The Junior Way

U13s: Border Battle champs

2012-03-05T13:18:00.003-06:00

Congratulations go out to the Sporting Kansas City U13 Juniors, who were crowned champions of the 2012 Border Battle Tournament this weekend! The Under-13 squad went 2-0-1 in Pool A of the Boys U13 Russia division, advancing to the final and securing a 2-0 win over SLSG Metro - Pre Academy 98/99.

Check out video highlights below, with all 11 goals from the weekend captured by Chris Bihuniak...

The U14 Juniors were also in action at the tournament, hosted in Overland Park, and went 0-1-2 while playing up a year in Pool A of the Boys U15 Switzerland division. The Under-14's opened the competition with a 1-1 draw against KCSC Blackstars 96/97 before falling 3-2 to eventual group winners Galaxy 96/97 Blue on Saturday. The Juniors rebounded on Sunday with a scoreless draw versus FCX North Black.

Photos: U18s vs FC Dallas

2012-03-05T11:19:00.002-06:00

Check out the photo slideshow below from the Sporting Kansas City U18 Juniors match on Friday against FC Dallas in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Some great shots!

Photos courtesy of Lightner family

U16s draw vs FC Dallas

2012-03-03T07:50:00.004-06:00

The Sporting Kansas City Juniors opened the spring season of the 2011-2012 U.S. Soccer Development Academy on Friday night at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park. The U18's kicked off the doubleheader against FC Dallas, dropping a 3-0 result versus the Texas Division leaders. Sporting KC fell behind early after conceding a penalty kick and FC Dallas scored twice more in the first half for their 16th win in 19 USSDA matches.

The U16's fared better, sending the visitors home with a 2-2 draw. Jon Parry's squad led twice in the opening 45 minutes on goals from Rockhurst High School classmates. Luke Stanley opened the scoring on a penalty kick and Cole Stevenson put the Juniors back ahead 2-1 with his strike, but an FC Dallas penalty kick in the second half drew the teams level.

Sporting KC will continue the USSDA season at home next weekend when both teams face St. Louis Scott Gallagher Metro on Saturday. Mark your calendars, U18s kick off at 11:30am followed by U16s at 2:00pm!

Development Academy resumes

2012-03-02T10:14:00.005-06:00

After playing their first six games in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy's 2011-2012 season in November/December, the Sporting Kansas City U16 and U18 teams will resume play in the USSDA tonight at home against fellow MLS foe FC Dallas!

The Under-18 Juniors, led by Paul Rideout, enter the match with a 4-2-0 record but they will be facing an FC Dallas squad that has already played 18 games this season with only one loss. Their match kicks off at 4:30pm at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park.

The Under-16 Juniors, led by Jon Parry, will play after the U18's at Swope with kick off scheduled for 7pm. With a .500 record (2-2-2) through their first six games, the U16's will be out to start 2012 on a winning note against FC Dallas (7-4-7).

Both matches are free and open to the public. Come show your support for Sporting KC and catch a doubleheader of Development Academy action tonight between two Major League Soccer teams.

Juniors at Border Battle

2012-03-02T10:06:00.004-06:00

The Sporting Kansas City U13 and U14 Juniors will be competing at the 2012 Border Battle Tournament this weekend. Games will be held at the Overland Park Soccer Complex and Heritage Soccer Park, beginning tonight!

The Under-13 Juniors will play in Pool A of the Boys U13 Russia division. Their game schedule is as follows:

vs Toca FC MLS at 5:15pm on Friday (OP-12)
vs KCFC Magic at 8:20pm on Saturday (OP-4)
vs KC Fusion Academy 98/99 at 3:30pm on Sunday (HSP-15)

The Under-14 Juniors will play up in Pool A of the Boys U15 Switzerland division.

vs KCSC Blackstars 96/97 at 9:15pm on Friday (OP-3)
vs Galaxy 96/97 Blue at 2:15pm on Saturday (HSP-8)
vs FCX North Black at 3:00pm on Sunday (OP-2)

Good luck to both teams!

Champions: Jrs at Futsal Nationals

2012-02-20T14:43:00.005-06:00

The Sporting Kansas City Juniors strong showing at the United States Youth Futsal Nationals culminated today with an SKC squad in the championship match of all five age groups that Sporting entered teams into for the tournament. With all the results in from the Overland Park Convention Center today, Sporting Kansas City crowned four new champions!

Sporting KC U13 Jrs Croatia were 8-2 winners over 99 SportsTutor Ligers
Sporting KC Juniors Italy were 5-4 victors versus Magical Futsal Academy
Sporting KC Juniors Portugal triumphed 6-4 against Sporting BVSC U15B
U16s Sporting KC Jrs - Uruguay prevailed 5-4 past Sporting BVSC 94/95

Today's lone loss came in a narrow defeat as U16 Sporting KC Jrs fell 7-6 to BNC Revolution A in the Boys U16 Super Group finale. Congrats to all the Sporting KC Juniors on their performances at the US Youth Futsal Nationals and best of luck as they wrap up their seasons this weekend in the Futsal KC league.

2012 Spring Break Camp

2012-02-20T12:56:00.007-06:00

Spots are filling up fast for the 2012 Spring Break Camp, which begins two weeks from today! The three-day camp is open to competitive boys players between the ages of 9 and 16, and will be held at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park.

The camp costs $130, which includes an adidas Sporting KC t-shirt and the opportunity to be evaluated by the Sporting Kansas City Juniors coaching staff. Click here for more information and to register while spots are still available.

Last year, the camp was sold out with over 150 campers! Click here to see a photo slideshow from the 2011 Pre-Academy Camp.

Video: Jrs at Youth Futsal Nationals

2012-02-20T08:48:00.005-06:00

Here is a recap of each of the Sporting KC teams in the tournament...

In the Boys U13/U14 bracket, it was an all-SKC Juniors semifinal as Sporting KC U13 Croatia (3-0-0) advanced past Sporting KC U13 Argentina (1-1-1) with a 6-4 victory on Sunday. The U13's are now facing 99 SportsTutor Ligers at 9am this morning.
In the Boys U14 Super Group, Sporting KC Juniors - Italy went a perfect 3-0-0 in pool play and face Magical Futsal Academy in the finals at 9:15am this morning.
In the Boys U15 division, Sporting KC Juniors - Portugal went 3-1-0 in pool play and will have a shot at avenging their lone loss in the championship when they play Sporting BVSC U15B at 8:15am this morning.
In the Boys U16 Super Group, the U16 Sporting KC Jrs went 3-0-0 in pool play and won 8-6 in the semifinals to advance to the 9am CT final against BNC Revolution A.
In the Boys High School Super Group, both U16 Sporting KC Juniors - England and U16 Sporting KC Juniors - Uruguay went 3-0-0 in pool play. Uruguay advanced to the championship match at noon today against Sporting BVSC 94/95.

Video: Juniors Signing Ceremony

2012-02-17T09:25:00.005-06:00

Sporting Kansas City held a special signing ceremony on Wednesday at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park for the SKC Juniors who have signed their National Letters of Intent to play college soccer this fall. Check out the video below to see footage from the event and hear from DOC Jon Parry, as well as future SMU Mustang Derek Schrick.

For more on Wednesday's gathering, check out Thad Bell's article on Examiner.com -- the first of several more on the Sporting KC Juniors youth development academy.

Video: KSHB covers futsal

2012-02-15T18:36:00.003-06:00

As we mentioned yesterday, several Sporting Kansas City Juniors teams will be competing in the US Futsal Nationals this weekend. Well today, NBC Action News caught up with Sporting Kansas City Juniors Director of Coaching and US Youth Futsal Executive Director Jon Parry to talk about the tournament while the playing surface was being installed at the Overland Park Convention Center.

Watch below for the report from Jack Harry during the 6pm newscast...

Video: Two new Juniors

2012-02-15T13:41:00.004-06:00

Wichita's CBS affiliate KWCH picked up the story on two of the newest members of the Sporting Kansas City Under-18 Juniors, Dodge City's Armando Hipolito and Jovanny Bonilla. Armando is a member of the Region II 94 ODP team, while Jovanny was named to the SWKSCA 6A All-Regional Team. Check out the news feature below...

US Futsal Nationals in OP

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

The 2012 United States Futsal Nationals will be held this weekend - Feb. 17 thru 20 - in the Overland Park Convention Center for boys and girls teams from across the country in the U8-U19 age groups. Among the 100+ teams registered to participate, the Sporting Kansas City Juniors will have a large presence:

U16s Sporting KC JRS - Uruguay in Boys High School division
U16s Sporting KC Jrs in Boys U16 Super Group
Sporting KC Juniors - Portugal in Boys U15 division
Sporting KC Juniors - Italy in Boys U14 Super Group
Sporting KC U13 Croatia in Boys U13/U14
Sporting KC U13 Argentina in Boys U13/U14

"To have all 1100 players along with coaches and families in one space will create an atmosphere that is nothing short of electrifying," said John Sciore, director of development for US Youth Futsal, in this Examiner.com preview.

Admission is open to the public with weekend passes available for $8 or Saturday/Sunday passes sold for $5. Mondays finals will be free of charge! Follow @usyouthfutsal on Twitter for updates and news throughout the tournament.

Podcast with Jon Parry

2012-02-09T11:35:00.006-06:00

Sporting Kansas City Juniors DOC Jon Parry sat down this week with Andy Edwards, host of the Talkin' Touches podcast, to discuss the club's approach to the academy and the Juniors recent affiliation with TSC Hurricane in Tulsa, Okla.

Click here to listen to the interview and hear what Parry has to say about a wide-range of topics related to the Sporting Kansas City Juniors.

Q&A with Eric DeJulio

2012-02-08T09:00:00.001-06:00

Blue Valley Northwest's Eric DeJulio, a defender and captain on the Sporting Kansas City Under-18 Juniors this season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, has logged a LOT of minutes for the Juniors each of the last three seasons. After leading all players on the U16 Juniors in 2009-2010 with 29 games started, he then started every match for the squad in 2010-2011.

Now off to a strong start in 2011-2012, he's the only player to have started all six matches for Paul Rideout's team and his play within the academy led to his recruitment by Division I powerhouse Creighton, to whom he recently signed his National Letter of Intent to play college soccer for in the fall.

SB Nation contributor Alex Englen caught up with Eric for a Q&A on his college plans and his experience with the Sporting Kansas City Juniors. Check it out!

Congrats, Betsy!

2012-02-04T09:00:00.001-06:00

Mr. and Mrs. Maxfield

Sporting Kansas City's Director of Youth Soccer Betsy Pollard (shown above at Wembley Stadium in London) oversees all the behind-the-scenes details that go into providing the Juniors program with every last element the teams need to be successful. From scheduling flights and hotels for road trips to coordinating tryouts and youth soccer camps right here in KC, her influence is felt across all aspects of the academy...including this blog.

So it only seems appropriate that we use this space to be among the first to not only wish Betsy a happy birthday today, but also a blessed wedding day! She'll be tying the knot with her fiancé Ryan in sunny Manhattan Beach, California (and yes, last we heard, a game of beach soccer was on the day's itinerary).

Best wishes from all of us at Sporting KC on the first of many more cherished memories for the newlyweds!

Hare & Schrick sign NLI's

2012-02-01T18:49:00.010-06:00

Wednesday marked a major moment for several Sporting Kansas City Juniors players as the first day of February brought the NCAA's official signing day for high school seniors to sign their National Letters of Intent for college soccer. Sporting KC will hold a formal ceremony in two weeks at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park to recognize all the college commitments from our soon-to-be graduates and we'll have plenty of photos and video to share from that event.

Two of the college-bound Juniors are Rockhurst High's Daniel Hare and Derek Shrick, whose friends and family gathered yesterday for their school's signing ceremony, led by Hawklets Coach Chris Lawson.

Hare signed with Loyola of Chicago and Schrick will play for Southern Methodist University. After the signing, both the Hare family and the Schrick family shared their excitement and anticipation for the boys further success as they embark on the next step of their soccer and academic careers.

