Men’s soccer captain looking to begin a strong senior season

Senior Nico Bellarde, captain of the Liberty men’s soccer team, is ready to lead his team to victory during his final season.

In 2017, Bellarde was made team captain as well as named to the Big South All-Academic Team. This season he hopes to continue his success with the team.

“I obviously want to make this season the best that I can, I want to really make it count,” Bellarde said.

Coach Jeff Alder has coached Bellarde since his freshman year and has seen him become a star defender and a key part of this team.

“I’ve seen Nico grow immensely in his time with me,” said Alder. “Nico is a special guy. He is very gifted on and off the field and he is using those gifts to impact people every day.”

Coach Alder said that Bellarde is one of the best natural leaders he has ever had the pleasure to coach.

“He is the kind of guy who can lead both verbally and by example, on and off the field,” said Alder.

Bellarde believes that being a leader is what God has called him to do during his time here at Liberty.

“As a captain I am basically an extension of the coaching staff so it’s really important to be
an example to the other guys, both on the field and in the classroom,” Bellarde said.

It was his faith that brought Bellarde to Liberty. He was considering three other schools to attend, and Liberty was the one that made the cut.

“Liberty was the only faith-based school I was looking at and my faith is very important to me,” Bellarde said. “I felt like Liberty offered me a family environment instead of just a place to play  soccer.”

Coach Alder is a strong believer that each and every time his team takes the field it is
representing Christ.

“We’re trying to get the guys to understand this platform that God has given them and use their abilities to share Christ with others,” said Alder. “Soccer to us is a form of daily worship.”

Bellarde’s has been using soccer as a way to bring glory to God, but with this being his final season he is starting to look ahead to his future after Liberty
soccer.

“Ideally, if I got the opportunity to continue my soccer career after I graduate I would, but I also want to be smart about it,” Bellarde said. “If I decide that I’d be better off getting my master’s degree, then I do think I’d want to stay here at Liberty for a few more years.”

However, Bellarde is not done yet. He  is still as excited as ever to be playing and says that he just wants to enjoy all the time that he has left.

“College is supposed to be some of the best years of your life, so I always just try to choose joy every day.” – Nice Bellarde

“College is supposed to be some of the best years of your life, so I always just try to choose joy every day,” Bellarde said. “I love being out there on the field, just getting after it with the boys.”

Both Bellarde and Alder have high hopes for this season, including bringing home a conference championship.

“I’d really like to see Nico and these other seniors lift a trophy at the end of their college careers,” Alder said.