A star’s shining success is dimmed by injuries

Wednesday, October 22, 1997

A star’s shining success is dimmed by injuries

SOCCER Senior sat out two seasons because of back and knee
mishaps

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily Bruin Staff

Something no athlete can control is injuries. If one wishes to
prevent an injury from happening, then that same person is not
capable of giving an all-out effort on the field. For Josh Keller,
a senior defender and midfielder on the men’s soccer team, there
were two separate incidents in which his recklessness towards his
health sidelined him for the remainder of a season.

First came the back surgery. In 1995 Keller played just five
games, notching two goals and an assist, before a back injury
forced him to sit out the rest of the season. Then, last season,
Keller had three goals and four assists after 12 games before he
suffered a strained medial collateral ligament. For the second
straight year, Keller could not finish the season on the field.

"Right when I hurt it, I was like, ‘Oh no! Here it comes
again,’" Keller said. "The year before, I had the back surgery five
games in, so I had missed the whole year … and everything had
been going well that year and all of a sudden the knee happened. It
was certainly a big disappointment, because sitting out my
sophomore year, I just couldn’t wait to get it back the next year.
So I finally make it back and I have another injury.

"I have just learned that you can’t play scared. You just have
to go out and not worry about anything."

That reckless behavior has finally paid dividends this season.
Keller has combined both his offensive prowess and his maturity to
become one of No. 5 UCLA’s most reliable players. Keller, a
co-captain, plays a very pivotal role in that he must help out the
offense while at the same time providing support to the
defense.

"I’ve always been kind of a forward-going player," Keller said.
"But this year, (head coach Sigi Schmid) wanted me to run the whole
right sideline. He instilled it into me to get forward more on the
outsides, but also to play defense more. We’re playing with three
fullbacks, and he wants me to kind of tuck in and, if need be, be a
fourth fullback. It kind of keeps the other team off guard, and I
can maybe catch them sleeping or something."

Catch them off guard he has. Keller has scored four goals, tying
a career high, and assisted in one goal this season.

"He is a very important player to our team because he can play a
number of different places," Schmid said. "He can play them well.
And he is the kind of player who is goal dangerous. And his
leadership this year, I think, has been very good in that he is
very focused and he really wants to get after it. And that’s
important."

Keller was not highly recruited out of high school. But once he
spoke with Schmid, Keller made the decision to attend UCLA. The
chance to continue soccer at an institution with the tradition of
UCLA and a coach like Schmid was too good to pass up. All Keller
wanted was to keep on playing the sport he loved.

"Growing up I played all the sports," Keller said. "I played
baseball up until high school. I played basketball a little bit.
And I had always played soccer since I was four. Just as I got
older I enjoyed the freedom that soccer allowed me to have. When
you’re on the field there is no straight guidelines. It’s a
free-flowing game and that is what entices me to play. I like the
creativity aspect of soccer."

Important to the development of Keller as both an athlete and a
person is his parents’ support. Ron and Jody Keller followed their
son everywhere.

Ron Keller knew almost nothing about soccer when his son began
playing. But he has always backed his son.

"Me and my wife always supported his athletics," Ron Keller
said. "I’ve seen every game he’s played."

Ron Keller saw his son develop during the constant travel. Josh
Keller played in a club team during high school. According to his
father, Josh Keller participated in 40 to 50 matches every year.
Now, as a student athlete, Josh Keller has matured both on and off
the field. He’s learned the value of a team concept and the skill
of time management to deal with his studies.

"He’s matured equally with academics and athletics," Ron Keller
said. "He grew a lot ever since he got to UCLA."

With time winding down, Josh Keller must face the fact that his
collegiate career will be done in a little over a month. Through
injuries and all, Keller has not achieved his ultimate goal of a
national championship.

"I don’t want to say there is a sense of urgency, but there
almost is in the fact that if we don’t win (the national
championship) this year there is no other chance," Keller said.
"When you’re younger — freshman or sophomore — it just doesn’t
carry the same emotional impact that it does this year. Definitely
you can tell that this is my senior year. And in terms of
leadership roles, me as well as the other seniors have to step up
this year and try and lead the team."

Keller will have to deal with either the jubilation or the
disappointment that will come at the end of the season. One way or
another, Keller hopes his final game in a Bruin uniform will not
signify the end of his soccer career. Schmid himself believes that
Keller has a chance to make it to at least Major League Soccer.

Playing professionally "has always been my dream," Keller said.
"And coming up on my senior year, hopefully it will be a reality
next year. I definitely would like to continue playing afterwards,
whether it be in the MLS or in Europe."

Many people who graduate have almost no regrets over their
college experience — and Keller is no different. Keller is sure
that his time as a Bruin was well spent, both on the soccer field,
with all the friendships and lessons he has learned, and in the
classroom, where he has become more educated.

"Other than getting hurt, I wouldn’t change anything," Keller
said. "This was the perfect place for me to come to school. Both
athletics and academics are great. All four years here have been
great for me."

With a national championship, Keller would be guaranteed not to
want to change anything.

Sports Information

Josh Keller