Scorpions veteran Alivia Kelly has been preparing her whole life for this. Countless hours of practice. Hundreds of games. Who knows how many touches on the ball... millions? All leading to the call of her dreams-- a long-distance call with the chance to play professional soccer.
Alivia signed last week with the Wellington Phoenix of Australia's Ninja A-League. The New Zealand club needs help in their defensive backfield, and Alivia is ready to fill that void.
“It’s definitely not something I had on my bingo card for this month,” Kelly said. “But I’m very excited and I can’t wait to meet everyone and get started."
Alivia was a cornerstone of the Scorpions 2001 ECNL team under club director Evan Burokas as the starting center back, but her Scorpions connection goes farther back than that. She's been a Scorpion since playing U7 for director Fred Marks way back in 2007. The club connection even extended into her high school play at Thayer Academy, where she hit the director trifecta, playing for Nick Rugnetta.
“We could not be happier for Alivia,” said Burokas. “It’s a testament to her work ethic and desire. She has earned everything she’s gotten every step of the way.”
Spotlight had the opportunity to ask Alivia some questions from across the globe.
SS: What’s your earliest soccer memory?
AK: My earliest soccer memory is my first coed soccer team coached by my parents and a team filled with my neighbors/best friends. All I remember is my team being super competitive at the ripe age of 6. I remember taking immense pride in keeping up with the boys on each team and ultimately is probably part of the reason I am a natural defender.
SS: What’s your history with Scorpions?
AK: I started at the club at U7 and remained a scorpion up until I departed to college at U18/U19, a crazy stat if you actually look into it. I remember playing for my town team at the old Scorpions Fieldhouse in Pembroke when Fred Marks came up to me and asked if I had any interest in joining the club. At the time, I was just a kid who loved to play and begged my parents to let me sign up. From there I had great pride in being a scorpion and played for Evan Burokas for my final years with a group of girls that I have remained close with since.
SS: You were a scholar All-American at UNH. How did you make time for studies as a D1 scholarship athlete?
AK: I have taken pride in my studies throughout my career because my parents have always placed an emphasis on being multifaceted from a young age. I graduated with a BS in Neuroscience and Behavior on a pre-med track and hope to become a PA after playing professionally. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to be honored as a two time Scholar All American aside some of the best players in college soccer. This was a bittersweet moment in my career as I was able to reminisce on all the experiences that led me there.
SS: Coaches have an amazing influence on kids’ growing up. Do you have an anecdote of a coach helping or pushing you to ‘level up’ and reach a potential that you didn’t know you had in you?
AK: I was fortunate to play for a variety of coaches throughout my time at the club who all helped me grow my game in different ways. The dynamic on my team when I was a u9-u12 was integral to my development. Fred Marks did a great job at teaching us the most important parts of the game (first touch and passing) while also slipping in stories about life that helped us develop as both people and players. He often told us about how he wanted to be the lead guitarist in Pearl Jam but never wanted to put in the work. We often still laugh about some of these moments but they left us with lessons learned.
SS: What was your reaction when you got the call? Who did you share the news with first?
AK: When my agent called me and said I had a possible opportunity in the A league, I was pretty shocked initially. I had just come off a college season and wasn’t anticipating the immediate interest. But after speaking with my family about it, it was pretty clear that this was the move I wanted to make. An opportunity to grow my game in another country for my rookie season was very appealing. After speaking with some people about the club both internally and externally it was for sure a no brainer. I have been adjusting well to life in New Zealand and can’t wait to get started on the pitch!
Congratulations Alivia! Good luck and play well!
