The bright sun rolls behind the clouds covering the night sky: dark, drab, foggy and misty. The glaringly luminous stadium lights appear overhead. Boisterous and deafening sounds ring through the ears of those in the stadium. Sprinting downfield, one athlete defends another in the hopes that he does not score. With a slide tackle, the ball comes loose, the defender sprints towards the ball and he kicks it downfield.

It’s the high point of another workweek for athlete Jonathan Spector: game time.

Jonathan Spector, a former student of the class of 2004 and Lions soccer player, currently plays professional soccer for Birmingham City Football Club. In his 14th year playing professional soccer, Spector reflects on his soccer career and the faith life of Saint Viator, and he gives insight into playing professional soccer and offers advice to this year’s varsity team.
Spector attended Saint Viator High School from 2000-2002 as a freshman and sophomore before leaving to be a part of a U17 national team for soccer. While at Saint Viator, Spector played varsity soccer for two seasons, played basketball and lead a Quest retreat.

“I grew up playing many different sports,” said Spector. “I played both soccer and basketball at Saint Viator, but it wasn’t until I moved to Florida to be part of the U17 national team that I focused solely on soccer. Attending and leading were two very different experiences. The former was a valuable lesson in reflection and better understanding myself as an individual as well as building stronger and more meaningful relationships with those around me. The latter was about helping others understand the merits of having strong relationships with those around them and with God.”

The two short years spent at Saint Viator High School taught Spector many lessons.

“I only played soccer at Saint Viator for two seasons, but I was fortunate to have a good coach in Mike Taylor,” said Spector. “I moved to Florida to be part of the U17 national soccer team residency program, but they were the same values of competition, sportsmanship and friendship that were inherent in my Saint Viator education as a whole.”

Spector also shared many memories with his teammates during his career at Saint Viator.

“My favorite memory was representing my school at the state championships,” said Spector. “I enjoyed being a part of the team and having the support of my friends and classmates.”

Spector further continued his soccer career when he was offered a contract from Manchester United.

“I was thrilled when I was offered a contract from Manchester United,” said Spector. “It was the culmination of all the hard work and sacrifices I had made. I just wasn’t sure how to convince my parents that I wanted to play professional soccer instead of going to college. Fortunately, they were extremely supportive and understood the magnitude of the opportunity.”

Spector continued to share where he draws his inspiration from and who his biggest supporters are.

“My inspiration comes from within,” said Spector. “I have a competitiveness and passion to be the best I can at whatever I’m doing. I never took losing or not achieving my potential well, whether it was in sports or academics. My biggest support comes from my family and friends. They are the ones I know will always be there for me.”

Spector also received numerous awards during his 14 years playing professional soccer. He won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in his first season at Manchester United. He also played in the Champions League for Manchester United. Arguably the most notable of Spector’s achievements was representing his country by playing for the United States men’s national team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Spector sheds light on the difference between high school soccer and professional soccer.

“Playing professionally is all about results and winning,” said Spector. “That’s what players are paid to do. For me, playing high school soccer was about having fun, improving as a player and building friendships.”

He continued to explain the differences between playing soccer in the United States and playing soccer in Europe.

“The biggest difference was how fast everything moved, from the players to the ball,” said Spector. “I think soccer in England in particular is played at the fastest tempo in the world. It was an adjustment, but one that I caught on to quickly.”

Jonathan Spector offers his advice to this year’s varsity team.

“My advice is to have fun and enjoy the time they have together as a team,” said Spector. “Even though I’ve lived in England for 14 years, I met some of my closest friends at Saint Viator, specifically guys I played soccer with.”