Kerstetter: HOMETOWN HERO

Brad Kerstetter likely will never be a Major Arena Soccer League all-star.

But then again, not many players have accomplished what the veteran defender has.

Kerstetter has lived his childhood dream, playing his entire indoor soccer league career with one club, the Harrisburg Heat.

He has played with Harrisburg since 2012.

In this day and age, that is a rarity.

Growing up in nearby Halifax, Pennsylvania, Kerstetter, grew up a Heat fan.

"I still have old Heat memorabilia," he said. "We would go to all of the clinics and hang out with the players. We had season tickets for a couple of years. Before the game, you could do a little greet with players. It was absolutely a goal of mine to play for the Harrisburg Heat. And then when they went away. It was a sad time."

And then the Heat came back.

"It just so happened that the timing worked out 100 perfect for me. As my college career was ending, the Heat were coming back," Kerstetter said. "It almost felt like it was just meant to be. Here we are, 13 years later. I'm in season 11 and still getting after it.

"I still get a little bit of goosebumps, because you when you are sitting in the stands as a kid, these guys were coming out for the players’ introduction. It was always I'm going to be that someday. Then to turn around and be one of those guys that comes out of the tunnel and people cheer when your name is called, it's still what keeps me going."

Which is why Heat head coach and general manager Pat Healey has brought back the 5-11, 175-lb. defender year after year.

"The biggest thing for Brad is that he's a consummate professional," he said. "Comes in every day. Leads by example. There's the little things you need to do to win games. Always upbeat, always a positive type of person. That says something, because in sports today, that doesn't happen all the time. He helps the team day-in and day-out. He’s had a good, long career. He's not a flashy player. By no means is he a superstar, but a good role player that does the job for the team.

"Then you add in the factor that he's a local guy. You're always looking for those types of guys to have on our team. He has a passion for the game. He has a passion for the Harrisburg team, a passion for the city.”

The Heat, who are struggling for a playoff spot, might not be the most successful Major Arena Soccer League team. But for Kerstetter, it goes beyond winning.

"I love the team aspect of the sport," he said. "It can be frustrating at times if you don't have the right camaraderie. I've been a part of really good teams, really bad teams. In all honesty, some of the worst record teams that I've been a part of, the camaraderie has made me love it even more. The last couple of years with the Heat have been tough, record-wise. With the group of guys that we have, I really couldn't ask for a better group of guys to spend weekends on the road with."

At 35, Kerstetter is one of the team’s veterans. He wears No. 89, which just happens to be the year he was born.

"Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm 35 years old, which I guess is a blessing in itself, that I can still do this at 35," he said. "Seeing the different faces that have come through here, watching them go and have success in other places, making connections with somebody and having a lifelong relationship, it's been really cool. I have so many great bonds from doing this that I'll be forever grateful for the time that I've spent in Harrisburg. I've never even thought about going anywhere else. This has been home for me since1989 and there's only one place for me."

Kerstetter grew up in a soccer environment. His father, Jeff, was the head coach of Halifax High School, recording a 142-79-8 mark while winning five championships.

Playing for his father, Kerstetter led the team to back-to-back state championships. He was named the Tri-Valley League MVP as a junior and senior and a two-time PSCA All-State team choice.

He also played for former Major Indoor Soccer League defender Niki Nikolic with Supernova FC.

"Niki's  no nonsense, a hard-nosed coach," he said. "It got me good college exposure. There was one showcase tournament that Seton Hall head coach Manny Schellscheidt, a legendary soccer figure in the United States, was there and noticed me. Right place, right time."

Kerstetter became a regular and was featured on the cover of the 2011 Seton Hall men's soccer media guide.

"I absolutely loved that, because being from a small, rural Central Pennsylvania town like Halifax that has maybe 10,000 people to go to North Jersey, where you're 15 minutes outside of Manhattan, it's a total flip of the script to what you're seeing and what you're experiencing. It not only furthered my playing career but also helped to develop me as a person and get me some new experiences and feel a bit more worldly."

After graduation in 2012, Kerstetter wanted to try out with the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Pro) but he was injured. Then he learned that the Heat was returning after a nine-year absence to compete in the Premier Arena Soccer League.

His transition to indoor soccer was a learning experience, on and off the field.

Kerstetter learned the difference between indoors and outdoors when he made his debut against the Dallas Sidekicks in November 2012.

"I tell the story all the time to the new guys who are coming in and who don't have indoor experience," he said. "I was lucky enough to get the start. First play the game, the ball was sent down into the corner. I was just following my man to the corner. The ball bounced off the boards to the player to his chest. He just hit it down, flicked it off the boards, spun around me and hit a side volley onto the goal. Thankfully, our keeper made the save, but I was still standing there facing the boards, and my man had completely swung me around and had a goal-scoring opportunity. That was my first taste of indoor soccer.

"This is my 11th season playing professional indoor soccer, and there are still little intricacies about the game that I'm learning and tweaking."

Two weeks later, Kerstetter, then 23, made his home debut at the Farm Show. During his 14-mile trip from Halifax to Harrisburg, a farmer’s truck caught fire, shutting down one of two routes between the two cities.

"I didn't get to the arena until about 7:30," he said. "I was completely distraught, but to get to play my first home professional game in front of family and friends, thinking back to that, I still get a little bit of goosebumps, because when you are sitting in the stands as a kid, these guys are coming out for the players’ introduction. It was always, 'I'm going to be that someday.' Then to turn around and be one of those guys that comes out of the tunnel and people cheer when your name is called, it's still what keeps me going."

As much as he enjoyed playing, Kerstetter thought he had called it a career in 2017, when he secured a full-time position at UPS and was promoted.

"It was going to overlap with when practices are scheduled," he said. "I tried my hardest to make things work, but it's almost impossible to be able to compete at a high level and not train on a regular basis. It was unfortunate. … I thought was going to be my career for the duration."

Kerstetter eventually switched to real estate, allowing him to set his own schedule. Heat owner Carl Delmont asked him to be on his Sunday radio segment.

"It was on the radio segment that he offered me, 'Why don't you come back and play for the Heat again?' “ he said. “I honestly didn’t know how I responded, but it was probably something along the lines of, 'I think, yeah, if you're willing to have me back, I think I would love to do that again.' Lo and behold, two days later, Pat Healey's giving me a call. We're ironing out the details of the new contract."

He was back indoors again for the 2021-22 MASL season.

His most memorable match was a playoff win during the 2016-17 season, the only time he participated in the playoffs. The Heat surprised the Baltimore Blast on the road in the opening round.

"That was a really special one. The Blast team had everything going for them and seemed to be unbeatable from all aspects," he said. "We shocked them. It was one of those, 'Wow, is this a real moment?' We came back home, and Baltimore had a different kind of fire underneath them. They took both of those games and proceeded on."

Kerstetter will keep busy in the offseason as Chief Operating Officer of the Capital City Islanders, who will make their debut in the United Premier Soccer League this spring. Heat teammate Dom Francis is club president.

While he will take on a front office role offseason, Kerstetter isn't about to hang up his indoor cleats just yet.

"In the past, I've said, 'This might be my last one,' but in my head, I know that I'm a pushover if they offer me to come back,” he said. “If they see something in me where they say, yes, we want you to continue to play, because we think that you can be an influencer one way or another, then I will continue to come back as long as they keep asking me. It would take something pretty significant for me to step away. As long as I can still be impactful, whether it's from a leadership standpoint or as a pivotal player, I'll keep doing it."

After all, who wouldn’t want to keep living the dream?

Michael Lewis can be reached at @Soccerwriter on X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky.