Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
August 22, 2003, Washington Post

Kicking Up a Storm

Millions of kids play soccer. But not many kids play soccer as well as Kevin Alston.

Kevin is a 15-year-old from Silver Spring and one of the 40 players picked from around the United States to start training with the under-17 national residency program next month in Bradenton, Florida. Bradenton has a special center for top-flight athletes in tennis, golf and other sports. Kevin and the other soccer stars will train for two years for the under-17 World Cup that will be held in Peru in 2005.

Of course, Kevin, a 5-foot-61/2, 125-pound midfielder and defender, did not always play on such big-time national teams. Like lots of kids in the Washington area, Kevin took up soccer just for fun with his friends in a recreational league.

"I started playing when I was around 6 years old," Kevin told me. "I remember our shirts were orange and every team in the league had white shorts. I thought that was cool."

High-scoring, lightning-quick Kevin moved up fast. First, he played for a Classic team named the "Tsunami" in Montgomery Soccer Inc. (MSI). Then Kevin was chosen for a travel team, the Potomac Cougars. "The Cougars were a better level of soccer. That made the game more fun."

Kevin should have lots of fun in Bradenton, because the level of soccer will be sky high. Freddy Adu, the 14-year-old soccer sensation from Potomac who is lighting it up at this year's under-17 World Cup in Finland, is on the Bradenton roster.

But Bradenton will not be all soccer. Like all of the 40 kids in the program, Kevin will attend an accelerated academic program at a nearby high school. Then he will practice several hours a day, six days a week. "It will be fun," Kevin says. "Everyone will be working hard."

Being invited to Bradenton does not guarantee Kevin a spot on the under-17 World Cup team. Kevin figures there are about 18 spots on that World Cup team, with some alternates. And the national team coaches may take players who aren't in the program. Still, making it to Bradenton is bringing Kevin Alston a little closer to his dream.

"I'd love to play pro soccer someday," Kevin says with a smile.