By Kyle LoJacono
Keenan Kushner spends hours perfecting his craft, but unlike most talented people he doesn’t limit himself to one skill.
For the Wharton senior, it’s way more fun to be a dominating goalkeeper in soccer and an all-county violinist.
“I like doing both,” Kushner said. “I play soccer, and then I go home and play violin. They’re just completely different, two opposites that I take seriously. … There are some similarities like staying focused, but other than that it’s a lot different.”
Kushner took to soccer first, picking up the game around age 4 with a recreational team in New Tampa.
“My dad (John) played soccer in high school, so I wanted to continue the family thing,” Kushner said. “I’ve always liked it, so I stayed with it.”
He made the move into the net soon after.
“I was a field player when I was younger, but I got kind of chubby so they put me in goal,” Kushner said. “I started at goalkeeper at U9. When I learned I had to be able to move around to be a goalkeeper, I lost a lot of weight so I could get better.”
The move appears to be a good one for the 6-foot Kushner, who’s started for the Wildcats since his freshman season.
Kushner was a first-team all-Western Conference selection last season when he racked up 72 saves with eight shutouts and a 1.1 goals against average in 18 games. He has 31 saves and two shutout in nine games this season.
“He’s been a rock for us,” said Wharton boys soccer coach Scott Ware. “He’s one of those guys who is very composed. He’s got a very calm approach. He’s just the solid part of the team that we haven’t had to worry about for the last four years.”
Kushner learned of his passion for music almost as early as he found soccer. He started playing in the fourth grade and has been first chair all-county since his sophomore year in high school.
He started a group with friends called Ceville String Quintet when he entered high school. Kushner and Co. had their first paid gig this year, playing at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Boulevard. They have performed at other events, including weddings.
Kushner said he enjoys being so involved in two very different activities, but it does demand most of his free time.
“I have class every day where I play for two hours,” Kushner said. “Then I try to practice at least another hour at home. … I’d say I spend about 10 hours with soccer and 10 hours playing violin each week.”
Grades are also important to Kushner.
He is in the top 5 percent of Wharton’s 2013 graduating class with a 5.76 weighted grade point average, which opens up the possibility of going to a very prestigious college.
“He’s looking at Notre Dame, and he’s got a good chance of playing there,” Ware said. “I’ve talked with the coaches there, and he wants to play. He could play at a bunch of schools, but academics are really important to him too, so he won’t just go to a school for the soccer. He’s an all-around kid.”
Kushner will compete in a soccer camp in January for several college coaches and is having auditions as well. He plans on getting a minor in music while majoring in biology, with the plan of going into premed.
“I might play soccer, I might not, just depending on what school I go to,” Kushner said. “I want to play soccer and violin and go to a good school. That’s the goal.”
—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker
