The path of a professional football isn’t unlike that of a doctor or a lawyer, a musician or a figure skater. For Ottawa soccer academy proprietor Kevin Nelson, the key similarity is that when you are devoted to the path, where it leads is far less important than the goal you have set for yourself. “I realize that I can share my experience on what it takes to get there. It doesn’t have to be soccer, says Nelson, whose Kevin Nelson Soccer Academy launched late last year. “There’s only one way, there’s no secret. If you believe in yourself and you work hard towards it, I think you can achieve anything in the world, just like I did.”
He had known the path wouldn’t be a linear one since he was first chosen to represent Trinidad & Tobago at the U16 level ahead of qualifiers for the FIFA U16 World Cup. Born in Patience Hill, Tobago, Nelson had to travel to the larger island of Trinidad from Thursday to Monday, many times missing school, to train with the other players from the Caribbean nation. Although, sometimes his family could not afford the travel arrangements, the time he spent with the team paid off.
Traveling to El Salvador after qualifying for the continental (CONCACAF) playoff against heavyweights Mexico, Costa Rica and the United States, moving up to the U20 national team, playing at Signal Hill Comprehensive where his hero Dwight Yorke had played ahead of a storied career in England and playing for San Juan Jabloteh. These things were clear steps on the path.
Hard work and dedication doesn’t ensure an smooth ride nor a clear path, however. At just 19, Nelson headed to Germany in search of his first European contract. “The people who brought me there thought I should get a contract in two weeks, it wasn’t happening,” said Nelson, who returned to find his bags outside of the home of his hosts one day. “But, I knew that if I went back home, the life was not easy. I knew I had to do what it takes.” So, he contacted a friend who was playing in Germany for help. While the friend couldn’t take him in, he did let him use his house as a base during the day. Nelson spent a few nights alone in an unknown German city. He did eventually find a contract, playing a season for FK Pirmasens.
On another occasion, he spent a few days watching soccer on TV, alone in a British airport, waiting for confirmation of a ticket home to Tobago after an agent left him high and dry. He had been offered a second team contract at a Beligan club, however, the agent couldn’t agree to a fee. “There was some miscommunication,” says Nelson. “(I) had a big argument with the agent, he said ‘ok, you find your own way home’ and left me in the airport.” Again, when you’re working towards a lifelong goal, it matters little when the path seems lost as long as you know you’re still involved in your passion.
Returning home after his European foray, Nelson settled back in at his Trinidad club. A visiting manager from storied Venezuelan club, Caracas FC, led to a new contract. “The owner of the club (was) in Trinidad visiting on holidays,” says Nelson. “My friend Junior Mills had a sports bar, and (the owner) was in the bar and they were talking soccer. He said ‘my buddy plays soccer, he just returned from Europe.’ He invited me for a tryout, went down for the tryout and boom.”
By the time Nelson arrived in Ottawa ahead of the inagural season for the Ottawa Wizards franchise in 2001, he had played professionally in Trinidad, Germany and Venezuela with additional stops in Beligum, England and an offer from Columbia. His story in Canada continues in part two.