Road to Pitt a bright one for Panthers’ Young

Imagine riding a bus 90 minutes everyday to and from school to play soccer.

This is what… Imagine riding a bus 90 minutes everyday to and from school to play soccer.

This is what men’s soccer forward Keeyan Young did for the entire four years of his high school days.

The long rides and never-ending days paid off for Young, who has started every game this season for the Panthers. Only a freshman, Young has already made an impact on Pitt soccer.

Young, who is from North Wales, Pa., near Philadelphia, began playing soccer at the ripe age of eight, when he was always dribbling or kicking a ball.

What started out as kickball in gym class turned into kicking a soccer ball against walls for fun. Then came the first soccer tryout, and of course Young made the team.

Since those early days, things have snowballed, as Young has transformed into a soccer standout at a major university in one of America’s elite athletic conferences.

As he was growing up, Young’s decisions were heavily influenced by his tight-knit family. The decision to attend the Haverford School was made by his mother, Pamela, who wanted to see her son get a better education.

His mother and father both came from public schools, where they were fully aware of the poor education system and how some students barely get by. Pamela did not want this to happen to her son. So Young ventured an hour and a half to and from school every day.

Haverford, which is a prep school in the Philadelphia area, is an all-boys academy. Not only did the boys have to dress up for class, there were no girls around to impress. According to Young, as would be the consensus with most teenage boys, this was “murderous.”

Young had a successful career at the Haverford School. During his four years, he led his team to a 63-27 record.

Throughout his career, Young scored 57 goals and had 45 assists and he is not new to the spotlight or attention he is getting at Pitt. A high school team captain, Young was twice named an all-area player, as well as an all-Main Line honoree.

Young also had much success on his club team, FC Delco. Here he was awarded the Golden Boot for his stellar performance and was named the most valuable player for the FC Delco championship club team.

He led his team to the state and regional championships. They also finished second in the nation in 2001. Young believes that the majority of his teammate will be facing him in Division I competition someday. For four years (1997-2001), Young also ran the field for the EPYSA Olympic Development Program.

Keeyan credits his FC Delco coach, Mike Gorni, for helping him develop a strong work ethic. Even as a younger player, Gorni always pushed Keeyan to the limit. One goal a game was never enough.

“Even though the tasks seemed unattainable at the time, what coach wanted from me really wasn’t all that much,” said Young, who lists Gorni as one of his idols.

Prior to signing with the Panthers, Young was also looking at soccer powerhouses Duke, St. Johns, Rutgers and Temple. However many factors, especially his soon-to-be teammates and people at Pitt influenced Young to become a Panther.

One player in particular really impacted Young’s visit. Goalkeeper Justin Gaul showed him around and they really formed a tight bond, which was ironic as the two soccer stars lived only a few miles apart.

Although never facing each other in competition, Young had heard wonderful things about Gaul’s skill and leadership.

Young knew he would join a quality soccer club at any school he chose. His main goal was to develop as a sound player. The people here really stood out and made Pitt his top choice.

Since day one, Young has felt right at home at Pitt.

According to Young, his teammates have been very supportive in helping him adjust to the up-tempo style of collegiate soccer. It took him all preseason to adapt to the college game.

This new style of play was a major difference for Young, but his teammates were constantly working with him, teaching the various aspects of the game.

“Things are never as challenging in high school as they are in college, styles change, you just have to adapt,” Young commented.

In his first season as a Panther, Young has made a huge impact on the field.

At the very beginning of the season, Young though of himself as “just a freshman.” However, as Pitt went deeper into its season, playing in one of the most difficult soccer conferences in the nation, Keeyan stepped his game up a notch. He seemed to be the offensive spark that Pitt needed.

“Keeyan is a good player,” men’s soccer head coach Joe Luxbacher said. “He is always playing better each game out. Keeyan is the kind of guy who can decide an outcome of the game.”

Twice on the season, Young was named Big East Rookie of the Week. Once was for scoring the game-winning overtime goal to knock off a ranked Notre Dame.

Considering the difficulty and competitiveness of the conference, this is an extreme honor, which promises much more from Young in the future.

Young is also ranked amongst senior Bryan Hopper and sophomore Marco Carrizales in all offensive categories for the Panthers.

With the season almost over, Pitt is having a heartbreaking year. Losing the majority of their games by only one goal, team frustrations are running high.

Young sees the heart and determination of the team, but also admits that luck plays a role in the scoring process. In the last few weeks of the season, Luxbacher ran drills in practice concentrating on finishing scoring drives.

“Finishing consists of three things,” Young said. “You need team concentration, technique, and then some luck.”

Luck is what the Panthers were missing for most of the season and Young is digging out his lucky toe socks, so hopefully the remainder of the season will be kind for Pitt.

Young says he is pleased and happy with his decision to attend Pitt. Although he misses the tight-knit family atmosphere at home, he is very comfortable in Pittsburgh.

“I am a mama’s boy,” he admits. “But I knew I had to get away from home.”

Young feared making the same mistakes that his 29-year old sister, Tyra, made with her collegiate career. Tyra attended Temple, which is near the family’s hometown.

“Being so close to home, you never get out of your comfort zone,” Young said. “Then you never fully develop into an independent person.”

Despite the distance, family is still just as important to Young. He speaks to his mother for at least five hours a week on the telephone. He is also anxiously waiting to see his niece and nephew, six-year-old Madison and 10-year-old Tarin.

Young sees Tarin as a future artist and Madison as a future actress, but the possibility exists that they will follow in their uncle’s footsteps and play soccer.

The family doesn’t get to see all of Young’s games, but he keeps them informed. He even sent home several recent news articles, which featured an action shot of Young.

Fortunately, they have seen a few of the games that are near Philadelphia, like the Villanova match. No matter what the circumstance, Young always hears their voices cheering him on, whether they are in attendance or not.

Another voice that Young listens for comes from Joseph Smith.

Smith, who is FC Delco team member Brandon’s father, was like a father figure to Young, beginning when he was about 11. Young uses this positive influence on his soccer game as well as to guide him through his own life.

“I would hear him shout ‘let’s go son’ from the stands,” Young said nostalgically. “I always called Mr. Smith ‘dad.’ Someday, when the time comes, that is the type of father I want to be.”

Watching Young the soccer player gives a totally different outlook on Young the typical college freshman.

During a game, Young is focused, outrunning his opponents, going after every ball and diving over players, putting on a soccer show.

Off the field, when Young has free time, he enjoys watching plays and musicals. One of his favorite things to do is get dressed up and go Downtown to take in a show.

“I really got into “The Nutcracker” believe it or not,” Young admits. “The ballet wasn’t all that bad either.”

Young also enjoys just watching television or his favorite movie, “Cruel Intentions.” On a typical day though, free time doesn’t exist until about midnight for Young.

Unfortunately, the opportunity to attend a Pitt football game has not presented itself all season. Typically soccer games overlap with the football schedule.

However, Young is planning on flying down to Miami this November when the Panthers play the Hurricanes. He would also like to attend some basketball games, but with the whole ticket ordeal, that might be difficult.

The undecided major is enjoying his first year of college. Although he is leaning towards communications, Young doesn’t want to make such a big decision so early in his collegiate career. Right now all he has time for is soccer and his studies.

“It is too far in advanced for me,” a laid-back Young said. “I live for the present and tend to not think about the future or things I can’t control unless I have to.”