Adam Hare, a Rockhurst Alum, was in attendance wearing a Sporting KC windbreaker to support his younger brother, as he and the two signee's ensured they would continue to follow Sporting Kansas City and their voyage in 2012.

Check out the video below to see footage from the event:

Video: U13 Highlights

2012-01-31T10:30:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we told you the U13 Juniors went undefeated en route to a first place finish at the Michael Brown Winter Classic in Frisco, Texas this past weekend and today we now have the video highlights courtesy of Chris Bihuniak. Some scrappy finishing at first and then some serious skills on display by the youngest of our academy teams.

Juniors at Michael Brown Winter Classic

2012-01-30T09:54:00.007-06:00

The Sporting Kansas City U13 and U14 Juniors were in Frisco, Texas this weekend at the Michael Brown Winter Classic.

The U13s went undefeated in their four matches at the FC Dallas Soccer Complex, posting a 3-0-1 record and finishing atop the standings in the U13 Gold group. "The boys played well and got better every game," said coach Matt Trumpp. "The weekend was a good start to our Spring season. We look to improve as we move into NPL."

The U13's opened the weekend with back-to-back 3-0 wins over Huskies Soccer Academy and Comets Soccer Academy, respectively. The team allowed their lone goal of the weekend on a penalty kick in a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas Academy 00 on Sunday morning, but goalkeeper Diego Alanis responded with his third shutout of the weekend with a 3-0 win later that day against FC Dallas Academy 99.

The U14's kicked off their tournament on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against Dallas Texans 98B in the morning and a 3-0 victory over TFC 98B Royal in the evening. Sunday started off strong with a 5-0 win against the FC Dallas 98B Blue before the team fell 2-1 in the fourth and final match of the trip versus group winners DFW Tejanos 98B Premier. With four games -- and two wins -- under their belt in the first outdoor action of 2012, Dustin Ottesen's squad will now have their sights set on gearing up for the Spring season ahead.

Video: NSCAA Convention

2012-01-25T08:50:00.002-06:00

As promised, all-access video footage from the Sporting Kansas City Under-16 Juniors at the NSCAA Convention earlier this month. Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes led the session, titled "Approach Play in a 4-3-3."

Sporting KC Youth Camps

2012-01-23T08:55:00.004-06:00

Sporting Kansas City and the Sporting KC Juniors will once again offer a variety of youth soccer camps in 2012 for boys and girls of all ages. You can see all the camps currently scheduled for 2012 at SportingKC.com/camps, including four to be held at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park and two camps in June at the Independence Athletics Complex.

First up is the 2012 Spring Break Camp, just 50 days away! The camp is designed for 9-16 year old boys who are currently playing in the Juniors program or who are looking to become part of Sporting's youth academy. The three-day camp will be held from Monday, March 12th thru Wednesday, March 14th and the cost is $130, which includes a Sporting KC t-shirt. Register here.

Other camps available are:

Invite-Only Sessions for U11-U14 boys ($205 for current SKC Juniors)
Pre-Tryout Camp for U11-U14 boys ($130)
Development Camp for boys & girls ages 8-12 ($130)
Sporting Youngsters Camp for boys & girls ages 4-7 ($100)
Development Camp for boys & girls ages 8-12 ($150)

Registration is now open for all camps and spots are limited.

Video: U13 Juniors futsal highlights

2012-01-19T11:21:00.007-06:00

The winter futsal seasons are well underway for the Sporting Kansas City Juniors in the local Futsal KC league and here's the latest video to showcase the skills being developed at the youngest age level. Check out clips from the U13 SKC Juniors - Croatia's 10-4 victory over Galaxy-White on Sunday at the Roeland Park Sports Dome, courtesy of Peter Wilkinson.

And here's an update on how each of the teams are doing in their respective divisions...

U13 SKC Jrs - Croatia, 6-0-0 (66 goals scored), 1st place
U13 SKC Jrs - Argentina, 5-1-0 (41 goals scored), 1st place
U14 SKC Jrs - Italy, 3-0-0 (25 goals scored), 2nd place
U14 SKC Jrs - Portugal, 2-1-0 (13 goals scored), 4th place
The U16 & U18 Juniors are dueling it out in their own division, with the U18 SKC Jrs - Netherlands currently atop the standings with a 5-1-0 record

Q&A with Jon Parry

2012-01-18T14:44:00.010-06:00

Congratulations go out to former Juniors player and Rockhurst University defender Kyle Miller on his selection by Sporting Kansas City in the MLS Supplemental draft on Tuesday! Miller was one of two former Sporting KC Juniors to be taken in the draft, as Matt Kuhn was selected by D.C. United as well.

Sporting Kansas City Juniors Director of Coaching Jon Parry took time on Wednesday to answer a few questions following the big news and shared his thoughts on the selections...

Having coached Kyle, can you tell us a little bit about him as a player and about your experience coaching him?

Parry: I coached Kyle at Blue Valley Soccer Club and originally he was on our second U16 team, but we pulled him up to the first team a few weeks after the season started and he has been with us ever since. He’s really versatile. He fits well into the system that Sporting play, the 4-3-3, because he can play a lot of different positions in the midfield and he can play out wide. Overall, he’s a good fit. He’s got an engine on him, a tireless work ethic and he is an awesome kid.

He was also a member of the Sporting Kansas City Juniors program. As the Juniors director, what was your reaction to hearing he had gotten drafted yesterday?

Parry: I was very excited to have been able to have coached him for so many years. He really helped start a legacy in regards to our Juniors program. He was on our 2008 team that went to the McGuire Cup final and he was a big part of that. It is always nice to get a homegrown kid. He definitely deserves the opportunity, and I think he is going to make the most of it, so I was very excited for him.

Another former Sporting KC Junior – Matt Kuhn – was drafted by D.C. United yesterday. How special is it to see these Juniors products getting opportunities with Major League Soccer clubs?

Parry: Matt is quite good, really good in 1v1 situations. He played out wide for us and he was on that same team – that 2008 Wizards team that went to the National Finals. He scores goals and has some pace. I think he has a good chance of making it as well.

It’s awesome. That’s why we started the program five years ago. We have demonstrated we can develop players. Our goal now, is not just to get them in, but to get them into the starting lineup for the home team. It is nice to see those kids going out and getting the opportunity to play at the highest level.

With all of the Sporting KC Juniors players now playing in college, how do you encourage or prepare them for transitioning into the next level of professional soccer?

Parry: I think the most important thing for those guys is that they come back and they train with the senior team in the summer months. That gives the staff a chance to see how good they are, what their qualities are and how they respond to coaching. Once those kids start coming back, we’ll have a pretty good indication of who we want to sign.

Video: Juniors help out NSCAA

2012-01-17T17:16:00.003-06:00

As we wrote about on Sunday, the Sporting Kansas City Juniors were called upon to help showcase several of the sessions at the recently completed NSCAA Convention held in Kansas City. Now we've got some video evidence, courtesy of Chris Bihuniak. Check out the sights and sounds from the KC Convention Center below and check back later this week for comments from Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes.

Juniors at NSCAA Convention

2012-01-15T20:12:00.011-06:00

The 2012 NSCAA Convention was held at the Kansas City Convention Center from January 11th thru 15th and the Sporting Kansas City Juniors played a large part in the annual event, acting as demonstrators for several of the sessions that attracted coaches from all across the United States. Check out a few of the comments below from a variety of attendees on Twitter...

Starting the day off right w PV doing the NSCAA demo using the U16s @SKCJuniors @SportingKC twitter.com/bmpollard/stat…
— Betsy Pollard (@bmpollard) January 13, 2012

I'm watching this Finishing drill game with the @SKCJuniors & it seems obvious they might practice a lot of futsal. #NSCAAconvention
— Bryan McBeth (@I_am_McBeth) January 12, 2012

Good stuff to the @SKCJuniors at the opening field session of the nscaa convention.
— Betsy Pollard (@bmpollard) January 12, 2012

At the @nscaa convention watching @sportingkc's PV lead a session with the u16 skc juniors yfrog.com/g0vo5xhj
— kristin bock (@kbock2241) January 13, 2012

Had a great session this morning wig the sporting Kansas city u14 team.
— Hylton Dayes (@CoachDayesUC) January 12, 2012

Opening session of the 2012 #NSCAAconvention featuring Doug Williamson and the @sportingkc U18's twitter.com/NSCAA/status/1…
— NSCAA (@NSCAA) January 11, 2012

Peter Vermes @SportingKC Manager doing a session on attacking in a 433 twitter.com/AndrewVorce/st…
— Andrew Vorce (@AndrewVorce) January 13, 2012

Morning session with Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes. twitter.com/Mike____P/stat…
— michael pereira (@Mike____P) January 14, 2012

Day 2 at #Nscaaconvention.Love seeing great coaches with good players.Wonderful session by #kcsporting head coach Peter Vermes.
— Maryville W. Soccer (@MUSaintsSoccer) January 13, 2012

Excellent session by Peter Vermes this morning! Quality academy kids on display as well #NSCAAConvention approach play in a 4-3-3
— David Robertson (@CincySoccer2307) January 13, 2012

Kansas SC Academy players in session with Peter Vermes #nscaaconvention twitter.com/Paynie10/statu…
— Chris Payne (@Paynie10) January 13, 2012

KC Star All-Metro

2012-01-15T10:02:00.005-06:00

Congratulations go out to all 15 Sporting Kansas City Juniors players chosen to the Kansas City Star's All-Metro Boy's Soccer teams. The selections were announced in Sunday's edition of the newspaper (shown on right), with our very own Derek Schrick being named the All-Metro boys soccer player of the year! Here's a rundown on the honorees:

First Team: FWD Shane Woods (Kearney, senior), MF Derek Schrick (Rockhurst, senior), MF Chris Tuso (Blue Valley NW, senior), Matt Peterson (Blue Valley North, junior), Clay Stewart (Olathe South, junior), GK Jacole Turner (Lee's Summit North, senior)

Second Team: FWD Steve Enna (St. James Academy, sophomore), MF Andrew Brown (St. Thomas Aquinas, senior), DEF Eric DeJulio (Blue Valley NW, senior), DEF Julian Ramirez (Blue Springs, junior)

Honorable Mention: FWD Garrett Pulliam (Blue Valley West, senior), MF David Leichty (Shawnee Mission South, junior), MF Joey Piatczyc (Lee's Summit, sophomore), MF Taylor Walter (Blue Valley, senior), GK Evan Wright (Blue Valley, senior)

Walter to play at Colgate

2012-01-11T09:44:00.008-06:00

Yesterday, another Sporting Kansas City Junior decided at which four-year institute he would further his soccer development. Taylor Walter chose Colgate University, located in Hamilton, N.Y.

Colgate is coming off an impressive 2011 season, as reigning Patriot League Champions. The Raiders (11-5-6) appeared in the NCAA tournament but fell to Rutgers 4-2 in the opening round.

Walter is an Overland Park, Kansas native and has played in each of the six games for the Sporting Kansas City Juniors this fall while providing an engine in the midfield for the under 15's in the 2008-2009 season.

Walter was a four-year starter at Blue Valley High School where he received first-team all-league and all-state honors. Walter guided his team to the Class 5A Championship game this past fall. Walter becomes the seventh Colgate-bound high school senior to date. To view a complete list of college commitments, click here.

DeJulio Chooses Creighton

2012-01-03T16:14:00.009-06:00

As ESPN told its thousands of Twitter followers earlier today, Sporting Kansas City Juniors defender Eric DeJulio has verbally committed to Creighton! The Bluejays are coming off an impressive 2011 season in which they appeared in the semifinals of the NCAA College Cup before ultimately falling 4-1 in a shootout to Charlotte in Hoover, Alabama.

In post-season rankings, Creighton finished second among Division 1 Men’s Soccer Programs in RPI while the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) deemed them fourth in their end-of-the-year poll. Creighton -- alma mater of Sporting KC first team defender Seth Sinovic -- held a 21-2-1 record at the conclusion of the 2011 season, maintaining an undefeated (14-0-0) status at home.

