Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 30, 1995 TAG: 9509300005
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Their grandfather did it during his youth in Scotland.
Their mother went to the swimming pool once when her children were young, saw kids playing it, and asked someone how her kids could get involved.
``She got us signed up and it turned out that it was soccer,'' said Keith Arnott, who along with his sister Meredith make a potent combination for Roanoke College's men's and women's programs.
Then their father got involved, reading books and watching videotapes. ``Dad did all of that,'' Keith said. ``Then he taught us.''
Noting their father coached both of their club teams for four years, Meredith said, ``Our parents are really into it.''
The parents, Scott and Anne Marie, along with grandparents from Spring Lake, N.J., will see all Keith and Meredith have learned today as the Maroons host Virginia Wesleyan in Salem. The men's team plays at 11 a.m. and the women's game is 1:30 as part of Roanoke's Family Weekend activities.
The Arnott family will see their kids playing yet another position on the field. Keith, a 21-year old senior, played striker as a freshman, fullback as a sophomore, midfield last year, and since Sunday, striker again.
Meredith, a 20-year old junior, started out as a midfielder, but now is a forward. ``That's the Arnott story,'' said Phil Benne, coach of the women's team.
The Burke natives have made their coaches look like geniuses for switching them around. The Maroons have outscored opponents 15-1 in their past two games with Keith up front. ``He's fast,'' Maroons coach Scott Allison said. ``We needed a guy up front that can create havoc.''
Meredith is having one of the best seasons in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. She leads Roanoke with six goals and 16 points. Her 1.60 points per game average has her in the top 10 in the league. Her most productive outing came last week in a 6-0 win over Marymount when she had a three-goal outburst.
``I'm in more of a scoring position and I like it,'' Meredith said. ``Who doesn't like to score goals?''
The duo also likes to set them. Keith, a history major, plans to stay with the sport after graduation by coaching and eventually going into administration. Meredith, a sociology and education major, will teach elementary school, and maybe even teach the game to children like she was taught.
Both have shown they already know how to be leaders. As president of the Sigma Chi fraternity, Keith has helped revitalize a group that had gone through some rough times. Meredith, likewise, is president of the Delta Gamma sorority.
So maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise when both were elected captains of their teams last spring. Keith had been a hard worker in the program for three years, and he hoped he would have a chance to serve as captain. Meredith looked at it as more of a long-term goal, but her team voted her to be captain last semester when she was only a sophomore.
The only other woman's player to serve two years as captain was Amy Martin, a goalkeeper who is Roanoke's only All-American.
``She was shocked,'' Benne said. ``I think her quote at the time was `Don't make me make any decisions now!' It really didn't surprise me a whole lot. With her ability, her work ethic, she's one of those players that soccer is a big part of their life.''
Like so many other things, the same could be said for her brother.
by CNB