Topeka-raised Nati Clarke excels with Sporting KC II: 'My dreams aren’t that far away'

TOPEKA — Sporting Kansas City upset No. 1 seed St. Louis City SC in the opening round of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs on Sunday afternoon. As Sporting’s playoff march rolls on, a Topeka-raised defender is working hard to perfect his craft in the Sporting academy.

Nati Clarke, an 18-year-old defender, was born in Ethiopia and lived there until he was 6 years old before being adopted by Jeff and Becky Clarke. Nati was raised in northern Topeka, where he most recently attended Seaman High School.

Clarke has been in-form during his teenage years, as he has become a weapon for Sporting Kansas City II, the development team to Sporting Kansas City. The coaching staff around the club has recognized Clarke’s hard work by naming him the 2023 Bob Gansler Academy Player of the Year.

“It was crazy, I was not expecting that,” Clarke smiled. “I have just been grateful for this opportunity that I have gotten.”

Clarke has recently wrapped up his second year with SKC II. He started 18 of 28 matches and appeared twice as a substitute. He has mainly played as a left-back with his speed and athleticism allowing him to drift forward in more advance positions.

He finished the year with two assists and 15 key passes. This is a part of his game where head coach Benny Felihaber and assistant coach Ike Opara have influenced Clarke’s game.

“They have both told me to face forward more. I have the ability to go forward and use my speed to cross the ball,” Clarke explained. “They have both helped me get my confidence up by trusting me and giving me the opportunity on the field.”

SKC II ended the year by losing in the opening round of the MLS Next Pro Playoffs to Austin FC II. Clarke featured as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat to the visitors, but the season didn’t feel like a negative.

Earlier in the summer, Clarke was announced as one of 44 members to the MLS Next All-Star Game. The game featured the best young players in the league, including Clarke. He played in the second half for the West squad and helped them win in a shootout, which included him scoring on his penalty attempt.

“It was a super fun experience. I had a great time with it,” Clarke said. “I learned to just have fun doing it. You grow up as a kid playing this. It was a joy to me.”

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While Clarke’s soccer is flourishing, he still takes time to remember his roots. Jeff and Becky have done a notable job in helping Clarke honor his Ethiopian heritage.

In 2020, before the pandemic struck, the Clarke family flew to Ethiopia. This was a powerful experience according to Clarke as he was able to reconnect with family members on the trip.

“I was able to go back for the first time in 10 years to see my family,” Clarke said. “I don’t think I have ever been more emotional than that. Seeing the difference between Ethiopia and America was crazy to me. The little things that we have taken for granted.”

How the Clarke family honors Nati's Ethiopian heritage

Keeping Clarke’s Ethiopian culture alive is extremely important to the family. When Clarke was younger, Becky learned how to make classic Ethiopian dishes. They also found themselves traveling to Kansas City to try local Ethiopian restaurants and grocery stores. Becky brought Ethiopian spices home to Topeka following their trip in 2020.

“Being six, Nati has a memory of his life there. He was definitely old enough to remember that,” Becky explained. “There are things about him that are because of his heritage. He was raised in his first five years of his life with his family. He was not orphaned from birth. We feel like his family contributed to his personality.”

Soccer has been everything for Clarke. From a young age in his Ethiopian village, he would kick a soccer ball made out of a sock stuffed with banana leaves. During a trip to Africa in 2011, Jeff spoke to Clarke’s grandmother via a translator.

Jeff asked his grandmother what Clarke liked to do to help the family around the home. He hoped for more insight into the first six years of Clarke’s life. The answer was easy.

“She said, ‘He would wake up and go play soccer, come back and it was dark.’ He didn’t help, he was too busy playing soccer,” Jeff recalled with a smile. “Soccer has been in his life longer than we have.”

While talking about Clarke, Becky and Jeff rarely avoid a smile. They are immensely proud of him and the hurdles that he has overcome. From learning English as a young child to battling a knee injury to succeeding through the academy ranks, they've seen it all. They are enjoying this roller coaster ride and everything that comes with it.

“It is one step at a time towards him succeeding. It is an amazing thing to witness when you saw where all of this has started,” Jeff said. “He has blessed our lives, he has changed our lives more than we have changed his. You say it, you know it, you believe it, but only we can understand it. You can’t put into words how real it really is until you actually live it.”

Becky and Jeff have shown and given an immense amount of love to Clarke. He isn’t naive. He realizes it and is thankful for their support and care.

“I am thankful every day for them and super thankful for everything that they have done,” Clarke said of his parents. “I wouldn’t be sitting here without the commitment that they have given to this dream of mine. I am beyond grateful.”

Nati Clarke's future goals

Clarke is wrapping up his final year of high school studies. He has been taking online classes for the last few years through Seaman. Clarke and his family made the decision for him to live in an apartment near the training facility of Sporting Kansas City so he would have to avoid the two-hour trip each day to and from practice.

The new living arrangements have brought adult problems, like cleaning, Clarke explained with a laugh. But he has succeeded in this new challenge, according to his parents.

His ultimate goal is to reach the first team and join Sporting Kansas City, just like some of his friends. He'll need to follow a path that will include hard work, determination and sacrifice, but these are the things that Clarke has already fought through.

“Next goal is to hopefully get a contract and play for the first team. Then to get time and play on the field in front of those great and wonderful fans,” Clarke said. “It just shows you how close it is and my dreams aren’t that far away. I just have to keep working.”

Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. You can reach him at Lkeating@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: How Topeka-raised Nati Clarke is making his mark with Sporting KC II