DeJulio earned recognition through his performances with the Sporting Kansas City Juniors, as well as with his high school team, Blue Valley Northwest. DeJulio helped lead the Juniors to a second place finish in the Frontier Conference last season and he is the only Sporting Kansas City Juniors player to start all six games of the current 2011 US Soccer Development Academy season.

DeJulio captained Blue Valley Northwest and served as the anchor of his teams defensive line, leading them to the final four in Class 6A in Kansas. DeJulio scored six goals and added two assists, earning him the third highest points total on the team at the conclusion of the 2011 high school season.

DeJulio joins several other Sporting Kansas City Juniors players who have made their college choices, including Andrew Brown (Bradley), Nate Opperman (Evansville), Daniel Hare (Loyola), David Isaacks (Rhode Island), Evan Wright (Saint Louis) and Derek Schrick (Southern Methodist). To view a list of 2012 high school boys' soccer NCAA Division 1 verbal commitments on ESPN.com, click here.

Miller an All-American

2011-12-17T18:10:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to former Sporting Kansas City Juniors player and current Rockhurst senior captain Kyle Miller, named an NSCAA/Continental Tires NCAA Men's Division II All-American and All-Midwest selection. Miller anchored a Hawks' defense which allowed only seven goals during the 2011 season, fewest in the nation, and helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals this year.

The Overland Park, Kansas native was also named to the Daktronics All-America Second Team and Daktronics All-Region First Team. He also got a mention in the sports section of Saturday's Kansas City Star!

Video: U13s Futsal Action

2011-12-12T11:38:00.005-06:00

Video courtesy of Chris Bihuniak

The Sporting Kansas City Juniors have taken their seasons indoors during the winter months in KC and can now be seen playing in Futsal KC, one of more than 40 US Youth Futsal leagues throughout the country.

Sporting Kansas City has played a major role in the growth and progress of the sport and the league in the U.S., as juniors Director of Coaching Jon Parry and Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes are both on the leadership team for US Youth Futsal. Check out the video above of the Sporting KC U-13 Juniors in action this past weekend.

Missouri H.S. Honors Announced

2011-12-09T17:05:00.006-06:00

The 2011 Boys All-State and All-Kansas City teams for Missouri high school soccer players were announced and numerous Sporting Kansas City Juniors received marks of respect.

Rockhust senior midfielder Derek Schrick earned several honors, the most prestigious being Missouri State Player of the Year. Schrick was also named First Team All-State, Kansas-City Co-Player of the Year, and first team All-Kansas City. Schrick was a driving force in Rockhurst’s final team ranking in 2011 as No. 4 in the state, with an overall record of 22-4-1.

Jacole Turner was awarded Missouri State Goalkeeper of the Year, Kansas-City Goalkeeper of the Year, First Team All-State and First Team All-Kansas City. Turner led Lee’s Summit North to a 19-4 record earning them the No. 7 spot in the final state rankings for 2011.

Shane Woods, a senior forward at Kearney, also earned First Team All-State honors as well as All-Kansas City Offensive Player of the Year and All-Kansas City First Team honors.

Julian Ramirez rounds out the First Team All-State selections and is the only player from the Sporting Kansas City Juniors U16 squad to earn the impressive tribute. Ramirez, a Blue Springs H.S. defender, also earned First Team All-Kansas City.

Sophomore midfielder Joey Piatczyc was selected as Second Team All-State and All-Kansas City while junior forward Darby Cronin received Honorable Mention All-State and Second Team All-Kansas City.

Cameron Wallace joins Piatczyc and Cronin as Second-Team All-Kansas City and Alec Van Wormer, Erik Palmer-Brown, Jake Wood, Pier Cassiraghi, and David Isaacks obtained Honorable Mention All-Kansas City.

Van Wormer, a sophomore defender, guided Lee’s Summit West to a 24-8 record to garner a No. 5 ranking amongst all teams in the state of Missouri. Meanwhile, Palmer-Brown becomes the lone freshman amid the Sporting Kansas City Juniors to earn the accolade.

VIDEO: Final Day at the DA Winter Showcase

2011-12-08T13:34:00.002-06:00

SKC Juniors Conclude Showcase

2011-12-07T09:59:00.010-06:00

Sporting Kansas City's U16 and U18 Juniors concluded their six-day trip to Florida with a win and a tie respectively on Tuesday. The Juniors accumulated a combined record of 4-1-1 with the U18's going 3-0 on the week and the U16's finishing with ones across the board.

Both squads faced the Oakwood Soccer Club in the last match of the three-game road voyage. Tuesday's match for the U18's concluded 2-1 in Sporting Kansas City's favor with Eduardo Moreno and Clay Stewart both contributing second-half goals.

The under 16's contest versus Oakwood ended in a 2-2 draw. Seo-in Kim and Julian Ramirez each added tallies for Sporting Kansas City while Thomas Parisis and Timothy Edward Mines notched goals for Oakwood. To view a more detailed account on the Juniors trip to Florida check out Sportingmembership.com.

Here is a direct link to the recap from the DA Winter Showcase Day 3 as well as a photo gallery. Sporting Kansas City Juniors will continue to train outside for the next couple of weeks and prep for futsal during the winter months before resuming play in March.

Beach Cruising

2011-12-07T08:29:00.002-06:00

After getting back into KC late last night, and being met by conditions that were considerably harsher than what they enjoyed in Florida this weekend, you can be sure all the Juniors were reminiscing about their time at Siesta Key on Monday.

Here's some video of that excursion:

Parry on staff for GA tour

2011-12-05T18:21:00.011-06:00

Sporting Kansas City Juniors Director of Coaching and U16's coach Jon Parry joins fellow Sporting technical staff members John Pascarella, Zoran Savic, and Manager Peter Vermes in an offseason journey to the Netherlands to lead the 2011 Generation adidas tour. The tour gathers players who joined MLS through the Generation adidas program and provides them the unique opportunity to compete against world-renowned academies overseas. Adidas sponsors the tour in an effort to help the continued growth of soccer throughout the United States and Canada.

The collection of Generation adidas players will train at Ajax Academy in Amsterdam and compete in friendlies against reserve teams from Ajax, FC Volendam, and Almere City FC. Parry will be exposed to Ajax Academy sessions as well as be provided with the opportunity to gain insights from the coaching staff of the various Amsterdam clubs. Click here for the GA roster and itinerary.

For regular updates on Parry and the rest of the tour, make sure to follow @adidasITP on Twitter.

Wright & Schrick All-Americas

2011-12-05T14:56:00.010-06:00

Two Sporting Kansas City Juniors earned selection to the NSCAA 2011 Boys High School All-America Team for stellar performances with their respective high school sides.

Senior goalkeeper Evan Wright from Stillwell, Kansas earned his spot as an NSCAA All-America after a notable year playing for Blue Valley High School. Wright led Blue Valley to the 2011 Kansas State 5A Championship, clocking 1,855 minutes in 2011.

Wright played a particularly large role in the Kansas 5A quarterfinal match at St. Thomas Aquinas. Wright made a break-away stop on Aquinas senior Mikey Geist in the first 10 seconds of the match. Then in a penalty kick shootout, it was Wright again making two huge stops for the Tigers allowing for their 4-2 victory in penalty kicks.

Derek Schrick, senior midfielder and Kansas City native, guided Rockhurst High School to the District Championship game. Schrick made significant contributions to the success of Rockhurst who finished out their season with a 22-4-1 record. For his efforts, Schrick was named to the NSCAA All-America Team.

In addition to All-America honors, Schrick's performance throughout his senior season landed him NSCAA Boys High School Missouri State Player of the Year.

USSDA Winter Showcase

2011-12-05T11:26:00.007-06:00

The Sporting Kansas City Under-16 and Under-18 Juniors are off to a successful start at the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase in Sarasota, Florida.

The first matches of the Showcase took place on Saturday, December 3rd. The u18's won 1-0 against D.C. United, while the u16's dropped a 4-0 decision after playing a man down for much of the second half in their battle with the MLS rivals. Check out SportingMembership.com for a full recap and video highlights from Day 1 at the Winter Showcase, as well as a photo album on Facebook.

The second day of the Showcase took place on Sunday, December 4th. Despite the short turnover and heavy legs, both Sporting Kansas City teams recorded victories against strong Baltimore Bays competition. The u18's found the early lead and came away with a 2-1 victory. Whereas the u16's earned the win in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory. Click on the link to see more on Day 2 at the Winter Showcase, with a gallery of images available here.

The last two matches of the showcase for Sporting Kansas City will be held on Tuesday with both teams facing Oakwood Soccer Club. Follow @SKCJuniors on Twitter for all the latest from the tournament!

Piatczyc Selected for Showcase

2011-11-23T11:58:00.008-06:00

Sporting Kansas City Junior Joey Piatczyc was selected as one of 78 developmental players to compete in the 2011 Winter Showcase's Academy Select Teams in Sarasota, Fla. The 78 players will be divided into four select teams by U.S. Soccer technical staff. The showcase will consist of two games for each team to be played at the Premier Sports Complex on December 3, 2011.

Earlier this year, Piatczyc made his debut for Sporting Kansas City in a Reserve League victory over Colorado Rapids. Piatczyc,who was born in 1996, is the youngest player to enter a Reserve match for Sporting Kansas City this season.

U16's and U18's USSDA Home Opener

2011-11-23T11:41:00.006-06:00

Sporting Kansas City Juniors under-18s and under-16s competed in their home openers earlier this month against the Dallas Texans. The matches took place at Swope Park Training Center on Friday, Nov. 18.

The first game of the double header began at 4:30 p.m. and featured Sporting Kansas City U-18s versus a Texans side that had 1-3-4 record leading up to the match. The Texans came away with a road win, the victory marking their second of the season. The lone goal of the match belonged to Caleb Richardson in the 42nd minute.

Head Coach of Sporting Kansas City U-18s, Paul Rideout, said, “ I was delighted with the way we possessed the ball from back to front, but disappointed we did not turn it into goals”.

The U-16s kicked off at 7 p.m. against an undefeated Texans team. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Sporting Kansas City’s Debray Holliman notched the first goal of the game right before half time. The Texan’s Brandon Aubrey found the equalizer at the 60th minute mark.

The two academy teams will resume play this weekend asSporting Kansas City head to Sarasota, Florida to face D.C. United, Baltimore Bays and Oakwood Soccer Club at the 2011 Winter Showcase at the Premier Sports Campus.

Juniors Pay Visit to LIVESTRONG Headquarters

2011-11-16T14:55:00.020-06:00

Sporting Kansas City's two Development Academy teams played their first games of the 2011 season on the road last weekend but came back to KC with more than just one win a piece. The Juniors had the opportunity to take a tour of LIVESTRONG Headquarters located in Austin, Texas and as you could imagine, LIVESTRONG HQ is packed with inspirational stories and keepsakes.

Upon entering the building, the Juniors noticed that all of the rooms featured see through walls to indicate that the organization is transparent in efforts to create trust, participation, and informed decision making.

The next notable display was a yellow motorcycle, which was made for Lance by the American Chopper guys, and revealed on The Tonight Show. The idea was to generate exposure for the LIVESTRONG Foundation and that is exactly what it did. Lance then auctioned the bike to raise money for his cause and the highest bidder donated their new prize back to the foundation, which is now on display at the LIVESTRONG Headquarters. The U16 Sporting Kansas City Juniors pose with the Orange County Choppers contribution in the fight against Cancer.

The headquarters of course placed emphasis on the number seven to symbolize Lance Armstrong's status as 7-time Tour de France winner by the seven core values they created to represent their foundation.

The VALUES include:

1) We can Change the way the world fights cancer.

2) We do this by serving you.

3) We know we cant do it alone.

4) We call for action in a global community.

5) We voraciously pursue excellence.

6) We dare to hope and act on it.

7) We honor the fight – your fight.

