KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Last Friday, hours before the first game of his senior season, goalkeeper Jon Kempin was faced with the biggest decision of his young life.
Should he follow his dream and sign with the Wizards at the age of 17, thereby forgoing his final season at Blue Valley North? Or continue on a more traditional path by honoring his commitment to South Florida and playing college soccer?
Eventually, Kempin decided the opportunity to play professional soccer in his hometown was just too good to resist.
“It felt right,” Kempin said Tuesday, a few minutes after flashing a nervous smile while putting pen to paper on his first professional contract.
WATCH: KC catch up with Kempin
He did so in front of a large contingent of his family, friends and former and future coaches, becoming Kansas City’s first Home Grown player by signing a Generation adidas contract with the team.
And while manager Peter Vermes and the rest of the organization believe in Kempin’s long-term potential between the pipes, the presence of Jimmy Nielsen and Eric Kronberg ahead of the youngster make it a low-pressure situation all around.
Under MLS' homegrown player rules, Kempin won’t count against the 24-player roster or the salary cap, giving the team ample time to shape the former Wizards Juniors standout over the long-term.
“There’s not as much pressure to be great right away,” Vermes said. “He has time to develop.”
For Kempin, and especially his parents, signing with the hometown Wizards represents a sort of compromise. He can develop his game 365 days a year in a professional environment, but the promise of a college education remains a priority even if he won’t do that in a traditional setting.
“My parents really wanted me to get a college degree, and I really wanted to play pro,” Kempin said. “Being a Generation Adidas guy, I have 10 years to complete my degree, so it’s kind of the best of both worlds.”
Kempin, who said he has dreamed of becoming a professional goalkeeper since the age of 12, didn’t miss a beat Wednesday in his first training session as a member of senior team.
Not that it was necessarily a surprise. The young goalkeeper impressed both technically and physically during a four-day trial with the team in August, while also finding a way to mesh with players nearly twice his age.
“Outwardly, there were no signs that he was nervous or uncomfortable in the environment,” goalkeeper coach John Pascarella said. “He seemed to fit in right away. Physically, he did fine. If he was nervous, he covered it pretty well, and that’s the sign of a guy that knows where he wants to be and what he wants to do.”
Added Pascarella: “He realizes that the speed of play is going to be the most difficult thing to get used to. The other thing that is going to have to happen is he is going to have to get more powerful as a person. He’s just starting to grow into a man’s body. He’s still a kid."
But – kid or not – Kempin is certainly holding his own and, more importantly, displaying a maturity that belies his youth.
“I’m playing behind Jimmy Nielsen, who is one of the best goalkeepers in the league,” Kempin said. “I just hope to learn from him, learn from my mistakes and grow. We’ll see what happens and go from there.”
