Christina Falvo drives the ball downfield during a 1-1 draw with Allentown at home on Oct. 15, 2013. (Staff photo by Samantha Sciarrotta.)
Alanna Falvo approaches an Allentown player during 1-1 draw between Allentown and Steinert on Oct. 15, 2013. (Staff photo by Samantha Sciarrotta.)
Apparently, one good thing about being a twin is that it makes a person doubly sarcastic.
A question was presented to Steinert High senior soccer players Christina (Chri) and Alanna (Lan) Falvo, asking them to explain what life is like as a twin, and Christina had her answer at the ready.
“Hmmmm,” she said. “I’ve never been asked that one before.”
Zing!
But in being a good trooper, she answered the question for probably the 1,000th time in her life.
“It is the most amazing thing to be a twin, especially if you’re as close as Alanna and I are,” she said. “It’s like having a built-in best friend. Alanna and myself are kind of classified into a group—everyone just calls us ‘The Falvos’ rather than Lan and Chri.
“Every April Fools day, if it’s on a school day, we switch classes and most of the teachers can’t tell.”
Alanna also loves being doubled up, although she does wonder what life would be like if she were going it alone.
“Personally, it’s awesome being a twin,” she said. “But I think it would be cool to see what it was like not to be a twin. When we were growing up people really couldn’t tell us apart, but once everyone gets to know us they think we are completely different.
“On the field we always played different positions, so there was never really any competition there, but being a twin there’s a lot of competition (in life). People that we’re close to don’t really confuse us that much, and my dad was my coach growing up so he didn’t confuse us either. Also, all of my Steinert coaches were good at telling us apart.”
Spartan head coach Aimee Turnbull doesn’t worry about telling them apart. She is just glad to have the two of them, as they are unsung heroes on a team that started the season 8-1-1.
“They’re not girls who are gonna get a lot of goals or a lot of assists,” Turnbull said. “But they’re great team players, and you know they’ll just work hard. They do whatever they can to help the team in any way.
“It’s not about scoring goals, getting the assists with them. Christina’s got a great throw-in, and we use that to help us go forward. They do a lot for us, it just might not be in that boxscore.”
Alanna is a central defender, while Christina plays an outside midfield.
“Alanna plays the entire game,” Turnbull said. “She works extremely hard and never gives up. We ask her to cover a lot of ground and she does.
“With Christina, it’s the same thing. We demand a lot from our outside mids, up and back, up and back, up and back.”
They may be at different spots on the field, but their attitude is always the same.
“One thing I can say about both of those kids is they will work and work and work and never complain,” Turnbull said. “They’ll never ask to come out for a break. They clock in, they work really, really hard and they just never give up.”
They also have the benefit of freaking other players out at times.
“A few girls have stopped me on the field to say ‘Wait, there are two of you?’” Christina said.
“No one has ever said it to me,” Alanna said. “But I’m sure people give us a double look when we play them.”
The sisters began playing soccer in Hamilton rec, then tried out for a boys travel team and made it.
“But,” Christina said, “Mother didn’t agree with that one.”
From there they went to the GAK where they played travel soccer with other future Spartans. When they arrived at Steinert, Christina played on the freshman team, then JV as a sophomore, and made varsity as a junior. Alanna did likewise, although she was called up to varsity for the state tournament during her sophomore year.
Throughout their career, they have been quiet contributors.
“I love playing defense,” Alanna said. “I also love playing with Darah (Wagner) in the center, she is such a good player and I love when we work together to win head balls. It’s our favorite!
“Even though I don’t score, I like contributing to the team in other ways, like assists and making other things happen on the field,” Alanna continued, adding with a laugh, “Also I’ve never been a good striker.”
She shares that trait with her sister.
“I’ve never been much of a scorer and I’ve never played in a scoring position,” Christina said. “I don’t mind not getting recognition as long as I’m contributing to a win, that’s all that matters.”
The two have that burning desire to win because they have spent a lifetime competing against each other.
Sibling rivalries are always fierce. When they look like each other, it has an added dimension. But when they play with each other, it’s an added bonus.
“It’s cool being a twin…most of the time,” Christina said. “Everything we do is a competition, which can be frustrating but beneficial at the same time.
“I love playing on the field with my sister. It feels just natural. I actually wish we played closer on the field because when we play we have really good chemistry.”
Alanna, who says the two hope to attend Towson University next fall, has an analysis so similar it’s almost frightening.
“For the most part, it’s cool being a twin,” she said. “We just sometimes argue about stupid things. Like if we are running late to practice we always tell each other to hurry up.
“As for our chemistry on the field, we do play really well together, but I play in the center she plays out wide so I feel like there would be more chemistry if we both maybe played the center.”
Turnbull makes it unanimous about the competition vs. chemistry.
“They’re competitive with each other,” the coach said. “But they’re a nice compliment with each other as well.”
They are also veterans on a team laden with young players who have steadily improved as the season progresses. The Spartans have two freshmen starting in the back in Kelsey Gmitter and Arianna Durling.
“I actually love having so many young people on varsity because the freshmen all work really hard,” Alanna said. “I also love playing with them, too. I trust the two freshmen 100 percent. Also, it’s cool being a senior. I feel so old!”
“They are like my little sisters and I love being a role model for them,” Christina said. “All of the younger girls on the team are awesome and have every right to be on varsity, they all work their butts off. When they get in the game they make things happen.”
They are fortunate to have guiding hands like the Falvos to help out. And while the twins’ performance and leadership qualities are equal, their personalities tend to be singular.
“You don’t want to compare them too much,” Turnbull said. “I have twin nieces so I know they’re their own different people. Their personalities are different.”
Alanna claims that she’s always been the “tough guy” and Christina is “the more softer one.” Christina says that Alanna is more “carefree” and that “I’m a worry wart.” Alanna thinks she’s the more immature of the two.
And as Christina has proven, she’s certainly more sarcastic.
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