Another reference to the number seven includes a piece of art that connects seven fully functioning bicycles together with just a few screws. Theoretically the bicycles could be taken apart and available for use. However, when connected serves as the centerpiece of the office and represents different stages of Armstrong's life. Each bicycle has four symbols. The symbols create a story line. A few examples include a skull to represent chemicals and the diagnosis of cancer and a cross to represent the many hours spent at the hospital. Lungs to stand for the good health and endurance Lance needs for competition.

Other notable items around the office include a display of the seven jerseys worn during Armstrong's seven tour victories, a paddle board which reads "damthatcancer" donated from a race, hammocks, a yoga room, an entire office for the 35 interns they have each semester, and of course Mike Savage's painting of LIVESTRONG Sporting Park beautifully hanging from the cubicle of a staff member. To conclude, the boys had the opportunity to meet Doug Ulman, President and CEO of The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LIVESTRONG).

SKC Juniors in College Ranks

2011-11-15T13:09:00.019-06:00

Last week, we took a look at the high school seasons for active U16 and U18 SKC Juniors players. Today, we catch our readers up on the collegiate seasons that several former Sporting Kansas City Juniors are now enjoying...

Division 1:
The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles concluded the season with a 13-6-1 overall record after falling 2-1 to Western Illinois in the championship of the Summit League. Juniors products Tom Adams and Paul Oliver helped propel ORU to the conference finals, appearing in 14 and 16 games respectively and each tallying six points on the year. Oliver gave ORU the 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute of the championship match this past weekend, but it wasn’t enough to earn the victory.

Christian Duke and San Diego University lost their season finale to St. Mary’s who went on to win the West Coast Conference. Duke started 17 games this season, notching three assists on the year to help SDU earn a .500 record of 9-9-1.

Wright State’s 1-0 victory on November 5th ended Butler’s season with a 7-8-3 record. However, Sporting Kansas City Juniors alumni Brandon Fricke earned individual honors. The redshirt freshman defender started 15 of the 16 games he appeared in for the Bulldogs this year and earned Academic All-District recognition. This selection deems Fricke eligible for the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America Team.

Asher Herbet played 16 games this year for Long Island University who ended their season on November 5th with a 3-0 loss on Senior Day to Fairleigh Dickinson.

Four Sporting Kansas City Juniors alumni were able to impact the University of Missouri Kansas City this fall. Konnor Knoll, Jordan Rideout, and Jimmy Simon each played in 17 games this year, while Michael Oakley made 16 appearances. Rideout started each of the 17 games he played in while Oakley started in each of the 16 games he played. Rideout tallied a team leading seven goals and 14 points this season and earned Newcomer of the Year and first-team all-conference honors. Oakley also earned a spot on the All-Newcomer Team after being the rock of the UMKC defense all season long. Knoll also tallied a game-winning goal and an assist on the season.

St. Louis Billikens dropped their season finale 2-1 in double overtime against Charlotte for their third OT loss this season. Sporting Kansas City Junior Raymond Lee started 17 games for the Billikens and totaled nine points this year with four goals and one assist.

Will Witherspoon played 18 games this year for Virginia Tech, who ended their season with a 1-0 loss to NC State in the ACC Tournament on November 7th.

Ohio State posted a 10-7-2 overall record, and came in second among Big Ten schools this fall. But Marques Mayoras and the Buckeyes fell to #7 seed Penn State in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament in their final contest of 2011. Mayoras appeared in four matches during his freshman campaign.

Peter O’Neill started 20 games for Northwestern clocking 1,792 minutes to date for his senior season. O’Neill helped the Wildcats earn an 11-4-5 record, scoring one goal and adding five assists this season. NU finished atop the Big Ten at the conclusion of league play and won the Big Ten Tournament Title by beating Penn State in a come from behind 2-1 victory in the tournament finals. O’Neill scored the game-tying goal for Northwestern on a penalty kick. Northwestern will now face defending College Cup champions Akron in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, November 17th.

Division 2:
Eric Hymer appeared in 12 games for Fort Hays State University, which finished their season with an 11-5-2 record. The season was the first for FHSU in school history and was highlighted by a ten-game unbeaten streak.

Eric Moore, Taylor Vinnage, Kyle Miller, and the rest of the Rockhurst squad boast a 17-2-2 overall record. Miller has started each of the 19 games so far for the Hawks, scoring one-goal and adding two assists. The Hawks are set to play in the Division II NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals on November 19th in Millersville, Pa.

NAIA:
Baker University and Leath Hamil host Oklahoma Wesleyan in the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship opening round on November 19th.Baker is 17-1-1 thus far with Hamil appearing in 18 of their 19 games this season.

Juniors Are Back In Action

2011-11-11T20:30:00.006-06:00

The under-16 and under-18 Sporting Kansas City Juniors resume play this weekend for the first time since dispersing to participate in their respective high school seasons. The juniors will head to Texas to play their opening matches of the season on the road.

Both teams will face Lonestar SC Academy on Saturday in Austin and then travel to San Antonio to play Classics Elite on Sunday. The first match on Saturday will kick off at 10:00 a.m.

Lonestar SC under-16’s have played seven games on the season, acquiring a 3-2-2 record to date, and hover in the middle third of the Conference. Lonestar SC under-18’s have also competed in seven games this far, attaining a 4-2-1 record, sitting in third place in the Central Conference with 13 points.

Classics Elite, also from the Central Conference have not been as fortunate as their under-16 team has yet to secure a win, while their under-18 squad has earned just three points from their last seven contests.

High School Soccer Round-Up

2011-11-11T13:15:00.011-06:00

As Sporting Kansas City Juniors players wrap up their respective seasons with their high school teams and re-join the academy, we take a look at some of their recent prep achievements.

In Kansas...

DeBray Hollimon and Wichita Northwest (21-0-0) were crowned Kansas 6A Champions with a dramatic 1-0 win over fellow Sporting KC Juniors teammates Nate Opperman and Clay Stewart from Olathe South (17-4-0) in the state final last weekend.
In the 6A consolation match, Eric DeJulio, Chris Tuso, Mason Leonard and Blue Valley Northwest fell 1-0 to hometown Topeka-Washburn Rural at the Topeka-Hummer Sports Complex. DeJulio, a senior captain for the squad, scored the team's lone goal in the state semifinals against Wichita Northwest, while Tuso and Leonard each scored in their OT win over Austin Esparza, Drew Wilson and Olathe East in the quarterfinals.
In Class 5A, Eduardo Moreno scored twice in the state championship in Liberal's 3-1 win over Taylor Walter, Evan Wright and Blue Valley to complete a 16-5-0 season. Moreno was recently named WAC All-Conference.
Walter and Wright helped Blue Valley eliminate eight-time defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas and fellow Sporting KC Juniors player Andrew Brown with a successul penalty kick in their shootout win in the quarterfinals, before burying a free kick in the state semifinal match against Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel.
Brown scored for St. Thomas Aquinas in their 1-0 win over Mill Valley in the 5A regional finals.
In Class 4A, St. James Academy's Steven Enna tallied a hat trick -- his third of the season -- in the state semifinal victory over Rose Hill before falling 2-0 in the championship match.
Austin Esparza and Drew Wilson were both named to the All-Sunflower League teams and each scored in a 3-2 win over Blue Valley West.
Also receiving All-Sunflower League honors are Romeo Munoz from Shawnee Mission, Clay Stewart from Olathe South, and Austin Wilcox from Shawnee Mission East.
Shawnee Mission Northwest's Cole Nelson scored in the team's regular season finale against Lawrence Free State.
Videos below from Andrew Miller and Garett Pulliam in a potent Blue Valley West offense that also includes Sporting KC Juniors player Seo-In Kim.

In Missouri...

Jacole Turner and Lee's Summit North fell in overtime to Alec Van Wormer and Lee's Summit West on Tuesday in Class 3 sectionals. LSW will next face Park Hill in the Missouri state quarterfinals on Saturday.
Luke Stanley, Cole Stevenson, Daniel Hare, Derek Schrick and Matt Bernard all represented Rockhurst this year. The Hawklets fell 2-1 in OT to Lee's Summit West in the district final.
Here's video from a goal by Hare last month...

Darby Cronin, Joey Piatczyc, Dalton Souder, Erik Palmer-Brown and Jake Wood all featured for Lee's Summit this season, as the Tigers fell in 20T to Lee's Summit West in the district semifinals.
Blue Spring's Julian Ramirez scored in their regular season finale victory over cross-town rivals Blue Springs South.
Shane Woods record-setting season with 50+ goals for Kearney ended in a 2-1 loss to Liberty in the district championship. Woods scored in OT to beat Billy Vigil and Fort Osage in the district semifinals. Here's the video:

Goals by the Bunches

2011-11-01T09:21:00.005-05:00

The Under-13 and Under-14 Sporting Kansas City Juniors demonstrated the desire to go to goal in their season finales in the National Premier League's Great Lakes division on Saturday as each team tallied five goals on the weekend.

The U14 Sporting KC Juniors earned their 5-0 result against a very good Blue Valley Soccer Club team. The win was a complete team effort with five different players notching goals. With the win and goals from Dakota Karns, Paul Whitner, Jacob Weaver, Dorian Hernandez and Logan Wilson, the U14's are back in striking distance for the league title and playoffs come this spring. The victory also marked the return of a number of injured players and the strong performance from the healthy squad will hopefully indicate what is yet to come for the boys.

The U13's also played their final game of the NPL Fall season against BVSC. Despite a sluggish start, the U13 Sporting KC team earned a 5-1 victory as result of a hard-fought battle. Allowing only their second goal of the season in Saturday’s match, the defense had a strong performance. Alex Kaddah anchored the backline from the center back position while Maxwell Harrington and Tanner Richardson pushed forward from their outside back positions, making great runs up the flanks. The win moves the U13 Sporting Juniors to 5-0-0 on the season, with 15 points and the team sits in first place going into the spring season.

Check out the video below to view the highlights from Sporting Kansas City Juniors U13 match against BVSC...

News and Notes

2011-10-25T12:24:00.007-05:00

High school soccer season is in full swing as postseason competition is already upon us! Here is a sampling of some of the top news and notes from Sporting Kansas City Juniors players in the area...

Check out the video below of Garrett Pulliam's goal and celebration in Blue Valley West's win over Bishop Miege.

Derek Schrick and Jacole Turner each earned spots on the ESPNHS Starting XI as top high school players in the state of Missouri, and were also named to the top 150 college prospects for the Class of 2012. Fort Osage High School's Billy Vigil also received recognition on the list.
Speaking of Schrick, ESPNHS talked to him and his Rockhurst teammates about the team yoga sessions they take part in. Check out the video and story here.
Sporting Kansas City Juniors players Nate Opperman and Clay Stewart have been influential for Olathe South this season as they won the Summit League.
Also in Kansas, Shawnee Mission South head coach Travis Gatewood credited SKC Juniors player David Leichty for his leadership on the team this season.
At Blue Valley Northwest, two SKC Juniors are captaining a team with state ambitions as Chris Tuso is leading the team in goals and Eric DeJulio is anchoring the defense.
Check out the news feature below on Liberal High School's 11th straight Western Athletic Conference title, courtesy of SKC Juniors player Eduardo Moreno's OT goal in a 1-0 win over Dodge City.

On the local college scene, congrats to the UMKC duo of Jordan Rideout and Michael Oakley, who were both named to TopDrawerSoccer.com's Top 20 Players to Watch in the Summit League. Rideout scored his third goal of the year in the Roos 1-1 draw at Oral Roberts on Saturday, while Oakley has started all but one game in defense as a freshman.

U13's Video/Photo Recap

2011-10-21T16:23:00.011-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City Under-13 Juniors are the only team in the Midwest Development League with four wins through their first four matches, after picking up two victories in Chicago last weekend. Check out the video below and click here for a photo gallery to see the U13's in action.

Video a collaboration between Peter Wilkinson, Chris Bihuniak & Gerry High

Former Juniors Roundup

2011-10-17T15:16:00.007-05:00

Sporting Kansas City has several Juniors academy products continuing their soccer careers in college programs across the country. Click here to see the full list from August with background information on each player and then check below for the latest update on some of the top performers thus far in 2011...

