MLS has given its fans many youthful stars through the years. With the introduction of the Homegrown rule, these young stars got their chance on the big stage, but not many Homegrown stars are quite like Phanuel Kavita.
For Real Salt Lake, Kavita embodies exactly what it means to be a Homegrown player. Not only did Kavita come from the RSL Academy in Arizona, but he also grew up in the backyard of Salt Lake City. This year he will get the chance to grace an even larger stage in the Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game on Wednesday as part of the leagues annual All-Star festivities.
Being a part of the Homegrown Game is a goal Kavita has always looked to achieve. Now that he has earned his opportunity he intends to make the most of it.
“It’s a great honor, and a blessing to be chosen for the Homegrown game,” Kavita said. “It’s awesome for our club and our organization to have four of us be selected. It says a lot about our youth program.”
Growing up in a suburb of Salt Lake, Kavita was a standout player for Highland High School and Sparta United Soccer Club. Always touted with a future playing the sport he loves, Phanny made the most of every opportunity he got to step on the field and his coaches noticed. Patrick Rennie, Kavita’s former coach at Sparta spoke highly of the center back.
“The biggest thing he brought was leadership,” Rennie said. “His attitude to the game, to training, and to the coaches was phenomenal.”
After becoming a stand-out youth player in the Salt Lake Valley, the Real Salt Lake Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona began to take notice.
“The academy allows you to push yourself and focus on what you love and to learn the game,” Kavita said. “The way the organization is built is special and the people who look after you there are special.”
With the help of the academy and the growth that Kavita showed, Clemson University came calling for his services. In arguably his greatest achievement as a college athlete, Kavita started all 79 matches in the four years he played for the Tigers. Through those four seasons as a Tiger he helped the team hold a 0.91 goals against average in 2013 while serving his first year as captain the same year. To culminate an illustrious college career, Kavita led Clemson to an ACC Championship and an appearance in the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament. All while graduating early with a degree in Psychology.
“Clemson was definitely my most memorable because it helped me grow as a person and get my education, all while doing what I love,” Kavita said.
Signed to a Homegrown contract at the beginning of 2015, Kavita is into his second season with RSL. Starting and playing 90 minutes in two games last year he has started and played 90 in a single game thus far in 2016. Spending the majority of his time on the field in a Real Monarchs jersey, where he has played 31 matches in the last two seasons, Kavita is always a solid choice for Head Coach Jeff Cassar. As Kavita continues to grow into a young star in a growing league, there is no doubt that his future bright for the 23-year-old.
You can watch Kavita, Justen Glad, Jordan Allen, and Danilo Acosta when they take on the Mexican U-20 National Team Wednesday night at 7 p.m. MT. The match will be streamed live on MLSsoccer.com.
