GREENVILLE, S.C. – The NCCAA is pleased to announce Lucas Catosso of Mid-America Christian University (MACU) as the 2024 NCCAA Kyle Rote, Jr. Award Recipient for Division I Men’s Soccer.
 
A junior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Catosso has been a force as team captain for the Evangels, guiding his team to a No. 1 overall ranking in the NCCAA Coaches Poll and a No. 12 overall ranking in the NAIA. Catosso has been part of a back line that ranks second in the NCCAA in goals allowed and has allowed the second-fewest shots on goal in the nation, picking up seven total clean sheets this year. Catosso has also gotten it done on the offensive side of the ball, recording a pair of goals and an assist in 16 games played with 15 total starts this season.
 
Off the pitch, Catosso holds a 4.0 GPA while majoring in business and ethics, and is a Sooner Athletic Conference, NAIA, and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete. Catosso has served in the college ministry and has helped with summer Bible school at Itatiba Presbyterian Church in Brazil. Prior to his time at MACU, Catosso served in the Laker Life College Group ministry at Iowa Lakes Community College and in the Outreach Kitchen in Spencer, IA. 
 
“I was not born in a Christian family,” says Catosso. “But when I was probably 6 or 7 years old, my mom came to know Jesus. It took her some time to start taking me and my brother to church with her, because my father did not like how much she had changed. Once she had the courage to bring me and my brother to church, that was a game changer for my family. After that my father started to realize the positive changes the church was causing in my life and he decided to start going too. Not long after that he accepted Jesus, and my family started serving Jesus together.” 
 
Catosso continues “I have been playing soccer since I was very little and I always dreamed of being a pro, and at some point, I got confused with my identity as I started thinking that soccer was my life. After some frustrations and hearing ‘no’ a couple of times, I realized that soccer was not my life, but a big part of my life where God chose to teach me more than I could have ever imagined. Now, I know that my identity is centered in Jesus Christ, and whenever I am on the field or off the field, I have to try my best to glorify his name.”
 
“Lucas is a true believer, active in church, active in Bible study on campus, and active in spiritual growth amongst the team,” says MACU Head Men’s Soccer Coach Aaron Hoxie. “He is consistently the first person to volunteer for opportunities that come up and is always encouraging his teammates to join him in the service project. On the field, he is consistently assisting teammates when there are issues that arise, helping to diffuse the situation with love, patience, and kindness. He models Jesus in the idea of ‘the first will be last and the last will be first,’ found in Matthew 20:16. Finally, Lucas leads in the classroom, posting an excellent 4.0 GPA. He speaks multiple languages and spends a considerable amount of time helping his teammates with their academic pursuit, usually in their native language.” 
 
Other Finalists
Dalton Fleshood, Asbury University
Christian Piccolotto, Malone University
 
Award Description
Kyle Rote, Jr. simply excelled in every area of life. He played every available sport, but soccer grabbed his allegiance in his teen years, and he was an All-American selection during his days at the University of the South. He rose to worldwide fame as the first US professional player to be viewed as a superstar during the days of the North American Soccer League. He played with and against the game’s best, including Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, George Best, and Rodney Marsh. He achieved some of his greatest fame by winning the Superstar Competition in which top athletes from every professional sport competed in a wide array of skills. He bested the likes of Lynn Swan, Drew Pearson, and Franco Harris. Throughout his career in sports, and today as a representative for professional athletes, Kyle Rote, Jr. simply let his faith in Christ drive him to be excellent as a husband, father, and community leader. The NCCAA is proud to present an honor of this magnitude in Kyle’s honor.