Each month the Southern Conference will feature a student-athlete from around the league in a series called the SoCon Spotlight. This will be an opportunity to get acquainted with the student-athletes in a different light. The question and answer session will focus on a student-athlete who contributes away from the field, course, mat or court through community service.
This month's SoCon Athlete Spotlight focuses on Elon's Steven Kinney, a senior accounting major. Kinney plays defense for the Phoenix, but also takes time to work with kids from the Burlington Soccer Club. He has also visited Honduras as part of a mission trip. We recently sat down with Steven to talk about his work with the Burlington Soccer Club and his experiences as a student-athlete at Elon.
Tell us about yourself.
"I'm from Norcross, Ga., which is just a little bit north of Atlanta. My major is accounting, and I'm a center back for the men's soccer team."
What made you decide to come play soccer at Elon?
"I was looking at a few schools, and you come to the campus here, and it's just beautiful. The upkeep is really good. Then you look at the academics, and it's really grown over the past few years. The soccer team, it just had strong potential to do well. We had a new coach coming in my freshman year, and he played a style of soccer that I really enjoyed that you don't really see in college soccer, which is possessing the ball. It was just a great fit overall."
A few years back you took part in a mission trip to Honduras. Can you tell us more about that trip?
"My church back home, we set up this organization, Mission Angeles. A lady from our church is from Honduras, and her mom still lives there. Members of the church would sponsor kids and give money to the kids. I had the opportunity to go down there with my family. We saw what our money went to. It went to building a church for the kids and building homes. It was just a really eye-opening experience to see what these kids don't have that we have here. It was a great opportunity."
How did you become involved with the Burlington Soccer Club?
"That started through the Elon soccer program. We're really close-knit with them. Our assistant coach does a lot of work over there. The whole soccer team, usually every spring and in the summer, spends time with them going over there doing clinics and just spending time with those kids. It pays off because you can teach the kids, but also those kids come to our games and you really get to know them. I'll see kids at the supermarket and say hello. They'll run up and say, 'Hey Coach Kinney.'"
Can you go into that a little bit more? Do you work with a particular age group? What is your role?
"Not really a particular age group, but you work with all the kids who come out to the clinics. Me and six guys go out one day, and we'll teach them dribbling or passing, focusing on certain things each day. You can really see improvement through the kids so it's great."
What have you learned about yourself through your involvement with the soccer club?
"How privileged I am that I have the opportunity to play at the collegiate level, and hopefully these kids have the opportunity to take part in this."
What have you learned from the kids you've worked with?
"It's really great to see when you're trying to teach them passing, they pick it up, and they really start improving. To teach someone you learn more yourself because you actually have to teach them, tell them how it all works out. You become a better player yourself doing that."
Do you have a favorite part or a favorite moment that you've had since you've been working with them?
"Not really in particular, it's just so rewarding to see improvement through what you can do with the kids."
How has your work with the soccer club affected your play on the field?
"Like I said, to teach someone, you really have to know the game, and you have to express it yourself, which helps you open your mind and see how it really should be played."
How do you think that your experiences with the soccer club as well as your trip to Honduras will impact your life after college?
"It lets you see how privileged you are. Going down to Honduras, those kids had literally nothing compared to what we have. You see what you have here, and those days when you don't want to class or you don't want to go to practice, it makes you feel like there are kids out there that would give anything to have what I have."
How have your experiences affected your work in the classroom?
"Those rainy days, those cold days, when you don't want to walk over to class, or you have a lot to study for, I think about those kids in Honduras. We built them a school, and they just went crazy. I'm sitting here at a great college, and if I can't get up in the morning to go to 9:25 class, then there's something wrong with me."
You've received a lot of accolades-both in the classroom and on the field - how do you find a balance between your class work, your work as a student-athlete and working with the soccer club?
"We have an excellent staff here that helps us. We have study halls, and they help you talk with your professors. The professors here, they work with student-athletes. It's a great environment. If I'm missing stuff for a game, they'll work with me. I can come in afterwards. You have to take it upon yourself to go the extra mile, talk with your professors."
What would you say to other student-athletes who are considering getting involved in community service?
"I would say do it. It's so rewarding. My trip to Honduras, it's an eye-opening experience, seeing how you can affect other kids. With Burlington Soccer Club, seeing improvement through what God's blessed me with, and I can pass that on to younger kids."
What is your favorite part about being a student-athlete at Elon?
"It's being a part of something bigger than yourself. The Elon athletic program is a big family, and the 25 guys that are part of the soccer team, it's just one big family."
What is the best part about being a Southern Conference student-athlete?
"Probably the fierce competition; you have Furman, Davidson, all those teams. This year's play, anyone can win at this point; the competition, definitely."
Do you have a favorite memory from playing so far at Elon?
"There are a lot that come to mind. I'd probably say winning the SoCon last year, going 7-0. Winning at our rivals UNCG was definitely a highlight."
When you're talking with the kids, is there anything that you draw from your experiences as both a student and an athlete that you can talk to them about? Is there anything you've found that you can take back to them?
"Playing for so many years, you pick up certain things on how to be more efficient, or speed up the play that you pass on to those kids. Just through slowing them down and talking to them, taking them to the side and teaching them."
2009-10 SoCon Spotlight Featured Student-Athletes
Appalachian State - Sam Ramirez - Basketball (view article and interview)
College of Charleston - Emily Morgan - Soccer (view article and interview)
The Citadel - Lauren Fleming - Track & Field (view article and interview)
Davidson - Bryant Barr - Basketball (view article and interview)
Elon - Steven Kinney - Soccer (view article and interview)
Furman - Jessica Preeg - Tennis (view article and interview)
Georgia Southern - Jake Ware - Baseball (view article and interview)
UNC Greensboro - Emily Akiyama - Softball (view article and interview)
Samford - Patrick Wells - Track & Field (view article and interview)
Chattanooga - Maria Juliana Loza - Golf (view article and interview)
Western Carolina - Kristen Feemster - Basketball (view article and interview)
Wofford - Jordan Ingman - Football (view article and interview)