Kellan Bleier has returned to where he feels most at home: the soccer field. The attacking midfielder and striker took a brief detour last season when he switched to football after years of wondering whether to try it.
“I didn’t want to look back and regret not trying football,” Kellan, the grandson of Steelers legend Rocky Bleier, says. “People had been telling me for years that I’d be a good fit, so I gave it a shot. It was a good experience and taught me how to hold my head high, especially when pushing through tough times.”
While Kellan might have been considered undersized for football, at 5’7” and 160 pounds, he is an ideal fit for soccer. A natural athlete built with solid muscle, Kellan is also one of the fastest on the soccer team.
“We’re very glad to have Kellan back for his final year of high school soccer,” says coach Erik Ingram. “He’s come back even stronger, and his speed is a huge advantage for us.”
Back Where He Belongs
Now a senior and co-captain, Kellan is relishing his return to the soccer field, playing alongside teammates he’s known since he first started with Fox Chapel Area’s youth soccer teams at age five.
His transition back was seamless. Kellan stayed in top shape by working out and playing club soccer during the offseason. On the first day of high school preseason, he was ready and easily passed both fitness tests.
“Kellan’s fitness and strength give him a major advantage during games,” coach Ingram says. “He’s also technically sound and can weave through defenders with the ball at high speed. His quickness and drive should lead to many scoring opportunities this season.
“Kellan is also a great vocal leader. He sets an example, is very competitive, and while he’s positive, he hates to lose. His teammates look to him when things get tough.”
A Leader On and Off the Field
Kellan’s leadership extends beyond the soccer pitch. Elected by his peers, he serves as vice president of the Fox Leadership Council, an organization that has replaced traditional student government. He is also a dedicated student, a member of the National Honor Society, and plans to major in finance when he starts college in the fall of 2025.
Though he has yet to make a final decision on which campus to attend, Kellan has already received an offer to play on a college men’s varsity soccer team.
For now, though, his focus is on the coming weeks. The entire team is striving to surpass recent successes and claim the elusive WPIAL Class 4A championship. The Foxes have finished as semifinalists the past two years, a significant achievement, but they are determined to win it all this time.
Kellan is confident in his team’s ability to do just that.
“This is the year,” he says.