Tom Adams (Oral Roberts) -- Scored in 83rd and 88th minutes of 4-0 victory over UNO earlier this month. Now has three goals, second most on squad, in 12 games played.
Christian Duke (San Diego) -- Recorded three assists in back-to-back wins over Penn and Manhattan in September. His three assists are second most on the team in 12 games played. Click here to see a postgame interview with Christian.
Brandon Fricke (Butler) - Defender scored game-tying goal for Bulldogs to help them win the Dayton Marriott Classic in September. Has one goal and one assist in 12 games played.
Konner Knoll (UMKC) -- Scored first career collegiate goal in 3-1 win over Eastern Illinois on Saturday. He now has one goal and one assist in 12 games played.
Raymond Lee (SLU) -- The Billikens' leading scorer has four goals and one assist, and has started all 12 games for Saint Louis.
Kyle Miller (Rockhurst) -- Has one assist in 11 starts for the Hawks.
Paul Oliver (Oral Roberts) -- Has two assists in 12 games played for the Golden Eagles.
Peter O'Neill (Northwestern) -- Has started all 14 games for the Wildcats, recording three assists.
Jordan Rideout (UMKC) -- Started all 12 games for the Roos and leads team with two goals, including a free kick from 40 yards out on Saturday in their 3-1 win.
Jimmy Simon (UMKC) -- Teammates with Knoll and Rideout, Jimmy has one goal in 12 games played this season.

U13s Remain Atop MDL Standings

2011-10-17T13:14:00.002-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City U13 Juniors extended their winning streak to 10 straight matches this weekend and remain in first place in the Midwest Development League after two wins in Illinois.

On Saturday, the U13's earned a 2-1 win over Sockers FC Chicago on goals from Oliver Bihuniak and Memo Carrasco. Goalkeeper Diego Alanis withstood the windy conditions in net for the victory.

With eight goals scored in their first three MDL matches, the U13s nearly doubled their offensive output on Sunday with a resounding 7-0 win over FC United. Dorian Hernandez led the way with two goals, and head coach Matt Trump touted the midfield unit of Evan Carlisle, Roman Knox, Patrick Wilkinson, Edson Murguia, and Chase Bromstedt for controlling the match throughout.

The U13's lead all MDL teams with the maximum 12 points from their first four matches and will resume League play on October 29th against BVSC at the Overland Park Soccer Complex.

Recap: U14s win big in MDL

2011-10-17T12:00:00.006-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City U14 Juniors picked up their first win in the Midwest Development League in convincing fashion on Sunday, earning a 9-0 victory over FC United in Glenview, Illinois. Four different players -- John Leisman, Dominick Parry, Absolom Solario and Payton Brown -- scored twice for Sporting, while Trevor Cissell was also on the scoresheet.

The victory improved their record to 1-2-1, after falling 1-0 on Saturday against Sockers FC Chicago in windy conditions in Schaumburg, Illinois. Despite controlling most of the match according to head coach Dustin Ottesen, the home side scored late in the second half to steal the three points.

"We now look forward to two weeks of training before out next league game against Sporting BVSC," Ottesen said. "We are hopeful to get almost everyone back from injuries by that game."

Opperman receives Bob Gansler Award

2011-10-17T10:05:00.006-05:00

Congratulations to Nate Opperman, recipient of the 2011 Bob Gansler Award given to the most outstanding Sporting Kansas City Juniors player. Nate received the award at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on Saturday, before the club's big win over the New York Red Bulls that clinched a playoff spot for the senior team!

Opperman, a senior at Olathe South High School, played in 23 games for the Sporting Kansas City Under-16 Juniors during the 2010-11 US Soccer Development Academy season, leading the team with eight goals against the top club teams in the Central Conference. He also scored four goals at the U17 Generation adidas Cup and has started three matches for the Sporting Kansas City senior team in the 2011 MLS Reserve League to date.

Opperman is verbally committed to beginning his college career at the University of Evansville.

Juniors in action in Illinois

2011-10-14T13:02:00.005-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City under-13 and under-14 Juniors will travel North this weekend to take on Sockers FC Chicago on Saturday and FC United on Sunday in the Great Lakes Division of the Midwest Developmental League. Sporting KC U13's are currently in a three way tie for the lead in the NPL Midwest League's Great Lakes division with the Chicago Magic and Chicago Fire Academy. With only three games remaining on this month's schedule, this weekend's games will be vital for their championship hopes.

U13's Schedule:

Saturday, October 15th vs. Sockers FC Chicago at 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 16th vs. FC United at 9:00 a.m.
Saturday, October 29th vs. Blue Valley SC at 11:00 a.m.

U14's Schedule:

Saturday, October 15th vs. Sockers FC Chicago at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 16th vs. FC United at 11:00 a.m.
Saturday, October 29th vs. pm Blue Valley SC at 1:00 p.m.

Follow @SKCJuniors on Twitter for all the latest news and information.

Jacole Turner honored

2011-10-13T10:05:00.010-05:00

Congrats to Sporting KC Juniors goalkeeper Jacole Turner, selected as the Kansas City Star's High School Athlete of the Week. Read their bio on Jacole below, then also check out this feature in the Lee's Summit Journal earlier this week. Jacole, along with Juniors teammate Derek Schrick, were also both selected to the Missouri All-State Starting 11 by ESPNHS.

•SCHOOL: Lee’s Summit North
•YEAR: Senior
•SPORT: Boys soccer
Through 15 games, Turner, the Broncos goalkeeper, has racked up 11 shutouts and allowed only four goals. “He’s really athletic. He’s driven and over the course of his years here in high school, he has really made great strides,” Broncos coach Tim Richardson said. Turner recorded shutouts last week against Raytown South and Liberty. “He’s absolutely a key reason we are 14-1,” Richardson said. Turner is also a member of the Sporting Kansas City junior squad and occasionally is a reserve trainee with the team.

Turner was named to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy All-Central Conference Starting XI in July for his play with the U16s during the 2010-11 USSDA season, and started for Sporting Kansas City at the U17 Generation adidas Cup at Pizza Hut Park this summer.

Video: U13s Fall Classic Champs

2011-10-11T09:26:00.003-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City U13 Juniors were crowned champions of the SLSG Boys Fall Classic on Sunday with three wins in their three matches in the U13 Pre-Academy Division. Read yesterday's post for the full recap, and check out the highlights below for footage from all 14 goals scored in Illinois over the weekend:

Video courtesy of Chris Bihuniak.

U13s at SLSG Fall Classic

2011-10-10T10:34:00.007-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City U13 Juniors continued their winning ways this weekend at the SLSG Boys Fall Classic. Playing in the Pre-Academy Division, the top bracket in their age division, the U13s faced the top three ranked teams in Missouri and emerged with three wins after outscoring the competition 17 to 1.

On Saturday, Sporting won 6-0 over Springfield SC. Guillermo "Memo" Carrasco scored twice in a three-minute span and goalkeeper Diego Alanis recorded his seventh shutout of the 2011-12 season in the victory. In their second match of the day, SKC were 4-0 winners over Lou Fusz, with head coach Matt Trumpp crediting the backline of Shane Kopplin, Alex Kaddah, Maxwell Harrington and Tanner Richardson for their performances in holding the St. Louis side to just two shots in the match.

The U13s capped off the weekend on Sunday with a 4-1 win over hosts St. Louis Scott Gallagher Elite. Patrick Wilkinson scored twice for Sporting to highlight a strong showing for the Sporting midfielder.

The U13s have now won their last seven matches with an astounding 31 goals for and just one goal against and will travel to Chicago this weekend to continue play in the National Premier League. They'll look to extend their lead atop the standings against Sockers FC Chicago and FC united.

U14 Juniors at SLSG Fall Classic

2011-10-10T10:11:00.006-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City U14 Juniors faced three of the top 5 teams in the region over the weekend in the Pre-Academy Division of the SLSG Boys Fall Classic but were left shorthanded against some of the Midwest's top teams after suffering a series of injuries.

Their tournament got off to a strong start with a 1-0 halftime lead in their opening game against Chicago Magic PSG Pre-Academy, the only goal the team from Illinois allowed in the tourney, but the eventual group winners capitalized on the loss of two SKC defenders in the second half en route to a 6-1 victory in the two teams rematch of the 2010 regional final.

The U14s second game on Saturday came against Carmel United, the state champions from Indiana. After hitting the crossbar twice and forcing their keeper to make several superb stops, Sporting suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat. Finishing the weekend with just 13 available players, the U14s fell 3-0 on Sunday to hosts St. Louis Scott Gallagher Elite.

"It has been a struggle but hopefully one that is making us stronger once we get everyone back," said head coach Dustin Otteson. "The boys are still working very hard but we are ready for a little luck and good health."

The U14s will travel to Chicago this weekend to face Sockers FC Chicago and FC United in the National Premier League.

Juniors at SLSG Boys Fall Classic

2011-10-06T13:52:00.005-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City under-13 and under-14 Juniors will travel to Collinsville and Granite City, Illinois this weekend for the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Boys Fall Classic, one of the top events in Region II. Both teams will compete in the Pre-Academy Division, the highest level of competition available in their age group.

U13's Schedule:

Saturday, October 8th vs. Springfield SC 98/99 I at 7:30 a.m.
Saturday, October 8th vs. Lou Fusz SC - Stauder - Premier at 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 9th vs. SLSG Elite 98/99 at 10:30 a.m.

U14's Schedule:

Saturday, October 8th vs. Chicago Magic PSG Pre-Academy 1 at 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 8th vs. Carmel United SC Elite 98 at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 9th vs. SLSG Elite 97/98 at 7:30 a.m.

Follow @BoysFallClassic on Twitter for news and updates from the tournament, as well as @SKCJuniors for all the latest information.

U13 Video Highlights

2011-10-04T11:11:00.002-05:00

The U13 Sporting Kansas City Juniors sit atop the Midwest Development League standings in the U13 Great Lakes Division with wins in each of their first two matches (2-0 vs St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Metro and 4-0 vs St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Missouri). Check out the video below for highlights from their opening weekend in MDL play...

The U13's followed up the successful showing at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park with a weekend of friendlies on October 1st and 2nd against Omaha FC and St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Missouri. Special thanks to Chris Bihuniak for the video compilation...

Sporting Kansas City U13 Juniors sit atop the Midwest Development League

2011-09-26T11:42:00.008-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City U13 Juniors defeated St. Louis Scott Gallagher twice over the weekend at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park, winning 2-0 on Saturday against SLSG Metro and then earning a 4-0 victory over SLSG Missouri on Sunday. After the opening weekend of the Midwest Development League, this puts the Sporting Kansas City U13 Juniors at the top of the table with 6 points (2-0-0).

Check out photos from the U13's successful weekend in the slideshow below, courtesy of Peter Wilkinson.

Sporting Kansas City Juniors U13 and U14 at Midwest Development League Showcase

2011-09-09T16:53:00.004-05:00

Sporting Kansas City Juniors under-14 and under-13 will travel to Waukegan, IL this weekend to participate in the Midwest Development League- Fall 2011 Scouting Showcase. Their schedules are as follows:

Sept. 10:

Sporting KC U13 vs. Michigan  Wolves  SC  U13 at 2 p.m.

Sporting KC U14 vs. Michigan Wolves SC U14 at 4 p.m.

Sept. 11

Sporting KC U13 vs. MN  Thunder  Academy  U13 at 11 a.m.

Sporting KC U14 vs. Chicago Magic U14 at 11 a.m.

Good luck to our Juniors!

U13s at MLS Friendlies in Chicago

2011-09-06T11:47:00.004-05:00

Courtesy of Chris Bihuniak

The Sporting Kansas City U13 and U14 Juniors spent Labor Day weekend in Chicago for three days of pre-Academy friendlies against fellow midwest Major League Soccer academy teams from the Columbus Crew, FC Dallas and Chicago Fire. Check out video highlights above and a photo slideshow below of the U13's three matches in the Windy City as they prepare to face the Michigan Wolves and Minnesota Thunder Academy in Midwest Development League Fall 2011 Scouting Showcase in Waukegan, Illinois this weekend.

