KC Select Soccer Club
This club has undergone three name changes since 2017. As of May 2024, it operates as Union KC Soccer Club. The legal entity (KC Select Soccer Club Inc, EIN 26-0498954) remains the same 501(c)(3). See the rebrand timeline in Operating Notes below.
Overview
KC Select Soccer Club (now operating as Union KC Soccer Club) is one of the largest youth soccer clubs in the Kansas City metropolitan area, based in Lees Summit, Missouri. Founded in 2005 as KC Select, the club rebranded to Kansas City Scott Gallagher (KCSG) in April 2017, merged with Kansas Elite SC and KC Prime in April 2018 to form an expanded KCSG, and rebranded again to Union KC in May 2024.
The club now operates with over 2,100 member athletes, 130+ teams, and 80+ coaches/staff — growing dramatically from the 65-player KC Select founding cohort. It holds ECNL Girls, ECNL Boys Regional and National, Girls Academy, and DPL affiliations.
Legal entity: KC Select Soccer Club Inc (EIN 26-0498954), 501(c)(3). Founded 2005.
Financials
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Net Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,958,034 | $3,943,328 | $1,563,689 |
| 2023 | $3,749,649 | $3,669,288 | $1,541,361 |
| 2022 | $3,212,995 | $2,866,036 | $1,420,233 |
| 2021 | $3,186,374 | $2,668,968 | $1,130,781 |
| 2020 | $2,209,454 | $1,916,197 | $612,692 |
| 2019 | $2,441,415 | $2,221,915 | $319,540 |
Source: ProPublica 990 filings (HIGH)
Key observations:
- $3.96M revenue in FY2024 — consistent growth
- $1.56M net assets — solid balance sheet
- Program services: $3.17M (80% of revenue)
- Contributions: $606K (15%) — unusually high for a soccer club
- All board officers are unpaid volunteers — very lean governance
- 5-year CAGR (2019-2024): ~10.1%
Key leadership (FY2024):
- Chris Travalent (President): $0 compensation
- Charles Mathis (Vice President): $0
- Jennifer Mathis (Treasurer): $0
- Chad Basler (Secretary): $0
All officers are unpaid. This means either (a) there is a paid Executive Director not listed as an officer, or (b) the club is volunteer-run at the executive level, which is unusual at this revenue.
Teams & Players
Player count and team count not available from current sources. At $3.96M revenue, likely 1,500-2,500 players.
League Affiliations
- ecnl Girls — franchise holder
- ecnl Boys National and Regional platforms (earned 2022)
- Girls Academy — earned 2024
- dpl — Boys and Girls pathways (DPL Girls earned 2024)
- EDP, local KC-area leagues
Facilities
Facility details not confirmed. Based in Lees Summit, MO.
Competitive Position
KC Select occupies a critical niche as the top independent club in Kansas City, serving families who want elite competitive soccer but are outside the Sporting KC Academy pathway.
Strengths:
- ECNL + DPL dual affiliation — strongest independent competitive position in KC
- $3.96M revenue with solid growth
- Strong net assets ($1.56M)
- Volunteer-led board keeps overhead low
Weaknesses:
- Competes against free Sporting KC Academy for top talent
- Kansas City market is smaller and more MLS-dominated than St. Louis
- Limited public information on leadership and operations
Industry Context
Union KC (formerly KC Select → KCSG → Union KC) has evolved from a modest 65-player girls club to the largest independent multi-pathway club in the Kansas City metro. The club’s aggressive merger strategy — absorbing Liberty United, Kansas Elite SC, KC Prime, and ALBA FC over its 20-year history — mirrors consolidation patterns seen in mature club markets like St. Louis and Chicago, but has unfolded in a market considerably smaller than those.
The Kansas City youth soccer market is defined by the dominant presence of sporting-kc-academy — a free-to-play MLS academy that claims the top end of the elite talent pool. Union KC’s sustained growth despite this competitive pressure reflects strong demand for the club’s multi-pathway structure from families who either don’t qualify for or don’t prefer the MLS academy model.
The competitive pathway lineup following the 2024 rebrand is the club’s most comprehensive to date: ECNL Girls and Boys, Girls Academy, DPL on both sides — a portfolio that only a handful of clubs in any city achieve. This positions Union KC as the clear elite independent alternative to sporting-kc-academy in the KC metro, serving families seeking national league play without MLS academy constraints.
At $3.96M (FY2024 990 — still filed under KC Select Soccer Club Inc) with growing net assets ($1.56M), the financial profile is among the strongest of any independent Midwest club at this market size. The volunteer-officer board structure and all-unpaid leadership suggests strong financial discipline, but raises the question of who provides day-to-day management direction — likely a professional Executive Director not listed as a formal officer on the 990.
Operating Notes
Rebrand timeline:
- 2005 — Founded as KC Select Soccer Club (6 girls teams, 65 players)
- April 2017 — Rebranded to Kansas City Scott Gallagher (KCSG); affiliated with St. Louis Scott Gallagher
- April 2018 — Merged with Kansas Elite SC and KC Prime; KCSG brand retained; 80+ teams, 1,100 players
- May 2024 — Rebranded to Union KC Soccer Club; 2,100+ athletes, 130+ teams
Legal entity throughout: KC Select Soccer Club Inc, EIN 26-0498954. ProPublica 990 data reflects the operating history under this entity across all brand names.
Open Questions
- Who runs Union KC day-to-day? The all-unpaid-officer 990 structure suggests a professional ED not listed as an officer.
- Does the club own or lease facilities in Lees Summit?
- What is the current player count and team composition under the Union KC brand?
- How does the Girls Academy membership (earned 2024) affect competitive positioning vs. sporting-kc-academy?