Bethel’s Men’s and Women’s soccer teams traveled 12 miles north to Niles, Mich., in August to put on a skills clinic for the youth of Summit Soccer, a ministry of Summit Church. Summit students, led by Bethel athletes, practiced skills like dribbling, shooting, passing and scrimmaging, ahead of their season’s start.
Now in its 17th year, Summit Soccer draws families from all over Michiana with its faith-focused youth league, which runs from August to October.
“We were excited to help them fulfill their mission and purpose,” said Bethel Men’s Soccer Head Coach Thiago Pinto. “They have one of the largest programs in the Midwest with nearly 500 kids.”
The clinic and partnership between Bethel and Summit Soccer were first thought of in the spring of 2024 during a meeting between Bethel and Summit. Bethel Men’s and Women’s soccer coaches Thiago Pinto and Jason Freeman, along with Professor Kent Eby, Ph.D., met with Summit Lead Pastor Dan Miller, who also currently serves as Vice President of the Missionary Church, and Summit Soccer director Nakita Walter.
“Our mission [at Summit] is leading people to follow Christ. We use soccer to do that. Bethel uses soccer to share Christ around the world,” Miller said.
It was that shared mission that brought the two groups together.
“Now in partnership, we can learn from Bethel. We have an opportunity – almost like a feeder program for Bethel. We had parents who were very excited and wanted to come to Bethel. This is a relationship-building connection with the university and the local church,” said Miller.
Walter agrees, noting that friendships were built between Summit and Bethel players at the clinic, which made students excited to see the college athletes in action.
The evening before the Summit Soccer clinic, the Bethel Men’s soccer team had just returned from a mission trip in Mexico, where they served at an orphanage and did outreach clinics, yet they brought a magnetic energy and drew kids in on their level.
“It was very touching to me – one of the kids, at the end of the [clinic], told his dad he wanted me to be his coach,” said Bethel midfielder Jovaunn Ramos, a graduate student from Belize. “I’m happy they were able to open up to me.”
Beyond the clinic, Bethel coaches helped Summit Soccer by putting on a coach training seminar, and Bethel players attended Summit’s August 31 game. Then, Summit Soccer players reciprocated, attending Bethel’s September 7 men’s and women’s games.
The hope for both groups is that the relationships built will extend beyond the soccer season, as Summit Soccer looks to partner with Bethel again for the 2025 season.
“This is an investment in time and relationship,” Miller said.
