Kaden Zion comes from a family of athletes.
His parents met at Binghamton University, where his mother was captain of the soccer team and his father a varsity basketball player. Kaden’s older sister and brother are both athletes too, and Kaden plays three sports: lacrosse, basketball, and soccer.
This season, Kaden is the striker-captain of the Garnets’ soccer team, helping them to a 9-2 start to the season. His strong play has led the Rye Lions Club and the High School Athletic Department to jointly designate him the first Athlete of the Month for the school year.
Here’s what his Head Coach, Jared Small, said in nominating him for the honor: “Kaden is the consummate captain. He leads by example, has a remarkable engine and work rate, and through our first 11 games has been the most dangerous player on the field — for us or any of our opponents.
“He put together an incredible month of September, leading the team to 8 wins and scoring 11 goals and adding 3 assists in the process. He has an excellent blend of technical ability, speed, and strength (due in large part to his leadership of our winter/spring weight lifting program). Kaden is one of the best captains we’ve had.
“He was named to the LoHud Elite 11 coming into this season and has proven more than deserving of his spot on that list.”
The Journal News also mentioned his strength when choosing Kaden for its pre-season all-star team: “He is a creative finisher who doesn’t mind going hip- to-hip or shoulder-to-shoulder with a physical defender.”
Young Mr. Zion is equally strong in the classroom. His current grade point average is 97.76 and he’s a member of the National Honor Society. His classes include Advanced Placement Calculus and AP U.S. Government and Politics. His favorite is Public Speaking and Debate, taught by James Goodman, though he admits to enjoying “any English-based classes.”
Kaden will be playing soccer in the fall at Washington and Lee University, though his position on the field may shift from striker to central midfielder. He’ll work toward a career in finance or business. Two summers ago, he took the Columbia University Business School pre-college course titled The Business of Sports, introducing him to the corporate structure and operations of sports programs.
Among the hours he has spent in community service, Kaden worked at The Sharing Shelf, Westchester’s clothing bank for children located in Port Chester. He packed backpacks with a week’s worth of seasonally appropriate clothing for underprivileged children for their first day of school.
What is there about Kaden that even his best friends don’t know?
“Probably, how much I value my time alone. I read, keep a journal, and listen to music.” When pressed, he added, laughingly, “I have a playlist for every occasion. Tonight, I’ll probably listen to some Billy Joel and Elton John.”
Like the other Athlete of the Month honorees, Kaden Zion is eligible to be named Rye High’s Athlete of the Year when the Lions Club holds its annual year-end Awards Luncheon.