Kirshner attended Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California, where he played soccer and badminton, and ran cross country.

Kirshner was a member of the U.S. national soccer team which won the bronze medal at the 1993 Maccabiah Games in Israel; the world's third-largest sporting event.

[3] At the 1997 Maccabiah Games, Kirshner captained the U.S. team, as they beat the gold medalist Brazil in group play.

From Ohlone, Kirshner returned to his alma mater Rutgers where he was an assistant coach for the 1996 season.

[5] In 2003, Kirshner was the coach of the U.S. U-20 team which won a bronze medal at the Pan-American Maccabiah games in Santiago, Chile.

Their Carlsbad Elite teams went to the State Quarterfinals as well as won the coveted Coast League Premier Cup.