Park alumni find success through indoor soccer
KANSAS CITY, Mo - Park University's men's soccer program has produced more than a dozen professional soccer players over the past decade, although they aren't playing the same soccer they played most of their lives.
The soccer they have turned to is indoor soccer, a high-scoring and high-intensity form of soccer played within a smaller field and in the confines of walls. More than a dozen Park alumni have graced a professional indoor soccer field over the past decade. The majority have done so playing for the Kansas City Comets.
Among the first Park alumni to make the jump were Ramone and Robert Palmer, signing with the Comets in 2012. While unrelated, the Kingston, Jamaica natives spent much of their lives together as they were born 12 days apart, attended the same school and played on the same teams.
Their pro indoor soccer careers started when the Palmer duo met then Comets coach Vlatko Andonovski, another Park alum, at a soccer camp. They attended some of the team’s kick arounds and began practicing with them.
“Before that, we had no idea about the Comets team,” Ramone Palmer said. “Since we came to kick arounds it's just been a blast and we decided to stick with it.”
The Palmers spent their first eight years of pro indoor soccer playing together, spending seven years with the Comets and one with the Tacoma Stars. They also tasted success, winning the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) championship in their second season before going undefeated in the following regular season.
Ahead of the 2021 season, Robert Palmer signed to play with the Ontario Fury, where they delivered a crushing blow to the Comets by beating them in the semifinals. Eventually losing to the San Diego Sockers in the championship series, Robert Palmer was named MASL Defender of the Year.
Following the footsteps of the Palmer duo have been numerous other players.
“It’s really good to see that after Robert and I, we had a lot more Park people gain an interest and get involved,” Palmer said. “It’s good to see that we brought more Park interest into the Comets organization.”
Currently, there are four Park alumni playing for the Comets with Robert Palmer playing for the Fury and Kiel Williams in his second season with the Florida Tropics.
Among the four Park alumni playing for the Comets is Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Flores. Originally signing with the Comets in 2016, the Chilean didn’t know about indoor soccer until he met some Comets players in a summer league during his time at Park. He decided to give indoor soccer a shot because it was a good opportunity to stay in the country and continue playing soccer.
Flores has now played over 100 games for the Comets and believes his indoor success stems from his time at Park.
“The team and the level at that time was amazing,” Flores said. “The competition level was great. Every training session was just amazing and the intensity was amazing. The fact that we were all working together to get that championship- that we actually got- made me a better player.”
Even with that high-level training, the transition from soccer played outdoors to soccer played indoors isn't as easy as it seems.
Mirko Sandivari is in his fifth season playing for the Comets after spending three years at Park. He explained that it takes time to adjust from outdoor to indoor soccer because it is so much different with the indoor game requiring more focus and energy when playing.
“The speed that we play is way faster,” Sandivari said. “You have to get used to playing at that level. You have to go for one minute or two minutes and be 100 percent focused on the game because you don’t want to make a mistake.”
Among the greatest differences between outdoor soccer and indoor soccer is the time a player spends on the field. Traditionally, outdoor players play 90 minutes in a game with each team allotted three substitutions. In indoor, there is no substitution limit. The only player who plays the entire game is the goalkeeper, with field players usually playing many shifts under a couple of minutes.
The Comets' most recent signing from Park is Lucas Sousa, who is Park’s all-time leader in assists with 42 from 2012 until 2015. He has also served as the assistant coach for the Park women’s soccer team for six years.
For Sousa, the sacrifice of time and pain is well worth it to be able to balance his duties as a coach and his duties as a professional athlete.
“Sometimes it’s a little hard because the body hurts,” Sousa said. “But I do what I love, so when you do what you love, time doesn’t matter.”
A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sousa was unable to play his first season in 2019/20 due to visa issues. He came back with the issues resolved the following season and won MASL Rookie of the Year.
Sousa said his development at Park was critical to his success with the Comets.
“I feel like I tried to reach my peak at Park and Efrem Shimlis is my dad in the United States,” Sousa said. “He took care of us. I just absorb everything that he offered to us.”
The praise for Shimlis, the head men’s soccer coach at Park, was unanimous. Shimlis, also a graduate of Park, played professional indoor soccer before taking over as head coach of Park men’s soccer in 2001. His experience and connections helped open doors for the Comets players from Park.
“Off the field, he shows a lot of interest in his players and makes sure his players are okay,” Palmer said. “Him being there with us through college then guiding and motivating us to push us up to do as good as we can.”
In 2004, Stefan Stokic came to Kansas City to play for the Comets. After the team folded following his rookie season, he stayed around the area and played one season at Park, contributing five goals and five assists in 15 games. After that season, Stokic decided to pursue professional outdoor soccer and moved to Canada. Moving around the continent for a few years, Stokic returned to Kansas City in 2010 when the Comets returned.
After 11 seasons and over 200 games with the Comets, Stokic retired and became an assistant coach in 2020. Throughout his time in Kansas City, the Serbian has also coached youth soccer, winning the ECNL National Championship with his KC Athletics U15 girls team last summer. He also plans on finishing his degree at Park.
Playing under Shimlis for one season at Park and playing alongside so many other Park players, Stokic has great admiration for Park's winningest men's soccer coach in program history.
“Coach Efrem was a great coach and he’s a great person as well,” Stokic said. “Every part of my life up to this point has led me to this point. Every situation. Park is a part of that as well.”
The success of Park players in indoor soccer could continue this season as they chase the MASL championship. The Comets sit first in the Central Division and third overall. Williams and the Tropics sit second in the league while Palmer and the Fury sit fifth overall.
