McCallie School boys soccer season, Gui Vivaldini was one of the key players for a Blue Tornado team that won a state title the last full season they were on the field. That 2019 season, the sophomore would be named a TopDrawerSoccer.com All-American. When he returned as a senior, Vivaldini was again one of the best players in the state as he scored 14 goals and added seven assists helping the team to an 8-2-2 record and a Division II-AA state semifinals appearance.

“I’d say my favorite part was honestly just to have a season because last year we didn’t have one because of COVID,” Vivaldini said. “I think it was just great to be out there and play again.”

Though McCallie couldn’t defend its state title, it wasn’t for a lack of trying by Vivaldini. The Division II-AA Middle/East Region Player of the Year this season, Vivaldini would not be finished earning individual hardware. On June 11, the senior striker was named the Gatorade Tennessee Boys Soccer Player of the Year for his performance.

“First of all, I’m grateful for everyone who helped me win it and it means a lot,” Vivaldini said. “I feel like it’s something where I had confidence in how good I was, but receiving an award, especially the Gatorade Player of the Year, is just a reminder to myself and my college coaches and everyone who knows me that I am ready to play in college. It’s just a big confidence booster I think.”

After a 14 goal and seven assist season, Vivaldini became just the third Blue Tornado to be named the state’s Gatorade boys basketball player of the year. (Photo: Scottie Jones)

Vivaldini is just the third Blue Tornado player to win the award, joining Drew Viscomi in 2017 and Ben Stafford in 1997. He is now also eligible for Gatorade’s national boys’ soccer player of the year award which will be announced later in June.

“Gui plays with so much speed and is dangerous in so many ways,” Chattanooga Christian High head boys soccer coach Warren Smith said in a Gatorade press release. “He is very, very difficult to defend. His size makes him a force.”

With his phenomenal senior season, Vivaldini finished his Blue Tornado career with 41 goals and 23 assists. His skills and abilities against top level competition brought the eyes of many college scouts, but in January, Vivaldini made his decision to join the University of North Carolina at the next level. However, soccer wasn’t at the forefront of his decision.

“Obviously UNC is great at soccer and everything, we all know that, it’s a big ACC school with one of the best programs in history so that was already a big standout in my opinion,” Vivaldini said. “But, mostly the academics part [swayed me]. I knew that if I went to UNC and it turned out I didn’t want to make a career in soccer or something like that, I have the best academics in the country. That was a major factor for me to commit there too.”

Though this transition to a new school won’t be anything new for Vivaldini, he arrived to McCallie straight from his home country of Brazil on his own, he admits it will still be difficult given the significance of college. However, he plans to lean on the lessons he learned from his time at the Tennessee school to help him in the change of environment.

“The whole brotherhood at McCallie, not only the soccer program but the entire school embraces it, that feeling of belonging somewhere I know helped me out whenever I came from Brazil to fit in because it was a lot easier because everyone truly does love each other and we all want the best for each other,” Vivaldini said. “That’s something that definitely progressed my life and will be something I embrace so everywhere I go I will try to make sure everyone on my team or where I work feels welcomed or feel like they belong.”

During the 2021 spring soccer season, the Tar Heels fell in the NCAA College Cup semifinals to eventual national champion Marshall, 1-0. Though it fell short of the championship, North Carolina exceeded expectations as it finished ranked No. 4 in the country in the final United Soccer Coaches poll, an 11-spot jump from its highest ranking earlier in the season. Vivaldini, though he doesn’t know quite yet where he’ll fit in in terms of his position, knows he can contribute to the Tar Heels as soon as he can.

“I just look forward to going in and competing for a spot and trying to get as many minutes as I can,” Vivaldini said. “[I want to] help the team out as much as I can to eventually win a national championship.”

Seen as a team on the rise, the addition of a talent like Vivaldini can only help the Tar Heels heading into their next season. For Vivaldini, the opportunity to further build his list of achievements during his time at North Carolina will be one he relishes.

“Honestly, the first goal in mind is to help the team win a championship, however that comes. I’m going there to win. It’s a school of winners and I’m going there with a winner’s mentality,” Vivaldini said. “Personally, I’d love to win awards and stuff like that, but I just want to be someone who is remembered and who coaches talk about after no matter what I do. Even if I don’t end up being as much of a key player as much as other players, but just be remembered as a person who goes in there and works as hard as he can and helps the team out.”