Gabriel Slonina is making waves — and not only for becoming the Chicago Fire’s ‘scary’ good goalkeeper. The Addison native’s unrelenting work ethic and maturity are well beyond his 17 years.

“The moment you start to get comfortable is the moment you stop improving,” he told the Tribune. “It’s always about that mindset of never being comfortable, putting yourself in uncomfortable situations because that’s what really grows us. The biggest amount of growth comes from when you’re uncomfortable, when you’re not in a place you want to be, when you have to work to get where you want to be.”