Ballard FC was founded first and foremost to a be a development pathway to professional soccer. Now in just three seasons, the club has had double digit alumni sign pro contracts with six of them signing locally within the Seattle Sounders organization.
Leo Burney, Demian Alvarez, Peter Kingston, Charlie Gaffney, Lars Helleren, and Danny Robles are all signed to either the Seattle Sounders or the Tacoma Defiance. All six players were starters in Ballard FC’s National Championship victory over Lionsbridge in 2023. Fans will be hoping to see all six players suit up in a Tacoma Defiance starting lineup this season.
Bottom: Robles and Gaffney.
Helleren signed with the Tacoma Defiance in March of 2024 after a season with Colorado Rapids 2. Since then, he’s played seven times for the defiance, winning Man of the Match in his most recent MLS Next Pro appearance. Helleren also serves as the fourth goalkeeper for the Sounders, often training with the first team.
Burney was signed to a homegrown contract by the Sounders in early December of 2024. He played three seasons for Ballard FC, and was a starter since day one. Burney will likely play with both the Sounders and the Defiance in 2025, starting the Defiance’s first match of the season earlier this month.
Alvarez was drafted by the Sounders in the second round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft in late December. After being drafted, he earned himself a contract with the Defiance which he signed in early March of 2025. Alvarez is currently dealing with a slight injury but is expected to be back soon, likely featuring next to Burney across the backline.
Robles signed with the Defiance for the second time in his career earlier this year in January. Robles made 64 USL Championship appearances for the Defiance between 2019 and 2021 before he joined the Northern Colorado Hailstorm of USL League One (USL 1) in 2022. After one season with the Hailstorm, he joined Ballard FC for the National Championship season in 2023. After winning the USL League Two (USL 2) National Title, he returned immediately to the Hailstorm to finish out the rest of the 2023 season and play for the club in 2024. Now, Robles is finally back with the Defiance where he has played in all three matches to start 2025.
Kingston and Gaffney signed together for the Defiance at the beginning of March. The pair both played three season with Ballard FC, starting on the wings in the club’s inaugural match. Despite being wingers for most of their Ballard FC careers, they play in different positions as professionals. Kingston plays in midfield for the Defiance as part of a double pivot, oftentimes alongside Robles. Whereas Gaffney is now a defender, starting at right back in all three Defiance matches this season.
Ballard FC is proud to be part of the players’ incredible soccer journeys, and we are excited to watch and support them in their professional careers.
Since the club’s inception, Ballard FC has had a connection to the Seattle Sounders. Former Sounder and current Sounders TV broadcast member, Lamar Neagle, is one of three Ballard FC co-founders. Jason Farrell, a member of the Sounders inaugural team, was Ballard FC’s head coach for two seasons, and was replaced by current head coach James Riley, who won three U.S. Open Cups with the Sounders. Many Seattle Sounders Academy products have played for Ballard FC. Now, former Ballard FC players are joining the Sounders organization. Ballard FC is proud of the organizational connection to the Sounders, and hopes to see it continue to grow.
These six players are not the only Ballard FC alumni to go pro. We have another MLS Next Pro player in Stas Korzeniowski who recently signed with Philadelphia Union II. Last Saturday, he made the first team bench for the Union’s 1-0 win over St. Louis City in MLS play. Former Gonzaga teammates and Ballard FC alums Angelo Calfo and Johan Garibay are both playing USL 1 soccer. Calfo just signed with Texoma FC and Garibay has been with One Knoxville for a couple seasons. Two more Ballard FC players, Khai Brisco and Cale Spence, are playing professional soccer locally in the Seattle area. Brisco and Spence are playing for the Tacoma Stars of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). Check out these players and more on our alumni page.
