Charles Dickens' classic begins with the famous couplets, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness . . . .” His lines about London and Paris during the French Revolution could easily describe soccer in Kansas City.

It was the best of times . . .

Kansas City teams continue domination of the Kansas side of the state line. The finals in the 6A tournament featured two Sunflower league powers, Olathe East and Shawnee Mission East. The victor, Olathe East, continued a nine-year streak that has seen every Kansas 6A State Championship won by either a Sunflower or East Kansas League team. The separation of Kansas into 6A and 5A through 1A classifications for girls’ soccer three years ago has seen two championships won by EKL power Aquinas, and for the first time, Topeka West as the lone non Kansas City team in 2001. (It took Topeka West overtime to subdue Bishop Miege, a consensus tenth best team in greater Kansas City.)

Boys’ soccer has been equally dominated by Kansas City teams. Blue Valley North’s victory in the 6A Championship over East Kansas League rival Aquinas continued a trend that has seen Sunflower or East Kansas League teams win 12 of the 15 Kansas combined or 6A State Championships. At the 5A level EKL teams have won 8 of 10 Boys State Championships.

Missouri side teams continue to develop strength. The Rockhurst boys two State Championships in the last three years, added to a young Lee’s Summit girls’ squad fourth place finish this year and the past success of Blue Springs, Oak Park and Lee’s Summit North strongly suggests that Missouri side teams have achieved parity with St. Louis.

At the club level the story is the same. We do not know the results of the U-15 and older age groups in Kansas State Cup competition due to the rain out of the June 1 through 3 weekend, but for the U-12 through U-14 boys and girls age groups, Kansas City teams comprised 11 out of 12 finalists. In past years virtually every KSYSA champion was based in Kansas City.

The Wizards are back to the winning form of last season’s Championship team. The Wizards defense remains sound. The introduction of Lowe to the offense adds punch and takes pressure from Lassister, which should add more scoring to what has been an anemic attack.

It was the worst of times . . .

The Attack continues its two-year skid. From National Championship form three years ago, the Attack barely made the playoffs last May. Rumors persist of coaching changes, name changes and attempts to turn the clock back twenty years to the nascent years of the MISL and the Kansas City Comets. Moves to change the style of play in the NPSL, to return to the style and quality of play found in the mid 1980’s MISL are absent.

Local college teams continue to be mired in mediocrity. Despite increased college scholarships, money invested in improved facilities, and stronger coaching, the best players still leave Kansas City for stronger teams be it Creighton for boys or Nebraska for girls. The expansion of soccer programs at the Junior College and NAIA level and women’s NCAA programs are matched by the NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 programs that disappear each year, in part due to Title IX. 

Kansas City, despite the highest per capita participation in the country in soccer, continues to have the one of lowest attendance at soccer games, be it NPSL, MLS, PDL or the new W-League. The recent USA World Cup qualifier was either the exception that proved the rule or an anomaly that came from the large number of non Kansas Citians that attended the game.

It was the age of wisdom . . .

The number of qualified youth coaches continues to grow with every passing year. From a few professional players, primarily brought to Kansas City fifteen years ago by the Comets, players like Emilio John, Tim Clark, Tim Knox, Chris Duke and Jim Schwab; and, from the British invasion coaches aligned with clubs like KCFC Alliance, the Legends and Challenger Sports’ British Soccer Camps, Kansas City has begun to produce qualified home grown coaches like Matt Filing and Keith Nelson that played their youth soccer here and now teach soccer. Soccer savvy coaching is now home grown.

At the high school level the old guard of coaches who never played the game are giving way to a new band of young coaches like Joe Tiogo (Park Hill South), Tom Holland (Blue Valley North), Alex Aiman (Blue Valley West), Tim Richardson (Lee’s Summit North), Matt Ireland (Shawnee Mission Northwest) and Chris Lawson (Rockhurst) who are all former players. Athletic Directors now search for soccer coaches that at least played the game and know its laws rather than a teacher who could use some extra income. 

The number of players from Kansas City who have reached the pinnacle of soccer achievement continues to grow. Their skills and knowledge of the game are being recognized on a national level. Currently William John is a two year veteran of US Youth National Team play and was recently honored as one of four players in Region II to be awarded All American status. Dustin Otteson, a Shawnee Mission South graduate, now plays with the A-League Champions Minnesota Thunder. Olathe native son Scott Vermillion continues his MLS career. A group of young Kansas Citians, including Jamal Seale, Jason Cole, and Jake Bleyenberg are poised to move into the A-League and the MLS. 

The best Kansas City premier teams, especially on the boys side, principally from the Legends and the Attack soccer clubs, have become regional powers. These teams have recognized that continued development of their players requires competition in the Y-League, National League and at Regional level tournaments across the country. As players and teams, they have made the sacrifice to become even better. As a consequence more and more college coaches take the time to observe Kansas City teams at College showcase tournaments like the College Showcase in Muscatine Iowa, the Sun Bowl Invitational in Tampa Bay, Florida and the Sony Cup in Dallas, Texas.

It was the age of foolishness . . .

The feud between recreational and premier soccer continues, fought primarily by recreational coaches that grouse about “their” players being “stolen” by premier coaches.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association (“KSHSAA”) imposes destructive, irrational rules that stunt the growth and development of the game and players. The KSHSAA unleashes unqualified referees each year. To become a Kansas High School referee you only need pass an open book test. There is no requirement the referee understand the rules, be physically fit enough to run for eighty minutes with seventeen year old athletes, or be mature and responsible. Kansas High School players reap the harvest of bad calls.

Too many parents and team administrators select coaches based on the coaches’ accent and not their ability to teach, analyze and motivate players. 

Local colleges are starting soccer programs with coaches inexperienced with soccer. One such coach reportedly asked an assistant to prepare a “play book” for the players to memorize. Needless to say this coach’s experience was with a different kind of “football.” 

High School Athletic Directors schedule two and three games back to back, but refuse to schedule games on weekends. The need to fit sixteen games into a schedule and not have staff working on the weekend is of greater importance than the risk to players of injury or the need for coaches to have practice sessions between games to improve a team’s performance.

Despite MLS Commissioner Garber’s claims, the MLS continues to spend millions on advertising soccer to the masses, when the masses have ignored every previous campaign. Wouldn’t the money be better spent on producing a better product? Marketing studies done by the USSF and the MLS have demonstrated that you cannot “sell” soccer to people who have no connection with the game. Why not spend the money on better players and future player development?

This is how we view Kansas City soccer. As Dickens continued in the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities, “. . . we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way . . ..” Tell us what you think. Which way goes Kansas City soccer?

© Kansas City Soccer Scene