The first person rookie defender Mike Jones called after Sporting Kansas City selected him in the Supplemental Draft was his mother.
Initially, she thought her son was pulling her leg. But after some convincing, she delivered some sage advice that has helped guide Jones to his first professional contract.
“She told me, ‘This is not a time for you to celebrate,’” Jones (above) told MLSsoccer.com in a phone interview from Arizona, where Sporting are spending their preseason. “'It’s great that you got drafted, but now you are with the big boys. You need to be able to stay, work hard and not get too excited about getting drafted or the glory. This is your job, and it can go so fast.’”
That mentality is one that Jones and Kansas City’s other young domestic signings – first round pick CJ Sapong, third-rounder Konrad Warzycha and trialist Scott Lorenz – have taken to heart, resulting in professional contracts for all four this week.
In a business defined by its cutthroat nature, all four came to Kansas City in January and outlasted and outworked the countless other faces that came and went as Sporting surveyed their options and shaped their opening-day roster.
[inline_node:329861]Unfortunately, only three will likely be able to contribute in 2011. Warzycha will start the season on the injured reserve list and be sidelined for six to eight months as he recovers from surgery to correct a femoral condyle defect in his right knee.
Either way, manager Peter Vermes said all four earned their opportunity, even if nothing is necessarily guaranteed going forward.
“Over the entire preseason, those guys had not only shown well early on but also progressed day-to-day and week-to-week,” he said. “They are guys that we feel we can work with over time and hopefully find something in them that will continue to add quality to our roster.”
Sapong is a physical, athletic striker who should provide depth behind Teal Bunbury, Kei Kamara and Birahim Diop. Jones is a left-footed center back with the size and speed to stay with MLS attackers.
Lorenz will start the season as a backup for Roger Espinoza at left back after spending last season in Minnesota in the second division before making an impression in a short trial last season and taking advantage of his opportunities this preseason.
“It’s a good feeling to finally get signed and have all the work you did in the offseason result in something positive,” Lorenz said. “Getting signed is just the beginning of what I have really come here to do. I’ve got plenty of work to do.”
That work will most likely come in training and reserve league games initially, but if their mind sets stay true, there is little doubt that each will be ready for whatever opportunity presents itself.
“Signing a professional contract with an MLS team is an absolute dream come true,” Jones said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more. I’m going to do whatever I can to continue to live this dream and be the best I can be for myself and my teammates.”
