Senior Kyle McKinney knew baseball was his sport at just nine years old. From playing for his travel team “Swagger” to Los Altos High School’s varsity squad, his love for the sport has only grown.

“My parents would always give me baseball equipment when I was a kid,” Kyle said. “That introduced me to the sport and my love for the game has grown ever since.”

After just finishing his final high school season, Kyle will play baseball at Cañada College this fall — a step forward that was built on his patience and resilience.

“Baseball has become a very big part of who I am,” Kyle said. “It helps me grow not only in the sport, but as a person as well.”

But his journey has had its fair share of setbacks. When he was 12, Kyle tore a ligament in his elbow and was forced to sit out for about eight months. At 15, the injury came back again, which led him to extensive amounts of physical therapy and mental hurdles.

“Missing two seasons was really challenging,” Kyle said. “But, I pushed through recovery knowing I should be able to play after this is all over.”

When he got his offer from Cañada College in December, Kyle knew those sacrifices had been worth it. Upon visiting, he instantly clicked with the college and knew Cañada was the place for him.

“I wish I could tell my younger self to keep pushing through the obstacles,” Kyle said. “If you can just stick through it and find the positives, you’ll grow and become the best player you can be.”

Beyond the field, Kyle exemplifies the important traits that every player aims to possess. His support goes beyond the field, always making sure to support his teammates.

“He’s really supportive,” LAHS and club teammate senior Aaron Baum said. “He always knows what his teammates need at a particular time.”

Kyle and Aaron have been teammates since they were nine years old, from travel ball to the high school team. At LAHS, they placed in the top 20 teams in their league.  As an individual, Aaron pointed out Kyle’s work ethic as a contributing factor to the team’s success.

“He never takes a day off,” Aaron said. “People don’t always see the work he puts in behind the scenes, but that’s what makes the biggest difference.”

Varsity Head Coach Gabe Stewart has also seen Kyle grow firsthand throughout high school.

“He has always been very conscientious and authentic about his effort,” Stewart said. “He was willing to put in the work to improve.”

Just as he worked hard throughout his high school career, Kyle is prepared to continue that in the highly competitive college setting.

“I’m trying to grow overall as a player, and collegiate baseball is the next step,” Kyle said. “The players that I will be competing against will be better, so I’ll have to perform better.”

While the transition to a new academic and sports environment may be challenging, Kyle hopes his dedication to his game will support him. 

“He’ll do great in his college career,” Stewart said. “He was one of the players that I never had to worry about, because I knew every day he was gonna give me the best that he had.”

As he looks ahead to college, he reflects on the things he’s leaving behind, especially the teammates he’s grown up with.

“I’ll probably miss the guys the most — that’ll be the hardest part,” Kyle said. “Most of us have been playing together since Little League. Now we’re graduating and heading to different places.”

Leaving his high school career behind is sentimental, but Kyle leaves behind a legacy of his commitment to the team and genuine passion.

“He’ll be remembered as a hard worker,” Stewart said. “But more importantly, he’ll be remembered as a great teammate.”