Courtesy of Peter Wilkinson

U13s & U14s at MLS Pre-Academy Friendlies in Chicago

2011-09-02T11:17:00.006-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City Under-13 and Under-14 Juniors will compete at the MLS Pre-Academy Friendlies this weekend in Chicago. Their schedules are as follows (subject to change):

Under-13 Sporting KC Juniors
vs. Columbus Crew at 7:00pm tonight at the Brothers Rice HS Stadium
vs. FC Dallas at 1:00pm on Saturday at Toyota Park
vs. Chicago Fire at 1:00pm on Sunday at Toyota Park

Under-14 Sporting KC Juniors
vs. Columbus Crew at 8:45pm tonight at the Brothers Rice HS Stadium
vs. FC Dallas at 4:30pm on Saturday at Toyota Park
vs. Chicago Fire at 2:45pm on Sunday at Toyota Park

Good luck Juniors!

Juniors Products in College Soccer

2011-08-31T11:37:00.019-05:00

Sporting Kansas City is starting a new feature to keep track of our Juniors products that are now college athletes! Player information will be updated throughout the 2011 NCAA/NAIA Men's Soccer season.

Below is the list of players, complete with background information on each former Sporting Kansas City Juniors player...

Kyle Miller- Kyle is a redshirt senior at Rockhurst University where he is an Accounting/Finance major. He plays at the midfield position where he has made 53 starts for the team. He has recorded two goals and six assists. In 2010, he became a medical redshirt after playing in two matches.

Peter O'Neill- Peter is a senior at Northwestern University where he is a Political Science major with a minor in Business Institutions. He plays at the midfield position. In 2008, he was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection. He appeared in 19 matches, starting six. In 2009 he appeared in 20 matches, starting four. He was selected to be an Academic All-Big Ten. In 2010 he appeared in 18 matches, starting 17. He ranked third on the team with four assists, was named to the all-tournament team at the NIU adidas/Magnuson Inn Invitational, and was once again Academic All-Big Ten.

Jimmy Simon- Jimmy is a senior at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he is a Pharmacy major. He plays the forward position. He started his career at Rutgers University where he appeared in eight games, with three starts as a freshman. He primarily played as a defender during his time at Rutgers. In 2009, for the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Jimmy appeared in 19 games, making 12 starts. He tied for second on the team with three assists. In the Summit League Conference, Jimmy tied for fourth with assists (3), and 10th in assists per game (.16). He was charged with one yellow card during the season. In 2010, he was a first-team All-Summit League selection. He led the team with seven goals. In the Summit League Conference he ranked second in scoring, and third in points (15). In addition, Jimmy earned Academic All-League and Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence.

Christian Duke- Christian is currently a junior at the University of San Diego. He plays the the midfield position. In 2009, as a freshman, he appeared in 2 games for the Torreros. In 2010, as a sophomore, he played in 17 matches, making 15 starts. He was named All-WCC honorable mention.

Laeth Hamil- Laeth is a junior at Baker University where he plays the defender position.

Alex Sweetin- Alex is a junior at Saint Louis University. He plays the midfield position, and has not declared a major. In 2009, as a freshman, Alex was on the A-10 preseason All-Rookie Team, and was apart of CollegeSoccerNews.com's "100 Freshman To Keep an Eye On." After the season he was named Athletic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year. He was also named to TopDrawerSoccer.com's Rookie "Team of the Season." In 2010, as a sophomore, he was a preseason A-10 All-Conference pick. After the season he was named as a Second-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection. He tied for the team lead with eight points (2G, 4A). He was second on the team with his four assists.

Patrick Foglio- Patrick is a freshman at William Jewell College. He plays the forward position. The William Jewell College Athletics' website states that the reason he attended William Jewell College was for the, "Great Biology program and soccer."

Brandon Fricke- Brandon is a redshirt freshman at Butler University. He plays the defense position, and did not see action in the 2010 season because he redshirted.

Taylor Vinnage- Taylor is a sophomore at Rockhurst University where he is a Business major. He plays as a goalkeeper. In his only appearance in 2010 he recorded a shutout against Indianapolis. He had four saves in Rockhurst's 2-0 victory.

Tom Adams- Tom is a freshman at Oral Roberts University. He plays the forward position.

Asher Herbet- Asher is a freshman at Long Island University where he is a Biology major. He plays the midfield position.

Konnor Knoll- Konnor is a freshman at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He plays the defender position, and has yet to decide on a major.

Marques Mayoras- Marques is a freshman at the Ohio State University. He plays the midfield position. Head Coach John Bluem said about Marques on Ohio State's athletic website that, "Marques is an intelligent player who excels at positional sense and keeping possession in the midfield. He is very talented and we look forward to getting him into the program."

Eric Moore- Eric is a freshman at Rockhurst University where he plays the midfield position.

Michael Oakley- Michael is a freshman at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where plays the defense position.

Paul Oliver- Paul is a freshman at Oral Roberts University where he plays the midfield and defense positions.

Jordan Rideout- Jordan is a freshman at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he is majoring in Business. He plays the forward position.

Will Witherspoon- Will is a freshman at Virginia Tech University where he plans on majoring in University Studies. He plays the forward position. So far in 2011, he has played in one match for the Hokies.

Raymond Lee- Raymond is a freshman at Saint Louis University where he plays the midfield position. In St. Louis's season opener, Raymond scored the team's only goal in the 58th minute in a 2-1 loss to Northern Illinois.

Photo Slideshow: U13 Juniors

2011-08-24T09:55:00.002-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City Under-13 Juniors reached the championship match of the 2011 Midwest Kickoff Classic on Sunday at the Overland Park Soccer Complex, finishing runners-up in the local tourney. Check out the photo slideshow below for images of the club's youngest academy team in action:

Photos provided by Peter Wilkinson

Midwest Kickoff Classic Results

2011-08-22T15:46:00.001-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City Under-13 and Under-14 Juniors each reached the championship match of their respective groups at the 2011 Midwest Kickoff Classic on Sunday at the Overland Park Soccer Complex. With both teams competing at the highest level available at the tournament -- Boys U14/15 Gold -- the Under-14 Juniors went unbeaten (outscoring their opponents 13-0 in the team's three group stage games) en route to a 2-1 win in the final over Sporting BVSC 97/98.

The Under-13 Juniors earned a 4-0 win over MYSA KC Fusion Fury Academy 98/99 and 3-1 victory against Sporting BVSC 98/99 before falling 4-2 in the final in their second loss of the tournament to Nebraska's Columbus 97/98 Chaos. Check out the video compilation below to see the U13's goal scorers on the weekend:

U13s & U14s at Midwest Kickoff Classic

2011-08-19T14:57:00.000-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City Under-13 and Under-14 Juniors will compete at the Midwest Kickoff Classic this weekend at the Overland Park Soccer Complex. Both teams will compete in the Under-14/Under-15 Gold Boys age division, the highest level offered at the tournament. Their schedules are as follows (subject to change):

Under-13 Sporting KC Juniors

vs. MYSA KC Fusion Fury Academy at 8:45pm tonight on Field 7
vs. Sporting BVSC 98/99 at 6:45pm on Saturday on Field 6
vs. Columbus 97/98 Chaos at 10:00am on Sunday on Field 6
Click here for Results and Standings

Under-14 Sporting KC Juniors

vs. KC United Galaxy at 8:45pm tonight on Field 3
vs. Sporting BVSC 97/98 at 5:30pm on Saturday on Field 2
vs. Cholita Strikers 98 at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday on Field 4
Click here for Results and Standings

Good luck Juniors!

Seo-In Kim at FC Barcelona Camp

2011-08-17T16:50:00.002-05:00

Sporting KC academy player Seo-In Kim recently returned from an elite training camp at FC Barcelona in Spain. See a few pics from his time at the famed Nou Camp training ground below and read the report on SportingMembership.com for more details.

Click here to read what Kim had to say about the experience...

"The camp started a little slow for me but as the week went on, it got better. We trained 2 times a day and in between training sessions, we had presentations by multiple Barcelona staff members at Camp Nou.

They spoke about Barcelona's history, youth system, Barcelona's formation and tactics, and we also had therapists who taught us how to mentally relax and prepare for matches by practicing breathing exercises that many Barcelona players practice today.

The training sessions were at a good level and were mostly based around passing and quick touches.

I really learned a lot and I ended the camp as a more confident and collected player...Also, the last day I got to see Dani Alves and Pique of FCB!!"

Piatczyc & Stewart see reserve action; U14s take Denver Cup

2011-08-08T16:22:00.000-05:00

Through five matches of the 2011 MLS Reserve League, a total of seven members of the Sporting KC Juniors program had seen playing time. Today, in the sixth match of the league schedule against the Colorado Rapids, two more got their chance.

Joey Piatczyc and Clay Stewart entered in the 83rd and 89th minutes respectively in Sporting Kansas City's 1-0 win over Colorado this morning.

Piatczyc (born in 1996) is the youngest player to feature for the reserves this season, most recently completing the season with Sporting's U15 side. Piatczyc's selection comes after impressing with the group that Jon Parry brought to the U17 Generation adidas Cup.
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In other Juniors news, Dustin Ottesen's U14 side were named champions of the 2011 Denver Cup this past weekend. The 14s topped bracket A, scoring 12 goals in four matches, finishing ahead of the likes of Real Colorado and Colorado Rush en route to their first title of the new season.

Juniors at U14 National Team ID Camp

2011-08-01T17:23:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Sporting Kansas City Juniors Seth Hudson and John Leisman who were invited to the United States Under-14 Boys National Team Identification Camp, which began yesterday at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Seth and John are among 80 players selected by head coach Manny Schellscheidt and the week-long camp brings together the nations top players with 1998/1999 birthdates to train twice a day in an elite environment. The Under-14 Boys National Team is the youngest national team in the U.S. Youth National Team system and is the first step in identifying and developing players for the future.

For the full list of players and more information on the ID Camp, click here for the official announcement by U.S. Soccer.

Photos from victory over Chicago

2011-08-01T10:07:00.002-05:00

One last photo slideshow from the U17 Generation adidas Cup in Frisco, Texas as the Sporting Kansas City Juniors closed out the tournament with a 3-0 win over the Chicago Fire. The photos have been provided all tournament by the FC Dallas communications department and photographer Rick Yeatts -- thanks guys!

Juniors cruise past Chicago in 3-0 win

2011-08-01T09:45:00.007-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City U-17s finished up the Generation adidas Cup with a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Fire Juniors on Sunday at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX. At the half, the guys were up 1-0 off of a Steven Enna goal in the 20th minute.

The second half was all Sporting Kansas City, as Nate Opperman scored on a penalty kick following a foul on Seo-In Kim, who was again involved in the third and final goal as he provided the assist for Cole Stevenson's strike to earn the team a 3-0 victory prior to their flight back to KC on Sunday night.

Video: SKC vs. San Jose

2011-07-31T09:26:00.000-05:00

MLSSoccer.com is on site at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas for the 2011 U17 Generation adidas Cup and caught up with Sporting Kansas City Juniors Director of Coaching Jon Parry after the team's penalty shootout following a 4-4 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday night.

Hear what Jon had to say about the tournament, which features nearly every MLS academy team, and see footage from the shootout with some impressive saves by goalkeeper Evan Wright.

Shootout vs San Jose at GA Cup

2011-07-30T15:08:00.001-05:00

Photos taken by Rick Yeatts

Sporting Kansas City and the San Jose Earthquakes lit up the scoreboard on Friday night at the 2011 U17 Generation adidas Cup in Frisco, Texas as the two MLS academy teams combined for the highest scoring game of the tournament thus far in a 4-4 draw that ended with Sporting Kansas City prevailing 5-4 on six rounds in the penalty shootout.

