Center of Excellence
QUICK INFO:
The Center of Excellence (COE) is a high-level supplemental training program for boys aged 12 and younger that is designed to prepare potential academy-level players for the next step on the Sporting KC player pathway. Players in the COE receive high-level training directly from Sporting Kansas City Academy Coaches.
Spring
Spring 2025 Center of Excellence Details
When: Fall (March-may)
- Camp attendance is required; select players will be invited to register for the 8-week Spring session
- Participation in the SKC Center of Excellence is supplemental to all activities with participant’s current club team
- The SKC Center of Excellence is a CLUB NEUTRAL program.
- Trainings are held twice a week for 8 weeks (Tuesday & Wednesday)
- All trainings will be held 4-5:15pm at Swope Soccer Village
- If selected, the cost for the program is $250 (includes training kit and 16 training sessions)
Spring 2025 CAMPS
There is zero cost for CAMP. This program is CLUB NEUTRAL, players from any club are welcome!
Who:
U-11 and U-12 Boys (2013 and 2014 birth years)
When:
- U-12 (2013 birth year): Tuesday, March 11 7p-8:15p
- U-11 (2014 birth year): Wednesday, March 12 7p-8:15p
Where:
Swope Soccer Village (Field 6)
*Please contact Brennan.Williams@SportingKC.com if you are interested in trying out, but unable to attend the above tryout date.
TRYOUT REGISTRATION: https://sportingkc.formstack.com/forms/coe_registration_spring25
Jacob Bartlett became the first player to progress from the Center of Excellence to the Sporting KC Academy and then to the Sporting KC First Team.
In 2017, an aspiring 11-year-old soccer player from Overland Park, Kansas enrolled in the Sporting Kansas City Academy Center of Excellence. Through this immersive program, Jacob Bartlett received high-level training from Sporting KC Academy coaches twice per week.
This marked the start of an impressive rise that saw Bartlett earn a spot on the Sporting KC Academy, represent the club at the U-12 through U-19 levels, gain professional experience with Sporting KC II in MLS NEXT Pro, earn minutes for the University of Notre Dame and sign a First-Team Homegrown contract.
Now a Sporting KC first-team member, Bartlett began his journey eight years ago when he joined the Center of Excellence. He has since become the first player to progress from the COE to the Sporting KC Academy and onto the first team.
The 2025 Spring COE Camp provides an opportunity for each player to become the next rising star to make the jump that Bartlett did.