 He played in youth sports leagues as a child, including Little League Baseball.Kershaw attended nearby Highland Park High School, where he played baseball and was also the center for future Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford on the varsity football team.After a growth spurt and further development of his pitches, he established himself as an elite high school prospect in 2006 when he posted a 13–0 record with an earned run average (ERA) of 0.77, and recorded 139 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched.