KEY SCHOOL // BASKETBALL, SOCCER
For Key School senior Jake Krens, sports play an important role in his life, but what drives him the most is what comes along with athletics—guidance and the ability to work with others for a common goal.
Nothing is more exemplary than his participation as a volunteer with Special Olympics Maryland. Krens began working as an assistant basketball coach directing three-on-three games as part of a seventh grade Bar Mitzvah community service project Aiding the athletes and watching them grow has been a ride like none other.
“That’s probably the most influential experience of my life,” Krens says. “Basically observing the kids and working with them makes me a better person and better basketball player in general because I’m not solely focused on being ‘better, better, better’ but I’m focused on enjoying the game, enjoying myself, which, in turn, makes me more focused on becoming better.”
Leadership and strength have been long-standing traits for Krens, whose influence comes from his late great uncle Irving, who he says was a selfless man who ought people together and put the wants and needs of others ahead of his own.
His guidance was vital in Jake’s ongoing search for continuing education. He’s currently deciding among the Universities of Virginia and Pittsburgh, James Madison University, and Goucher College.
“He basically said ‘don’t listen to anybody,’” Krens says. “Don’t listen to even coaches or teachers and just do what’s best for you and just stick to my heart. I can use that for anything really, not just for a college search.”
Krens is debating whether he will continue to play basketball after graduating from Key. One thing he is certain of is his willingness to anch out and experience school with a bigger student body, (Key houses approximately 50 students per grade).
He is undecided about his major but is leaning toward focusing on business. “I like the personability—having to work with other people—because I think it’s a really important skill in whatever you do. It’s also very important to keep your finances intact.”
-Jake Russell