After falling behind 2-0 in the game's opening minutes, Sporting Kansas City fought back to even the score at 2-2 as Eric DeJulio twice capitalized on corner kicks for the Juniors on each side of halftime. But San Jose responded instantly with the first of two second-half strikes as they re-gained their two-goal advantage and looked to have the victory sealed with the clock winding down.

But Sporting Kansas City came back in dramatic fashion as Nate Opperman scored twice in the final six minutes of the match to force the penalty kick shootout. The first goal came on an assist from Seo-In Kim, who cut inside and laid the ball back for Opperman to bury his shot from near the penalty mark. Then the equalizer was a long-range header from Opperman at the top of the penalty area that looped over the Earthquakes keeper off a cross from the right side.

Goalkeeper Evan Wright was again in between the posts for Sporting Kansas City's second penalty shootout of the tournament. After making three stops against the Seattle Sounders earlier in the week, Wright was again up to the test as he stopped two of San Jose's attempts. DeJulio clinched the victory with his converted penalty in the sixth round, after previous makes by Schrick, Lennon, Stanley and Opperman.

Sporting Kansas City will play their fifth and final match of the tournament against the Chicago Fire at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday. Follow @SKCJuniors on Twitter for updates or visit the tournament homepage on MLSSoccer.com.

PHOTOS: vs. Philadelphia Union

2011-07-29T15:27:00.000-05:00

Some great shots courtesy of Rick Yeatts from last night's hard fought group stage finale against the Philadelphia Union at Pizza Hut Park (Frisco, Texas) in the 2011 U17 Generation adidas Cup.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Follow @SKCJuniors on Twitter for updates from tonight's match as our academy returns to action against the San Jose Earthquakes at 6:30 p.m. CT. The winner will advance to play on Sunday against the victor between the Colorado Rapids and Chicago Fire.

U17 Juniors drop final group game in GA Cup

2011-07-29T13:57:00.004-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City Juniors finished in third place in Group B at the 2011 U17 Generation adidas Cup after a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union on Thursday night in Frisco, TX. Two second half goals from the Union -- including the game-winner by Home Grown Player Zach Pfeffer -- proved to be the difference. With the third-place finish, the team will now face the San Jose Earthquakes, who finished third in Group A, tonight at 6:30pm at Pizza Hut Park. Follow @SKCJuniors on Twitter for updates from Frisco.

Here is some very brief footage from last night's encounter.

Kempin leads U.S. U18 team to victory

2011-07-29T13:36:00.004-05:00

UPDATE: Click here for the official match report from U.S. Soccer

Sporting Kansas City academy product Jon Kempin started and played the entire 90 minutes today in the United States Under-18 Men's National Team's 2-1 win over Georgia in the 2011 Northern Ireland Milk Cup. The win secured a third-place finish for the U.S. team, who went 2-0-1 at this year’s tournament after defeating Israel and drawing Mexico earlier this week.

This was Kempin’s first appearance at the annual Milk Cup tournament, and the Sporting KC goalkeeper will now return to Kansas City to re-join his SKC teammates. Check back here as we will post photos and/or video highlights as they become available.

GA Cup Photos

2011-07-28T14:34:00.002-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City Juniors have set up shop in Frisco, Texas for the 2011 U17 Generation adidas Cup this week. With two games already played and two more to go (beginning with the Philadelphia Union tonight at 8:15 p.m.), team admin Betsy Pollard was kind enough to share some behind-the-scenes shots of how the squad is entertaining itself when they're not busy battling other MLS teams, including their attendance at a special presentation by former U.S. Soccer star Jeff Agoos.

Check out the slideshow below and be sure to follow @SKCJuniors on Twitter for even more timely Twitpics as all the action unfolds.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Kempin with U.S. U18s at Milk Cup

2011-07-28T13:13:00.003-05:00

Sporting KC goalkeeper and former SKC Junior, Jon Kempin, is currently with the USMNT U18 side that will play for third place in the Northern Ireland Milk Cup on Friday. The team beat Israel 2-0 on Monday and came from behind to tie Mexico 1-1 on Wednesday. The US team will play Georgia for third place on Friday, and Kempin could get his first minutes of the tournament then. For scores and updates from the game on Friday follow @ussoccer_ynt on Twitter. For more Milk Cup news and information check out http://www.nimilkcup.org/.

Photos: U17s vs Seattle Sounders

2011-07-27T17:41:00.000-05:00

Check out some great shots of last night's 2-2 draw as our academy team faced off with the Seattle Sounders at the U17 Generation adidas Cup in Frisco, Texas.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Big thanks to Rick Yeatts and the FC Dallas Communications department for providing us with photos this week!

The team is resting today in preparation for the final group stage game on Thursday against the Philadelphia Union. The group is wide open as all four teams fight for positioning before the placement matches on Friday and the final day of tournament competition on Sunday. Group B standings are below...

Club	G	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD	Pts.
FC Dallas	2	1	0	1	4	2	2	5
Philadelphia Union	2	1	0	1	1	0	1	4
Sporting Kansas City	2	0	1	1	4	6	-2	2
Seattle Sounders	2	0	1	1	2	3	-1	1

U17s get past Seattle on PKs

2011-07-27T09:35:00.002-05:00

After a 2-2 draw in regulation on goals from Nate Opperman and Clay Stewart, the Sporting Kansas City juniors defeated Seattle in a PK shootout last night at the U17 Generation adidas Cup in Frisco, TX! Jojo Piatczyc converted in the 7th round, which followed 2 saves by GK Evan Wright!

Today, the guys have a day off to rest for tomorrow's final group stage match against the Philadelphia Union. The game will begin at 8:15pm at Pizza Hut Park. Be sure to follow along on Twitter via @SKCJuniors for updates throughout the U17 Generation adidas Cup!

Here's video (though a bit far away) from last night's shootout:

SKC Juniors vs FC Dallas Photos

2011-07-26T14:00:00.003-05:00

Check out these shots of the U17 Juniors from their match versus FC Dallas yesterday in the Generation adidas Cup! Photos taken by Rick Yeatts

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

SKC Juniors fall to FC Dallas, face Seattle tonight

2011-07-26T13:22:00.005-05:00

The U-17 team lost 4-2 last night to FC Dallas, despite two goals from Steven Enna in the second half. The guys will play Seattle tonight at 6:30pm, so make sure to follow @SKCjuniors on Twitter to see how they're doing!

US U-18 Mens Team Begin Northern Ireland Milk Cup

2011-07-25T11:11:00.009-05:00

UPDATE: The U.S. defeated Israel 2-0 today on goals from Jerome Kiesewetter and Omar Salgado.

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The United States Under-18 Men's National Team will face Israel today at noon, and Mexico on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Head coach Mike Matkovich's squad will play it's final game on Friday, against an opponent to be determined.

Sporting Kansas City academy product Jon Kempin will begin today's game on the bench, behind GK Cody Cropper. For live play-by-play and in-game updates, be sure to follow the action on Twitter @ussoccer_ynt

SKC begins U17 Generation adidas Cup

2011-07-25T10:51:00.006-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City Juniors will begin the U-17 Generation adidas Cup today at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The squad starts the tournament with a match against hosts FC Dallas tonight at 8:00 p.m. CT. The team will then play Seattle tomorrow (7/26) at 6:30 p.m. CT and Philadelphia at 8:15 p.m. CT on Wednesday (7/27). The Sporting Kansas City U-17s will be competing in a field that includes teams from 15 other MLS clubs.

Follow @SKCJuniors on Twitter for updates throughout the week and visit the official tournament homepage at www.mlssoccer.com/generationadidascup.

Jon Kempin to play in Milk Cup with U.S. U-18s

2011-07-21T14:40:00.006-05:00

Sporting KC goalkeeper and former Junior, Jon Kempin, has been named to the USMNT U18 roster for the 2011 Northern Ireland Milk Cup. Kempin is one of nine MLS players selected for the eighteen player roster. The tournament will be held from July 21st to the 30th. The U.S. team’s first game will be against Israel on July 25th, followed by a meeting with Mexico on the 27th.

Click here for an interesting article that compares Kempin to German great, Oliver Kahn.

Six Juniors Appear in Reserve League

2011-07-20T11:01:00.000-05:00

Sporting Kansas City played their first MLS Reserve League match at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on Tuesday morning and six of our Juniors players got onto the field alongside academy products Jon Kempin and Kevin Ellis and the rest of the Sporting KC squad. Congrats to Eric DeJulio, Paul Oliver, Derek Schrick, Jacole Turner, Nate Opperman and Seo-In Kim for the call-ups!

Read the full recap on SportingKC.com and check out the slideshow below for dozens of photos of the Juniors in action, courtesy of Taylor Allan.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

GK Jon Kempin joins U.S. U-18 Men's National Team

2011-07-13T13:48:00.005-05:00

Jon Kempin, a product of the Sporting Kansas City Juniors academy, is set to join the U.S. U-18 Men's National Team roster. Head coach Mike Matkovich announced on Wednesday that Kempin would be one of two goalkeepers on the roster for the upcoming Northern Ireland Milk Cup, scheduled to be July 21st-30th. Congrats, Jon!

Turner named to All-Central Conference Starting XI

2011-07-08T10:22:00.005-05:00

Sporting Kansas City Juniors goalkeeper Jacole Turner has been named to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy All-Central Conference Starting XI for the 2010-2011 season. The U16s standout and soon-to-be senior at Lee's Summit North H.S. was one of four MLS academy players honored in the Central Conference. Congrats Jacole!

Click here to see the full list of honors on USSoccer.com.

2011 Generation Adidas U-17 Cup

2011-07-08T10:09:00.004-05:00

The details for the 2011 Generation Adidas U-17 Cup have been announced. Our SKC Juniors will take on the Seattle Sounders, Philadelphia Union, and FC Dallas Juniors teams in Group B. The tournament takes place at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The times and dates of our group games are listed below.

July 25, 8:15pm vs. FC Dallas

July 26, 6:30pm vs. Seattle Sounders

July 28, 8:15pm vs. Philadelphia Union

Here’s a cool video from MLSsoccer.com of the teams being drawn into their tournament groups:

2011-12 USSDA schedules announced

2011-07-07T10:48:00.006-05:00

Regular season schedules for the 2011-2012 U.S. Soccer Development Academy have been announced. Both our U16s and U18s SKC Juniors will again be members of the Central Conference of the Frontier Division, in a regular season spanning from November 2011 to June 2012. Both SKC Juniors teams will play 18 games in league play; 10 at home and 8 away.

For detailed schedules click on:
U16s
U18s

Get to know...Sporting Juniors

2011-07-01T14:45:00.000-05:00

By: Betsy Pollard

Another season of youth soccer has wrapped up in The Sporting Juniors world. We ended with two teams in Wisconsin competing in Regionals and two team in Texas competing in Playoffs and the Showcase. I traveled with the U18s and U16s to Frisco, TX for the Academy Playoffs and Showcase.

A lot of what we post is results but I would like to give you a small glimpse on items you may or may not know about Academy trip and interesting facts about our youth players. In other words this post may bore you to death or you may find it interesting.

• The last hotel we stayed at was Aloft (shown on right) and it was a favorite amongst the players
• We always rent four 15-passenger vans once we land in our destination. Coach Rideout and Pardo usually drive the U18s, and Coach Parry and I drive the U16s
• Auxiliary cords are a MUST…thats the cord that goes from the van’s stereo to your iPod.
• Fruit chews are like GOLD, they are probably the most popular snack I purchase. A close second is the small Tangerines, sometimes referred to as “cuties.” The snacks are usually in my room and the boys come and get snacks, water and Gatorade as they please.
• 8-10 cases of both Gatorade and water is a must
• The best way to pass time is playing Fifa on Xbox or renting Redbox movies
• I always learn a few new hip words on each trip or ways to use normal words in a hip way…a few this time was “fire” (see example below) and “shredding”
• For example, in the last U18s match Sporting Juniors “shredded” Chicago Magic or today the Juniors were just “shredding”!

