Published: May 04, 2006 11:01 pm            

Schooled on soccer

BLUEFIELD — When most college signings are done, they're set up at the high school the student attends.

That wasn't possible with Jonathan Pelts. Unless it was done at home.

Being home-schooled, the opportunity to play a sport in college appeared to be a slim possibility. Not to Pelts or his family.

"My parents decided when I was young that God was leading them to home-school me instead of going to the public schools," Pelts said. "I believe it's been good, especially with the way my soccer career has been going and everything that has happened, I believe that it has been really great for me."

His parents, Wayne and Beverly Pelts of Bluefield, would agree. Pelts recently committed to play soccer at Covenant College. A member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference, the Scots have had one of the better teams in the league and have been among the nation’s elite since 2002.

"We're excited to have expanded our recruiting to the West Virginia area," said Covenant head coach John Miglarese, who Pelts said is bringing in 11 freshmen for the fall. "Jonathan is a great kid and I'm looking forward to see what he can do at the college level."

Pelts started out like most any other kid, playing soccer in local recreational leagues. When Pelts turned 12, he joined the East River Travel Club on the U-12 team. His soccer adventure was just beginning.

"I've grown to love it, the sport, the moves, the action that's in it, you're constantly running so you constantly have to be in shape," Pelts said. "Also the awareness, it's a mental sport in that you have to know where you are on the field and where your other players are.

“It’s even mental even off the field. You have to train on your own for soccer, you have to stay on top of your game. You can't expect to go to practices two or three times a week and expect to become the next Renaldo."

Pelts could play in the spring with East River and would through his junior year of school, but West Virginia doesn't have high school soccer in the fall. What do to with that period? That's when family friend, Dr. Walt Novikoff, a one-time doctor in Princeton, encouraged him to join a travel team so he could play year-round.

After much thought and prayer, Pelts tried out for the Roanoke Stars. It helped that his best friend, Chris Novikoff, was doing the same thing. Both made it. Chris is now a standout baseball pitcher at the University of Memphis.

"Things worked out, I made the team and I went twice a week for practices and then had games on the weekend," Pelts said. "I was the captain for the team my freshman year and I was the leading scorer."

Before entering his sophomore year of school, Pelts joined the Blacksburg-New River Rapids of the Blue Ridge Classic League. His coach was Kasey Monaghan, who played at North Carolina with Mia Hamm. She was also a former member of the U.S. Women's National Team.

"She has been the greatest influence on me as a coach because she taught me how to play the game and let the game come to me instead of me trying to go and make things happen," Pelts said. "She just taught me a lot of the fundamentals and how to control my composure."

That became habit for the next three years. East River didn't have a team this year, but Pelts stayed busy, working with Concord coaches Steve Barrett, Peter Underwood and David Welch.

"I had been the captain in my sophomore and junior years for the East River team and Peter has been training me the past two years," Pelts said. "He has really been a great influence on my game...he's really helped to me to work on my game and see the small things, the small errors and helped me to become better."

Last summer, Pelts started looking at potential colleges. He visited five schools, but felt a higher power pulling him toward Covenant, located in Lookout Mountain, Ga.

"I went to Covenant in September and talked to the soccer coach and he told me to come back and train with the team," Pelts said. "I was able to practice with the team and get to know them a little bit and he said he would give me a shot and gave me a scholarship to come there and play."

For Pelts, that made all the road trips worth it all. Pelts had always dreamed of playing for the Tar Heels — always one of the nation’s best programs — but, once again, felt a pull elsewhere.

"It's always been a dream, when I young I always said I was going to UNC, but then I realized I wanted to go somewhere else," he said. "Especially this year, God has really spoken to me and said he wanted me to go somewhere that is a Christian liberal arts school, small and somewhere where I really fit in.

"I felt like Covenant was the best choice for me and I really felt God was leading me to go to Covenant as well. I really thank Covenant for giving me the opportunity to play there and they've given me a chance to continue my soccer career."

Pelts, who has three siblings who are also being home-schooled, understands the sacrifices his family made to make this possible.

"My mom made the most amount of sacrifices,” Pelts said. “Whenever the Novikoff's couldn’t take me to Roanoke, she would take me, or during my sophomore year, I didn’t have my full license yet so she would end up taking me twice a week to practices and to games on the weekends.

“Financially, they also made a big sacrifice. Travel soccer is not cheap."

Pelts, who attended Mercer Christian on a part-time as a junior to play basketball, didn’t always want to be home-schooled, but now realizes it worked for him.

"I'm very pleased with the decision of being home-schooled, it's allowed me to do all this stuff," Pelts said. "I would never have gotten all this experience of traveling to different parts of Virginia and yet participating in West Virginia sports as well."

A love of soccer has send Pelts on the many roads. His next road will take him a few states away.

“We're very proud of him,” Wayne Pelts said.

Beverly added; “I'm pleased the Lord is giving him this opportunity...”

“I'm just thankful for this opportunity,” added Jonathan, “and that He's given me this ability to be able to play at the next level.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

        

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