Sporting Kansas City’s youthful core are ready for more

“God, dang it!”

Twenty-three year-old Jansen Miller had started 21 matches on a row for Sporting Kansas City straight out of Indiana University. At that point, Miller had played more minutes than he ever had, and all against sometimes bigger, sometimes faster, and often more experienced professionals from countries across the globe.

“Mentally and physically, I put in a performance two games in a row where I looked fatigued and was making fatigued decisions,” said Miller in reflection Saturday night after Sporting Kansas City’s last MLS match of the season.

Interim Manager Kerry Zavagnin was ready to yank the rookie, and he did at the 66^th minute.

‘You need a break,’ Zavagnin may have said as Miller stepped off after rough patches at Orlando City in a 3-1 loss the week before and during this August 24th match on turf at Seattle Sounders that was 4-2 hosts when Miller exited.

Miller was not happy with being subbed, nor happy with himself.

“Then I really took a step back,” Miller recalled. “Yah, I got off the field at Seattle after 66 minutes, and I was dead.”

A young J-Crew in Sporting blue

In 2025, Jansen Miller, 20-year-old Jacob Bartlett, and 17-year-old Ian James learned plenty of lessons within their own approaches while breaking into the future of Sporting Kansas City. Three players to build on. Three players who want to achieve, who want to be the best they can, and who have the passion to persevere.

Bartlett in the Eleven?

… That was the draw-back-the-head-and-wonder exclamation ahead of kickoff on February 19^th as then 19-year-old debutant Jacob Bartlett’s name was listed in Sporting’s starting lineup to face dreaded Inter Miami and legend Lionel Messi in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup home-and-home series. In the bitter Kansas City cold.

The holding midfielder played in 30 matches of the 34 during the MLS season in 2025, starting twenty-two for a grand total of 1934 minutes.

His debut season was “something I’ve dreamt of forever.” And, admittedly, sometimes Bartlett took on the massive responsibility of holding midfield like he was in a dream. Not completely unexpected for a 19-year-old fresh out of SKC II and Sporting’s Academy.

“I’ve had some good moments, and I’ve had some very poor moments,” Bartlett stated after match in the locker room Saturday night before stating his biggest takeaway on the year that has dictated his approach.

“Staying level-headed through all of it; that’s what it takes, and that’s where you will find the most success. Leaving the past behind me, focusing on what I can control, and let God do the rest.”

From starting that champions cup match versus Miami until Saturday’s 0-0 draw versus Houston Dynamo, his first season went by in “a blink.” Equipped with belief in himself buoyed by others, Bartlett is ready to take it all into his future.

“[The coaches] have given me everything. I hope what I have given this season and what I can give in the future is enough compared to what they have done for me,” he stated. “They’ve been incredible to me, and I can’t think them enough.”

Ian James and the triple learning curve

Unlike Bartlett, center back Ian James did not see his first significant minutes for Sporting Kansas City in 2025 until a June 28^th start versus Real Salt Lake. Eight games played and five games started garnered the St. Louis Park, Minnesota, native 490 minutes on the season. And they weren’t easy minutes.

James’ first start saw him lined up next to Jansen Miller. The second next to Robert Voloder. The third next to Alan Montes. A trio of different center back companions in his first three starts for a defense that allowed the most goals in MLS. Just dip your head into the fire, kid.

James’ doused the flames by heeding his father’s words.

“My dad always says, ‘Why do you play the game? It’s to see who is the best on that day, who can win, who is going to battle.’”

So, James battles, whether he is in a United States Youth National Team camp, with SKC II (as he was early in 2025), or with Sporting’s first team.

“There are five other center backs on the team, and two guys who get to play every week,”
he said after Saturday night’s draw. “Not every game is yours, but you have to do everything in training. You are always trying to show the best you can in training to get on the field. There are also lots of things to learn.”     

For a 17-year-old fighting veterans to get minutes during a trying season – Sporting Kansas City finished last of 15 teams in the West – lessons abounded. Sure, learning how to read the game at the speed “to hang with everyone else” is critical, but lessons are also much about staying motivated and not allowing the disease of losing to take root.

“You have to find motivation where you can get it. If it was a hard training and people were fighting [hard] and you just kept working… it is the little things that made a difference and kept me working.”

“Now, I’m not rookie anymore.” Jansen Miller

Beginning March 8^th at DC United, Miller played in 29 matches, starting 25 of them for 2,305 minutes on the season. Not only is Miller the grandaddy of the group, but he played the most minutes of the rookie crop.

Miller’s approach is best stated on the field – relentless, enthusiastic, and a drive to win battles and matches with the physical and/or the cerebral. With that drive comes lessons. First, learning how to approach the toll of minutes: “remind myself to not turn off the switch and focus even more.”

Second, how to solve problems in the moment.

“Everyone is stronger and faster at this level. And I learned it the hard way from my first few games and throughout the season in moments,” Miller declared. “Now, I’ve matured physically and mentally; I know my strengths. I know if I’m running out to [LAFC’s winger extraordinaire Denis] Bouanga to get a yard from him, more analyzing the opponent, knowing who I am playing against, and making the decision of, ‘How hard can I go here?’”

Hard. Difficult. Although a young player is ever grateful to be playing, to be getting the minutes, it is disappointing that the team is not winning. That teaches a simple lesson that Bartlett, James, and Miller share.

“…helping the team win in more moments than not. That’s what I can learn going forward,” stated Miller.

Looking forward

The trio also share a future.

“We do have a good core of guys, a lot of hunger and passion to win,” said Bartlett. “We had a taste of it this year, playing, getting the minutes, being under the lights. And, now, looking forward, success and wins are on our mind. Nothing else.”

Zavagnin may have coached his last match for the club, but he has granted the club’s prime youth more than just minutes to help them grow.

“There is a huge amount of stock that can be put into belief and trust,” said the interim manager. “When you believe in your players, they can feel it. When you trust them, they can feel it.”

Belief and trust go a long way, especially during a season when the team struggled. Being knocked down and getting back up was on repeat. Yet, that is not the end game.

“Everyone was hungry for more,” said James. “We wanted more, and we felt like we deserved more. It’s that feeling; you can’t really describe it. But the hunger was definitely there.”

“The trait that all [three] of those have is that they want to achieve, they want to be good players. That is the starting point: You need to have a passion for the game; you need to be able to get through difficult moments and persevere,” pointed Zavagnin. “They have experienced that and then some this year. A huge learning curve. [Those experiences] bode well for all the young guys who have gotten incredible experiences over this season.”

“Obviously, this isn’t the year we hoped for,” said Bartlett. “Next year has to be better. And that is the standard we have to hold ourselves to. I know the staff and everyone will hold us to that.”

Change is in the offing, likely dramatic change, even Miller is not contractually assured a spot with the club for 2026. And change has already happened with the addition of David Lee as the club’s new President of Soccer Operations and General Manager. And Bartlett, James, and Miller are ready.

“I’m so excited,” Miller expressed. “I don’t fully know if I will be here, but I’m hoping.

“It’s a great club. David Lee, you can already tell, he has his vision. It’s exciting. Getting to be part of that is, I mean, what more can you ask for?”