Things you didn’t or maybe you did know about the U18s

• Tommy Adams is the supplier of the Xbox and eats a lot of meatballs whenever we get them for dinner
• Konner takes a lot of pride in keeping our bench cleaned when he is injured and unable to play
• Ray Lee never is referred to as just Ray…his full name is used almost always. He usually has his clippers with him…in case you need a quick trim
• If we ever have a meal at Chipotle; Nick Row is the first to ask “can we get sour cream”?
• AB (Andrew Brown) is the most relaxed person/player I have ever been around -- very easy going except when Will is beating him in the “Sock Em” boxing game in the hotel lobby
• Kempin is a Pro… (maybe you already knew that)
• Marques (Mayoras) loves techno music and he just recently attend an eight hour rave
• Paul Oliver is one of the happiest people I have ever met who loves to eat tangerines
• “G” (Garret) loves shoes and probably has more shoes then most females which would include 15+ pairs of cleats alone
• Jordy hates bug as much as I do…especially June Bugs
• Kiwi (Andrew Mobberely) can break dance with his fingers (more on that later)
• Roms (Romeo Munoz) speaks Spanish on the field to Kiwi as Kiwi is from NZ but also speaks fluent Spanish
• Will (Witherspoon) loves heavy metal music. He also isn’t afraid to throw out a free style rap line here and there

Things you didn’t or maybe you did know about the U16s

• Luke (Blackwell) is going to grow his hair out but not as long as it was (see photo) and he really wants to go to college on the East Coast
• DeJulio is the only player who started in all the games he played in. He is also the captain of the team
• Daniel (Hare) made a big purchase of real Ray-Ban sunglasses this past weekend
• Hill (Ryan) has decided that he wants to be a Marine -- he is only going to be a junior in HS
• Leichty’s freekick was so “fire” against IMG. This is the second time he has hit a “fire” freekick like that.
• Seo has the softest skin ever...I’m talking softer than a new born. It is incredible
• Nate (Opperman) has a corky sense of humor and is so dang fast
• Jules (Ramirez) is a man of few words but likes apples just as much as I do
• Schrick is my co-pilot he always sits shotgun in my van and controls the Garmin
• Luke (Stanley) is a talented snow skier and like to wear dress socks under his shinguards and game socks

• Clay (Stewart) is the president of the make-believe gang called Swope Park Rangers (we get bored in airports…so funny things happen...like getting my eyebrows stringed)
• Tuso really wants to get his ear’s pierced
• Evan (Wright) thinks his GK Uniform of white jersey, white shorts and white socks makes him look like a cow
• Jacole can eat more than anyone I have ever seen…on the last day we went to In & Out and he had a 4x4; which is 4 beef patties and 4 pieces of cheese.
• Wes (White) has the best fo-hawk and plays better when his hair is done correctly
• Zembas just got a 35 out of 36 on his ACT (crazy smart)

U13s Take 2nd at Regionals

2011-06-29T10:51:00.000-05:00

After an incredible run to the US Youth Soccer Region II Championships final match, the U13 Sporting Kansas City Juniors finished runners-up with a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Magic Pre-Academy in Fox Cities, Wisconsin this morning.

The Juniors grabbed the momentum early with two first half goals courtesy of Absalom Solorio and Jacob Weaver, who combined for 10 goals in the tournament. But the Magic fought back with three goals in the second half on a dramatic final day. Even after falling behind for the first time all tournament, the Juniors looked to have tied it up at 3-3 in the last five minutes only to have the goal disallowed.

Head Coach Dustin Ottesen commended his team for their performance from the opening match all the way through the final, saying "The boys played well enough to win."

After nearly a week in Wisconsin facing some of the best in the Midwest, the U13s will travel back to Kansas City today. Congrats on the great run boys!

U13s in Regional Championship!

2011-06-28T11:10:00.000-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City Under-13 Juniors won 3-1 today over Pacesetter Premier Red in the US Youth Soccer Region II semifinals in Fox Cities, Wisconsin and will now play at 8am CT on Wednesday against the Chicago Magic Pre-Academy for the regional championship! Chase Bromstedt, Jacob Weaver and Trevor Cissell all scored for the U13's on Tuesday, who have outscored their regional competition 16-2 in four games so far at the tournament.

Read all about the U13's fantastic run on SportingKC.com and wish them luck in the comments section below.

U16s Win 3-1 in Playoff Finale

2011-06-28T11:05:00.002-05:00

The Sporting Kansas City U16 Juniors ended their run at the US Soccer Development Academy playoffs at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas with a 3-1 win on Tuesday over IMG Academy. Clay Stewart opened the scoring for the U16s in the first half on a corner kick from Daniel Hare, then David Leichty earned man of the match honors with two superb goals in the second half. His first strike came on a perfectly placed free kick to double the U16s advantage before he scored the team's third goal on a chip over the IMG Academy goalkeeper.

The U16s finished in a tie for third place in Group 3 behind fellow MLS clubs LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo, after qualifying as a Top 25 seed for the USSDA Playoffs and earning an automatic entry with a first place finish in the Frontier Division of the Central Conference of the US Soccer Development Academy.

Monday Recap

2011-06-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

U13s: Heading into their third group match on four points, but in need of a positive result to assure a place in today's semifinal, Dustin Ottesen's side came out flying, hammering West Des Moines SC by a 6-0 scoreline. A hat trick performance from Jacob Weaver paced the U13s. Absalom Solorio and John Leisman were also on the scoresheet.

U15s: Coming off a 2-0 win over St. Louis Scott Gallagher and sitting on three points, the U15s entered their final group game yesterday needing a win and some help to progress to the knockout stages of their age division. Progression to the semifinal was not to be, however, as Sporting were held 1-1 by Ambassadors of Ohio North, finishing second place in the group.

U18s: With two wins already in the bag for the U18s at the Academy Showcase, the final match against the Chicago Magic provided one last chance for the players to demonstrate their abilities in front of a fair few college coaches and youth national team scouts. The Showcase, designed for teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs, has been a success for the U18s, and the side ended on a high note Monday, getting goals from Will Witherspoon, Tom Adams, Garrett Pulliam and Jordan Rideout on the way to a 4-1 victory.

Sunday Juniors results

2011-06-26T19:16:00.009-05:00

It was a busy day for all SKC Juniors teams, with three of the four teams earning victories. First, the U18’s defeated the Virginia Rush at the USSDA Showcase, in Frisco, Texas. Will Witherspoon and Jordan Rideout provided the goals in this one, helping the U18’s go 2-0-0 in the tournament.

Also from Frisco, the U16's fell to the Houston Dynamo, 1-4. Their final game of the tournament will be Tuesday against IMG Academy.

At the Region II Championships in Fox Cities, Wisconsin, the U15’s defeated St. Louis Scott Gallagher on goals from Joey Piatczyc and Cole Stevenson. The most impressive result of the day was also from the Region II Championships; a 6-0 win for the U13’s. The goals came from Trevor Cissell (2), Absalom Solorio, Jacob Weaver, Dominick Parry and Peyton Brown.

Saturday Recap

2011-06-25T18:38:00.004-05:00

Action continued on Saturday for the Juniors as the U13, U15 and U16 teams all had games.

The U13s drew with FC Milwaukee, 1-1, in their first game of the Region II Championships in Wisconsin. Jacob Weaver scored the team’s only goal and was assisted by Dakota Karns. They play Minnesota Thunder on Sunday, a team they beat 3-0 back in April.

Also in Wisconsin, the U15s lost to the CUP (Cincinnati United Premier) Crew Jrs Gold squad, 0-1, on Saturday. They’ll face local opponents, St. Louis Scott Gallagher early Sunday morning.

In Frisco, Texas the U16s lost their first game of the USSDA playoffs to the LA Galaxy, 1-2. The team’s leading goal scorer, Nate Opperman, found the back of the net once again. The Galaxy were seeded as the country’s fourth-best U16 team so they should find easier waters in their upcoming two matches with the next one coming Sunday against Houston Dynamo.

After Friday’s 3-0 win, the U18s next opponent will be the Virginia Rush, who they play on Sunday. That match starts at 9am.

Make sure to follow the Juniors Twitter feed @SKCJuniors to keep up with all the latest action on the youngsters.

U18s win in tournament opener

2011-06-24T14:09:00.002-05:00

The U18 SKC Juniors took on the Irvine Strikers in their opening match of the USSDA Showcase at Pizza Hut Park, in Frisco, Texas. Our boys earned a fantastic 3-0 win thanks to two goals from Jordan Rideout, and one from Ray Lee.

Will Witherspoon set up Jordan Rideout for his first of the match, with Ray Lee would hitting the back of the net for the second, thanks to the service of Andrew Mobberley. Lee would then turn provider, as his corner kick found Rideout for his second of the match.

The U18s next game of the tournament will take place Sunday at 9am, with the opponent still to TBD.

Opperman on TDS Team of the Month

2011-06-23T16:48:00.001-05:00

Sporting Kansas City U16 Juniors midfielder Nate Opperman was one of 12 players selected to Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Month for May in the Heartland Region. Opperman took home the honors with four goals in US Soccer Development Academy Play as the U16s secured second place in the Frontier Division of the Central Conference, earning a berth in the USSDA Playoffs this week in Frisco, Texas.

The Olathe South High School senior has started in two Reserve League matches for the senior team and leads the U16 Juniors with eight goals on the season, scoring twice in a 4-1 win over St. Louis Scott Gallagher Metro on May 22nd and adding goals against Minnesota Thunder Academy and Colorado Rush AJ Auxerre.

Be sure to check out TopDrawerSoccer.com throughout the USSDA Playoffs for their continuing coverage of the top youth soccer players and teams in the U.S. Opperman is one of several Sporting Kansas City Juniors academy players on their Top 20 2011 and 2012 Players to Watch for the Heartland Region.

U13 featured in Liberty Tribune

2011-06-22T17:29:00.000-05:00

U13's player Trevor Cissell (shown on right) was featured in the Liberty Tribune newspaper this week after scoring the game-winning goal in the Missouri State Cup final last Friday against St. Louis Scott Gallagher Premier Navy. The U13's won 5-1, securing their spot in the US Youth Soccer Region II Championships this week in Fox Cities, Wisconsin.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to win the State Cup,” Cissell said. “It’s a dream come true to score the game-winning goal.”

While you're on the Liberty Tribune website, be sure to check out two other articles in their sports section. Bill Knust calls LIVESTRONG Sporting Park the "crown jewel of North American soccer stadiums." Several Liberty residents were in attendance at the inaugural match and their reactions are collected in this article written by Chris Geinosky.

State Champs to take part in Regional Championships

2011-06-22T11:23:00.006-05:00

Two SKC Juniors teams will be back in action this weekend. Champions of their respective state cups, our U13s (Missouri) and U15s (Kansas) will take part in the Region 2 Championships, held in Fox Cities, Wisconsin. The tournament will take place from Friday, June 24th to Wednesday, June 29th. Teams from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Kansas and Missouri will compete for the regional title.

SKC Juniors Tournament Schedule:

U15s

Saturday 4pm, Cup Crew JR Gold
Sunday 8am, St. Louis Scott Gallagher
Monday 2pm, The Ambassadors

U13s

Saturday 8am, FC Milwaukee
Sunday 1pm, Minnesota Thunder Academy
Monday 4pm, West Des Moines Soccer club

Semi-finals Tuesday
Final Wednesday

USSDA Playoffs Announced

2011-06-21T11:06:00.005-05:00

The 2010-2011 Development Academy Playoffs have been set to take place in Frisco Texas, from June 24th - June 28th, at Pizza Hut Park. The U16s are seeded 25th and are drawn together with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Houston Dynamo, and IMG Academy. The SKC Juniors first game is scheduled this Saturday at 9 AM Central against LA Galaxy. Their second game is Sunday at 6 PM Central against Houston Dynamo. The U16s third game is Tuesday at 9 AM Central against IMG Academy.

The top team in the group will advance to the Development Academy Finals Week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from July 9-16.

The Sporting KC U18s will also be in Frisco, Texas for the USSDA Showcase with a 9 AM Central game this Friday against Irvine Strikers.

For more detailed information on the USSDA Playoffs, please check here.