Angelo Kelly-Rosales gets in his car every morning and commutes roughly two hours southwest from Knoxville, arriving in time for practice with Chattanooga Red Wolves SC at 9:45 a.m.
The former One Knox SC player trains with his USL League One teammates, then makes the trip back to Knoxville around noon. By late afternoon, he's back on a soccer field again, this time coaching someone else's child.
The unusual routine is Kelly-Rosales' way of preserving two parts of the life he built in Knoxville: his career and his home. On Oct. 7, though, the Chattanooga defender can skip the drive when his Red Wolves teammates travel to him for a match against One Knox.
The Wednesday night contest will be a fitting return to Covenant Health Park for Kelly-Rosales,
who spent three seasons with the Knoxville club but never really left the city behind.
Why staying in Knoxville 'made more sense' to Chattanooga defender
Kelly-Rosales owns Playmaker Soccer Training, a youth soccer development business he got serious about after signing with One Knox in December 2022. Between the business and his responsibilities as a pro soccer player, the schedule isn't easy.
Chattanooga typically practices five days a week, leaving Kelly-Rosales to balance the daily commute with several more hours of coaching through Playmaker Soccer Training before calling it a day and doing it all over again. He has family responsibilities, too.
Kelly-Rosales was preparing to become a father when he first came to Knoxville, and he brought his family with him. The relationships he made with players, parents and fans made Knoxville home.
"I kind of grew a little bit of a business and fan base," Kelly-Rosales told Knox News, "so it kind of just ideally made more sense just to keep it here."
He used to coach club soccer but found it difficult to attend every game while playing at the professional level. Playmaker allows him to continue pursuing his passion for working with young players without the scheduling demands of coaching.
"In a smaller setting," Kelly-Rosales said, "I think your voice can be more impactful."
His own experiences as a pro have shaped the lessons he tries to teach, which extend beyond the field: "Sometimes it's not going to be a good day, but can we finish in a good day?"
That philosophy has helped him maintain relationships with players and their families after his departure from One Knox following a championship-winning 2025 season. Despite spending much of his workday in another city, Kelly-Rosales remains available, whether players need soccer advice or families need another trusted voice to help guide their children.
"I would like somebody to do the same for my kid," he said.
Chattanooga, Knoxville lives can coexist for Angelo Kelly-Rosales
After stints playing soccer in Charleston, South Carolina, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kelly-Rosales wasn't immediately sold on Knoxville as being the place he'd put down roots. And his decision to stay in Knoxville after leaving One Knox wasn't always certain.
He considered putting Playmaker on pause as he figured out where his professional career would take him after Knoxville. He signed with South Georgia Tormenta FC before the club suspended operations two weeks prior to the start of the season.
Chattanooga opted to sign the USL veteran in May. And rather than start over with his business in a new city, Kelly-Rosales decided the commute from Knoxville was reasonable.
Kelly-Rosales will again play in the city where he spent three seasons, won a USL League One title and built the relationships that made Knoxville feel like home. This time, though, he'll do it in Chattanooga's colors.
Those relationships have endured, even as his career has taken him elsewhere. Some are close enough now that they babysit his child.
"I can call them friends and even family," Kelly-Rosales said. "They have watched me grow."
Trevor McGee covers the Knoxville Smokies and One Knox SC for Knox News. Email: trevor.mcgee@knoxnews.com; X: @TrevorMcGee12
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Match day at Covenant Health Park
Match time: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (gates open at 5:30 p.m.)
One Knox record: 13-7-9
USL League One standings: One Knox enters tonight’s match in fifth place with 48 points, while Chattanooga (14-11-4) sits in seventh place with 46 points.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: He left One Knox, but not Knoxville. This week, he's a visitor at home | Exclusive
