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<DIV id=content minmax_bound="true"><H1 minmax_bound="true">Heading for the top? Freshman phenom is a celebrity at home in Jamaica, rising soccer star at Brandeis</H1>
<P minmax_bound="true"><P minmax_bound="true">Shelton Stewart, '06, may become the best soccer player in Brandeis history. <P minmax_bound="true">At least that is what Coach Mike Coven predicts if the first-year phenomenon continues playing as he did during the fall 2002 semester. Stewart's 10 goals and 30 points brought him the honor of being named University Athletic Association (UAA) Rookie of the Year. <P minmax_bound="true">And how does the 19-year-old Jamaican native feel about the prospect of being immortalized in the University's athletic annals? <P minmax_bound="true">"I'm pretty excited," he says, "but I am still working on it. I was a bit slow this season, and didn't move as fast as I used to." <P minmax_bound="true">It was Stewart's fast moves and hard work that earned him a spot on the Reggae Boyz, the Jamaican National Football U-17 Team when he was 12. At 13, he was captain of the team, leading players that were ages 14-17. At 15, a high-school sophomore, he again served as captain and played in the Youth World Cup in New Zealand for the team. <P minmax_bound="true">Despite his long, impressive record, Stewart takes his accomplishments in stride. "I must admit, I am a little modest," he says. <P minmax_bound="true">Stewart's modesty is one of his many winning traits. According to Coven, Stewart is also "a wonderful guy with a great disposition, a joy to work with...You feel good when you are with him." His modesty is especially evident when one discovers that he is a legitimate celebrity in Jamaica, unable to go out in public without being recognized by adoring fans. <P minmax_bound="true">Soccer is Stewart's passion. Even on a dark, snowy afternoon, Shelton is wearing his bright green and yellow uniform from the New Zealand Youth World Cup and his favorite indoor soccer cleats. And if his love for the game isn't apparent enough in his clothing, it is in his words and actions. <P minmax_bound="true">Almost everything he does is centered around the sport. He has played the game since he was 4. In elementary school, he was named to his state teams. In high school at Hotchkiss, an independent boarding school in Connecticut--which he attended at the suggestion of fellow football club members--he excelled in the soccer program, earning a place on the Western New England Prep School Association (wnepsa) team each year and All-State and All-New England honors in his senior year. During the summers, he ran a youth soccer camp at home named for the Humble Lions, a well-known Jamaican team for which he played. <P minmax_bound="true">Stewart even picked Brandeis because of soccer. "I know academics are important, but I made my decision based on soccer. Coach Coven showed a lot of interest in me and went out on a limb," he continues, "That's why I am here...and I love it here. It is my type of school, a little quiet. It is a great school with great people." <P minmax_bound="true">"I am thrilled that he is here," Coven says, adding that Stewart is "a leader on the field and a polished player." <P minmax_bound="true">Stewart developed his playing style by modeling his game after soccer legend Diego Maradona and after his best friend, Alex Thomas. "Maradona is inspiring on the field. He has great vision and great passing skills," Stewart says, "When I pass the ball, I am a better player." As for Alex, Stewart gives high praise. "He is a really hard worker, strong on the field; a great motivator on the field. He is a team player and knows the game well." <P minmax_bound="true">Stewart hopes after he graduates to play professional soccer in Spain, where the game is "fast...The Spanish league requires a lot from you. It's a thinking game," he says. "I like to play a whirlwind, when the other team is coming at you...that is when
<P minmax_bound="true"><P minmax_bound="true">Shelton Stewart, '06, may become the best soccer player in Brandeis history. <P minmax_bound="true">At least that is what Coach Mike Coven predicts if the first-year phenomenon continues playing as he did during the fall 2002 semester. Stewart's 10 goals and 30 points brought him the honor of being named University Athletic Association (UAA) Rookie of the Year. <P minmax_bound="true">And how does the 19-year-old Jamaican native feel about the prospect of being immortalized in the University's athletic annals? <P minmax_bound="true">"I'm pretty excited," he says, "but I am still working on it. I was a bit slow this season, and didn't move as fast as I used to." <P minmax_bound="true">It was Stewart's fast moves and hard work that earned him a spot on the Reggae Boyz, the Jamaican National Football U-17 Team when he was 12. At 13, he was captain of the team, leading players that were ages 14-17. At 15, a high-school sophomore, he again served as captain and played in the Youth World Cup in New Zealand for the team. <P minmax_bound="true">Despite his long, impressive record, Stewart takes his accomplishments in stride. "I must admit, I am a little modest," he says. <P minmax_bound="true">Stewart's modesty is one of his many winning traits. According to Coven, Stewart is also "a wonderful guy with a great disposition, a joy to work with...You feel good when you are with him." His modesty is especially evident when one discovers that he is a legitimate celebrity in Jamaica, unable to go out in public without being recognized by adoring fans. <P minmax_bound="true">Soccer is Stewart's passion. Even on a dark, snowy afternoon, Shelton is wearing his bright green and yellow uniform from the New Zealand Youth World Cup and his favorite indoor soccer cleats. And if his love for the game isn't apparent enough in his clothing, it is in his words and actions. <P minmax_bound="true">Almost everything he does is centered around the sport. He has played the game since he was 4. In elementary school, he was named to his state teams. In high school at Hotchkiss, an independent boarding school in Connecticut--which he attended at the suggestion of fellow football club members--he excelled in the soccer program, earning a place on the Western New England Prep School Association (wnepsa) team each year and All-State and All-New England honors in his senior year. During the summers, he ran a youth soccer camp at home named for the Humble Lions, a well-known Jamaican team for which he played. <P minmax_bound="true">Stewart even picked Brandeis because of soccer. "I know academics are important, but I made my decision based on soccer. Coach Coven showed a lot of interest in me and went out on a limb," he continues, "That's why I am here...and I love it here. It is my type of school, a little quiet. It is a great school with great people." <P minmax_bound="true">"I am thrilled that he is here," Coven says, adding that Stewart is "a leader on the field and a polished player." <P minmax_bound="true">Stewart developed his playing style by modeling his game after soccer legend Diego Maradona and after his best friend, Alex Thomas. "Maradona is inspiring on the field. He has great vision and great passing skills," Stewart says, "When I pass the ball, I am a better player." As for Alex, Stewart gives high praise. "He is a really hard worker, strong on the field; a great motivator on the field. He is a team player and knows the game well." <P minmax_bound="true">Stewart hopes after he graduates to play professional soccer in Spain, where the game is "fast...The Spanish league requires a lot from you. It's a thinking game," he says. "I like to play a whirlwind, when the other team is coming at you...that is when
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