We had a chance to catch up with Kevin to find out how and why he got into the game of soccer. “I grew up honestly first playing the game on the street. My friends and I would play diagonally across our street using driveways for goals. Trying to start and stop as cars drove by certainly wasn’t the safest environment, but it was extremely entertaining thinking back now. That was typical for many kids growing up in Belfast as there wasn’t a ton of recreational parks or facilities.
I didn’t start playing organized soccer until I was a little older, about 12 or 13. I had played all sports growing up until that point but after strong persuasion, my parents eventually allowed me to join a club team. After that there was no looking back. I was obsessed with playing. My favorite idols growing up were Paul Gascoigne, Eric Cantona and Zinedine Zidane.
At u16 I had the chance to represent Northern Ireland for the first time which was a great experience to play on an international level. I eventually moved into the u18 Northern Ireland School Boys Team. At 18 I made the move across to the USA to attend and play at the University of Rio Grande. During those 4 years I also had the opportunity to play in PDL (Kalamazoo Kingdom and the Dayton Gems). After graduating I signed a professional contract with the Cincinnati Kings that played in the USL which lasted about 4 years.
It was then time to get into coaching. I have been lucky to coach at many different levels and work with some fantastic people within the US soccer pyramid. I started coaching mainly because of the strong influence of two coaches I had growing up, Jackie Maxwell and Andy McMorran. Both coaches positively influenced so many other young players in Belfast. I was lucky and to this day, very thankful for the encouragement and guidance they provided. I am very excited about the great coaches and mentors we have not just in our club but in our city. Soccer in Cincinnati is on the rise and we all have a part to play in helping these young people grow.”
