At a year and a half, Jonty Loukes had a soccer ball at his feet.He played his first official soccer game at the age of four.“I started playing soccer as soon as I could walk,” said Loukes.Loukes played soccer whenever and wherever he could as a kid living in Sheffield, England.“Some of the most fun times playing soccer were on the street with my friends, not necessarily in an organized area. We played from a very young up to about 15 or 16 years old,” Loukes said.Loukes has soccer running through his blood. His great grandfather played for the Sheffield United Football Club in Sheffield, England around World War II. Although Loukes never had the chance to meet his great-grandfather, he has heard a lot about his soccer talent. His brother and father also played soccer, but not as competitively as Jonty and his great-grandfather. The inherited love of soccer and motivation led Loukes to move from Sheffield England to Pittsburgh to coach at soccer camps after completing school in England. The transition of moving from England to the United States was not a challenge for Loukes. After being in Pittsburgh for only a couple of months, he fell in love with the city and knew that he wanted to stay.Loukes decided that since he was going to stay in Pittsburgh, he should search for a school to attend. After examining all of his options, he thought Point Park was the best choice for him.“Point Park popped out at me because of how many international kids were already on the soccer roster. I got in touch with the coach and decided that Point Park was where I wanted to go,” Loukes said.The beginning of Loukes’ freshman year was difficult for him. Just being back in school was one challenge but getting on the field was another.“I had been out of school for a while and it’s hard to get back into the habit of studying,” Loukes said. The beginning of the soccer season was also a challenge. “I missed the first four or five games due to not being cleared by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) because they messed up my application. I was tired of sitting at home while the guys were on the road playing.”When Loukes finally played his first game as a Pioneer, he knew he was in the right place and on the right team.“As soon as I played my first game, I never looked back,” Loukes said.His first season as a Pioneer was a huge success. Loukes’ first season was the first time the Point Park men’s soccer team made it to the national tournament.The best memory of that season for Loukes was the play off final leading up to the NAIA National Tournament. The Pioneers won the game with a score of 5-4. The best part of the whole experience for Loukes was seeing the faces of his teammates and coaches after they realized they won the game. He said it was rewarding for everyone after spending a lot of time practicing and working hard.As a sophomore this year, Loukes is the team captain of the Pioneers. He set many goals for the team.“The main goal of this season is to make it to the National Tournament. The second goal for the team is to beat the record of wins. Individually, I want to be anything that the team needs me to be,” Loukes said.So far, his goals have been met.“Jonty always scores a couple of goals and opens up opportunities for the team which is very important when you want to win a game,” said Matt Dziak, a senior player on the team.Loukes developed his leadership style from players he played with in England and chooses to lead by example.“I found that the most effective leader was one who led by example and someone who could get others going when they weren’t producing,” Loukes said.His leadership qualities have not gone unnoticed.“As coaches, we are leaders, but we are not on the field. There has to be someone on the field that is setting examples of how the game should be played and Jonty is that person,” said Edward Child, the assistant coach of the Pioneers. Child explained that Loukes leads the team by example. The players have followed Loukes’ hardworking example and that is partially why they have had such a successful season.Last year’s team captain, Alex Sala, notices Loukes’ leadership as well.“I think Jonty has a lot of leadership both on the field and off the field. He’s a very friendly guy, but he wants to win. Whatever he does on the field, he wants to do it right and that attitude usually results in a win. He has been a leader all of his life. He had a goal to come to the US and coach and he made that happen without any help,” said Sala. After graduating from Point Park, wants to continue being a leader for the rest of his life. Loukes hopes to stay in the United States and become a teacher.“For the future, I am open to anything. I am hoping to get a teaching job when I am done with school. Anything that comes from soccer is a bonus,” Loukes said.