Island Trees' Olivia Carbonaro is stonewalling shots and diabetes while becoming a top soccer goalie
Island Trees High School goalkeeper Olivia Carbonaro poses in the net on Wednesday. Credit: Kathy M. Helgeson
Every dive, every leap, and every save starts long before Olivia Carbonaro pulls on her goalie gloves. For the Island Trees junior, the toughest part isn’t always what happens between the goal posts — it’s the daily discipline of managing her Type 1 diabetes to be ready to play the game she loves.
“When I was around 8 years old, the team I was playing for at the time just kind of needed someone to play goalie,” Carbonaro said. “I tried it, and loved it, so I decided to stick with it. I fell in love with the feeling you get after making a great play.”
But after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 10, Carbonaro quickly learned that being a top athlete meant balancing her passion for soccer with constant vigilance over her health.
“Getting diagnosed so young teaches you a lot of responsibility," she said. "I have to be prepared at all times. I always have to have a snack before a game, and have to keep Gatorade or gummies on the side of the net with me in case my blood sugar gets low. These things have just become a part of my routine.”
Coach Danielle Hastings has watched Carbonaro grow into both a standout player and a resilient leader.
“I’ve known Olivia since she was in fourth or fifth grade,” Hastings said. “I could tell she was an exceptional athlete right away.”
Carbonaro made the varsity team as a freshman and earned the starting spot midway through the season. As a sophomore, her teammates voted her team captain.
Over the last three years, Hastings has witnessed how Carbonaro manages the challenges of diabetes.
“You would never know she’s diabetic,” Hastings said. “There are times when all of a sudden her blood sugar will tank. She handles it so well, but I can't imagine how difficult it is for her to maintain that composure even when her body is in shambles in that moment.”
Despite moments of physical struggle, Carbonaro continues to deliver for her team. She has already made 113 saves through Friday — the fourth-most on Long Island, and the third-most in Nassau.
“It’s just the adrenaline that gets me,” Carbonaro said. “In the moment, I’m just thinking, 'I’m not letting this ball get in the net.' And it’s one of the best feelings in the world once you save it.”
“I was a keeper myself,” Hastings said. “And some of the saves she’s able to make, I’m just in awe of. I wish I could send that into SportsCenter. That’s how amazing they are.”
For Carbonaro, diabetes will always be part of her game — but it will never define it.
"Something I’ve always lived by since being diagnosed is I don’t want diabetes to define me," Carbonaro said. “I want to be good at my sport, and I won't let diabetes slow me down."
