Kingsley Belele scores a hat trick: soccer, studies, scholarships

Jul 11, 2023

Kingsley Belele, in Varsity Blues uniform, races up a soccer field with the ball — *Photos courtesy Kingsley Belele*

Kingsley Belele likes seeing patterns and making connections—skills the University College student uses both on and off the field. He’s a striker with the Varsity Blues soccer team, where he led scoring, achieved a hat trick, and fought back from injury. And he’s fascinated by his studies in human geography, which he hopes might take him to a career in urban planning—analyzing how people use their environments to plan more efficient and livable cities.

This summer, as he plays with Alliance United FC and preps for the varsity season, Kingsley tells his story.

I was playing with Woodbridge Soccer club and the Varsity Blues head coach reached out to me.

This was after high school. First we were just talking, and then he showed me around U of T and told me the features I can gain from going here. I was happy to hear that the coach was interested, but when I learned more about how competitive U of T is, it intrigued me.

One of my sisters went to U of T Scarborough and she told me she enjoyed the university experience. So my parents knew how U of T was and how it helps you in the future. They said, ‘You’ll have soccer and also a good education. And it’s very close to home. Why wouldn’t you go?’

Human geography is not just about geography. It’s very interesting.

In my first year I took a whole bunch of courses and then I figured out which interested me most for my major. We learn about cities, how you plan, how people move, what the patterns are. How cities were created in different countries and past centuries, and what they had to do to develop. Or how people’s decisions affect the city. For example, planners put benches in a certain place, and that can affect the way people think or move in that area. A career in planning would be a top choice of mine. If soccer doesn’t become a thing, I know I’ll have that option.

Kingsley Belele, wearing an OUA t-shirt, looks thoughtful after a soccer workout.

A scholarship means there’s another person who believes in me. I wouldn’t want to put it to waste.

Last fall, I struggled through an injury.

We train in the summer and play our Ontario University Athletics season from September to November. In my second year I led the Varsity Blues with five goals and scored a hat-trick against Algoma. But in third year, because of the injury I didn’t really play too many games. It was a hard season for me. Still, I feel even to have played a couple of games was good. And now I feel 100 per cent!

A scholarship means there’s another person who believes in me. I wouldn’t want to put it to waste.

Getting the Yat Family Student-Athlete Award motivated me.

Michael Yat (BA 2008 UTM) graduated from U of T and he used to play soccer too. When someone who’s like me says ‘I want to give you a scholarship’,” I’ll work hard for him. It means there’s another person who believes in me, and I’m very grateful. I wouldn’t want to put it to waste.

He’s a very open guy and I can talk to him about anything. It’s cool that he can relate to things I go through in both school and soccer.

I’m having a good time at university because I’m always surrounded by good people.

I just feel like with university, it all depends on the people. Our team dynamic is very good, and everyone helps each other and everyone’s very close. I’m surrounded by my teammates and my close friends, and as long as you’re around good people, you have a good time.

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