Kevin Ellis became the first Barton Community College soccer player to make it all the way to Major League Soccer when he signed a contract with Sporting Kansas City last Friday. Ellis inked the contract at a press conference Friday afternoon. Ellis did not need to be drafted as part of the MLS program for home grown players. Ellis is a native of Kansas City, Mo.
Ellis was a two-time first-team All-American in his two years at Barton – the first outfield player to do so for Barton in its 10-year program. Ellis scored 23 goals as a freshman to go with 8 assists while playing forward and midfield. This past season he shifted to the backline where he still managed 11 goals and four assists.
The 34 goals in his career are a school record as are his 80 points. The 23 goals he scored his freshman season are 2nd all-time at the school in a single season. The Cougars made it to back-to-back NJCAA National Tournaments his two seasons with a third-place finish this past season – the highest in school history.
“It is really exciting to have a player from Barton move directly to the MLS,” Barton head coach Oliver Twelvetrees said. “I knew he had the potential to be great and it was nice to watch him work hard, get better and meet that potential.”
Ellis, 19, is the second player signed by Sporting Kansas City under the MLS Home Grown Player program. Ellis came through the Sporting Kansas City Juniors academy for four years highlighted by his participation in the under-17 team in the inaugural SUM Cup in 2007. Ellis started every match in that event, leading his team to the championship match.
“It is a real thrill to sign for your hometown team,” Ellis said. “It is truly a dream come true. It really is. Barton played a huge part in this.
“Coach Oliver Twelvetrees does an amazing job of supplying everyone with the ability to play and grow. And not just as a player but as a person. He helped so much I can’t even describe it.”
Major League Soccer added its Home Grown Player initiative in 2007 to permit teams to promote youth academy players to professional contracts, bypassing the league’s annual SuperDraft or traditional allocation process. Ellis graduated from Oak Park High School.
Ellis is currently with Sporting Kansas City in Arizona training for the upcoming season. The pre-season schedule of exhibition matches in Arizona will end March 5. The regular season kicks off March 19 for Kansas City.
The club will play its home games this year in a new state-of-the-art park at Legends in Kansas City. Sporting Park is currently under construction but is set to open during the upcoming season. The season is 34 games long with Kansas City playing its first 10 games on the road while final touches are made to the stadium for its grand opening June 9, a game that will air on ESPN2.  Kansas City will then be at home for 17 of its final 24 games with the regular season ending in October.