Coronado Whiz Kid of the Week: Ryan Keeney

Name, Age: Ryan Keeney, 17.

School: Coronado High School

Accomplishment:  Ryan helped his Coronado High School soccer team win the California Intercollegiate Federation (CIF) championship to become the No. 1 ranked team in San Diego County for the 2010-11 season.

Key to Awesomeness: Ryan is a quiet but accomplished athlete
and a quadruple-sport threat. He has proven his skills in cross-country, baseball, football and soccer.

Ryan began playing soccer at age 5. Two years later, he joined Nado Select Club Soccer and hasn’t looked back since. When he reached high school, Ryan joined the freshman football team at Coronado High, and in the spring made it on to the junior varsity soccer team, where he became captain.  

During Ryan's sophomore year, he also played baseball for CHS and helped his team win the CIF Championship title in 2010. This same year, the talented athlete was named MVP of the boys varsity cross-country team and earned All-League and All-CIF titles.

As a junior, Ryan was a member of the varsity soccer team and started all 26 games. Ryan has played sweeper and goalie in the past, but his current position is center midfielder.

The soccer team had a 24-1-1 season record, and finished
a year ranked No. 1 in San Diego County across all division schools.

The CHS varsity soccer team's outstanding year included
winning the Islander Invitational Tournament, a league championship, and culminated with the CIF title.

Ryan Keeney was selected First Team All-League and 2nd Team All-CIF as a junior. He was All-League, All-CIF and a state qualifier in cross-country in both his sophomore and junior years. These accolades are hard-earned by Keeney who, according to Coronado High soccer coach, Brian Hiatt-Aleu, focuses on making himself better. "He eats and sleeps right. He takes care of himself and doesn't do silly things."

This accomplished student-athlete is also active off the field. Last summer, Ryan went on a Rotary Exchange program to Turkey where he spent 18 days with students from different countries.  

When Ryan wasn't bending it like Beckham, he worked at Pacific Shipyard, Repair and Fabrication, and now helps tutor elementary students at John Harvard Academy in Coronado.

But the road to this young athlete's success hasn't been an easy one.  The teenager faced hard times two years ago when his mother, Susie Keeney, was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent the harsh treatments to conquer the disease.

Not surprisingly, coach Hiatt-Aleu recognizes these exemplary qualities in his player and said that Keeney is "a great role model for student-athletes and for the younger ones coming up in club soccer."

"He's here to learn to play soccer at a higher level, and he's exactly where he needs to be," concluded Hiatt-Aleu.