For FGCU’s Ryanne Robinson, Veterans Day means a little bit more
Robinson’s father, grandfather, and uncle all served in the United States Military
When the National Anthem plays over the loudspeaker at Pickering Field, one of the 11 players standing on the pitch for the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles may be standing a little bit taller than the others. That’s because the Eagles’ superstar defender grew up around the Flag, watching as her father, grandfather, and uncle all proudly served in the United States Military.
Since the minute she stepped on the turf at Pickering Field for the first time, FGCU’s Ryanne Robinson was destined for greatness. The athletic defender started the first game she dressed for the Green and Blue as a freshman and all she has done since then is start 36 straight games, anchoring one of the ASUN’s top defenses while earning All-ASUN accolades as a freshman last season and preseason All-ASUN honors this year as a sophomore.
She was born with the hard work and determination to get to that position after growing up as a military kid in Hawaii where her dad, Ryan, served in the United States Navy as a second class petty officer. But it wasn’t just her Dad who proudly served the country. Robinson’s grandfather Raymond, was a 30-year veteran in the Navy, reaching master chief status, while her uncle Raymond II was a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Ryanne said as a child she remembered waiting for Ryan to come home from deployments, which spanned the globe from Japan and the Philippines in the Far East to Turkey and Dubai in the Middle East, and even Australia and parts of Africa.
“We would all be waiting for him at the base” Robinson said. “It was always very exciting when he came home.”
With that, Robinson learned that all good things are worth the wait. Her freshman season she was rewarded with an ASUN Graphite Division Championship, as a sophomore in 2026 her wait paid off with another title, this time the Eagles’ 13th ASUN Regular Season Championship. She will have to wait 48 more hours to see if she and her FGCU teammates can punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament when they square off against Lipscomb in the ASUN Championship Game at 4 p.m. at Pickering Field in Fort Myers.
“When we moved to California when I was 10, it was hard having to meet new people and adjust to a new environment” Robinson said. “But there are also positives that I see how that came from that experience. I have been able to meet so many different people throughout my life and learn that everyone is different, with different backgrounds, and that makes every person uniquely special.”
Growing up, Robinson watched the patriarchs of her family help lead the most important teams the Country put together. Now, Robinson is using those lessons on the pitch to help lead FGCU’s squad.
“Being a military kid taught me how to communicate with new people and constantly build new relationships with new teammates as we moved around” Robinson said.
While Veterans Day is special for everyone in the United States, it has a deeper meaning for Robinson and her family. When Ryanne takes the pitch with her teammates Friday at Pickering Field to play for the ASUN Championship, you can guarantee one thing, she will be at attention watching Old Glory blowing in the wind.
“It is probably a little bit more personal to me because I have had family members sacrifice so much for our Country” Robinson said. “I am forever grateful for them and that’s what makes our National Anthem especially meaningful to me before each game.”
Robinson and the Eagles host Lipscomb in a 4 p.m. kick off at Pickering Field on Friday in the ASUN Championship Game with a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
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