Kharlton Belmar has just as much an eye for art as he does an eye for goal.
That says a lot, especially for a player that’s already left an unforgettable impression on the league that named him Rookie of the Year in 2015 and is still the all-time leading goal-scorer for Sporting Kansas City II – formerly known as Swope Park Rangers – with 25 strikes.
The versatile attacker has been selected as the March 2018 USL Championship Player of the Month, earned Player of the Week honors twice, and has been selected to the USL Team of the Week a total of eight times.
Kharlton Belmar has just as much an eye for art as he does an eye for goal.
That says a lot, especially for a player that’s already left an unforgettable impression on the league that named him Rookie of the Year in 2015 and is still the all-time leading goal-scorer for Sporting Kansas City II – formerly known as Swope Park Rangers – with 25 strikes.
The versatile attacker has been selected as the March 2018 USL Championship Player of the Month, earned Player of the Week honors twice, and has been selected to the USL Team of the Week a total of eight times.
The Athletic even named the Virginia Beach native as an honorable mention on the USL and NASL combined Team of the Decade.
A pretty remarkable honor, given Belmar’s only plied his trade in the league for just half the decade.
The Athletic even named the Virginia Beach native as an honorable mention on the USL and NASL combined Team of the Decade.
A pretty remarkable honor, given Belmar’s only plied his trade in the league for just half the decade.
In the relatively short time he’s been a professional, his on-field artform has dazzled supporters and captured their imaginations. Off-the-pitch, Belmar also has an equally impressive artistic ability that too captures imaginations.
Over the years, he’s picked up a fondness for photography, one of many creative talents that ran in the family.
“It really starts with my mom; she went to art school before she had me and she’s an amazing artist and painter so over the years I picked that up through her,” Belmar said. “Once she introduced me to it, I started drawing cartoons and anime type of stuff then once I strayed away from that I started being more interested in realism and street art like graffiti. I always took art classes because I liked art in general, but I was never really into drawing objects and that stuff. I always wanted to kind of do my own thing, but the art classes allowed me the opportunity to kind of stop and do that during the school day."
"I’m more favorable to capturing people in a city environment where there’s just so much going on and there’s a lot to see and take in and everyone has such different emotions, so I was always drawn towards that side of it.”
In the relatively short time he’s been a professional, his on-field artform has dazzled supporters and captured their imaginations. Off-the-pitch, Belmar also has an equally impressive artistic ability that too captures imaginations.
Over the years, he’s picked up a fondness for photography, one of many creative talents that ran in the family.
“It really starts with my mom; she went to art school before she had me and she’s an amazing artist and painter so over the years I picked that up through her,” Belmar said. “Once she introduced me to it, I started drawing cartoons and anime type of stuff then once I strayed away from that I started being more interested in realism and street art like graffiti. I always took art classes because I liked art in general, but I was never really into drawing objects and that stuff. I always wanted to kind of do my own thing, but the art classes allowed me the opportunity to kind of stop and do that during the school day.”
“I’m more favorable to capturing people in a city environment where there’s just so much going on and there’s a lot to see and take in and everyone has such different emotions, so I was always drawn towards that side of it.”
Belmar’s interest in art was always a deep desire, but his passion for photography – which fans can find on his @kbshootz instagram page – didn’t fully surface until his college playing days while attending Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
“Once I got my first camera in college, my teammates and I would run around late-night when everyone’s in their dorms and we would take pictures of the city when it’s quiet and peaceful instead of like it normally is when it’s all hustle and bustle,” he said.
Belmar’s interest in art was always a deep desire, but his passion for photography – which fans can find on his @kbshootz instagram page – didn’t fully surface until his college playing days while attending Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
“Once I got my first camera in college, my teammates and I would run around late-night when everyone’s in their dorms and we would take pictures of the city when it’s quiet and peaceful instead of like it normally is when it’s all hustle and bustle,” he said.
His time in Richmond not only sparked his interest in photography, but Virginia’s Capital City also offers a vibrant culture that Belmar was immediately drawn to – specifically the tattoo scene.
“Richmond is a cool little artsy city, a lot going on in that respect and it has its own unique vibe that has a big tattoo culture which I picked up on right when I got to campus,” Belmar said. “The second my mom dropped me off I went and got my first tattoo! It was a tattoo for my dad, a cross on my shoulder. My little sister saw it on Facebook and told my mom!”
Towards the end of his tremendous college career, Belmar had the opportunity to spend a summer in another artsy city and compete with the Portland Timbers U23s. He relished the chance to continue his hobby behind the lens in a picturesque town while showcasing his skills on the west coast for potential future employers to witness.
“Portland really piqued my interest in photography, that’s when I bought my own personal camera. I was sharing with a teammate before,” Belmar explained.
His time in Richmond not only sparked his interest in photography, but Virginia’s Capital City also offers a vibrant culture that Belmar was immediately drawn to – specifically the tattoo scene.
“Richmond is a cool little artsy city, a lot going on in that respect and it has its own unique vibe that has a big tattoo culture which I picked up on right when I got to campus,” Belmar said. “The second my mom dropped me off I went and got my first tattoo! It was a tattoo for my dad, a cross on my shoulder. My little sister saw it on Facebook and told my mom!”
Towards the end of his tremendous college career, Belmar had the opportunity to spend a summer in another artsy city and compete with the Portland Timbers U23s. He relished the chance to continue his hobby behind the lens in a picturesque town while showcasing his skills on the west coast for potential future employers to witness.
“Portland really piqued my interest in photography, that’s when I bought my own personal camera. I was sharing with a teammate before,” Belmar explained.
“I pretty much taught it to myself, I remember spending a lot of time watching YouTube videos on how to do certain things, what certain things meant."
"On top of that, being in an eclectic city like Portland where it’s got the downtown urban feel and then you go 15 minutes outside the city, and you have mountains and waterfalls so that was pretty cool. I think that’s where my love for the west coast comes from, anytime I’m on the west coast or in the Pacific Northwest there’s always so much to see and take in so I’m always ready to pop the camera out for that," he said.
“I pretty much taught it to myself, I remember spending a lot of time watching YouTube videos on how to do certain things, what certain things meant.”
“On top of that, being in an eclectic city like Portland where it’s got the downtown urban feel and then you go 15 minutes outside the city, and you have mountains and waterfalls so that was pretty cool. I think that’s where my love for the west coast comes from, anytime I’m on the west coast or in the Pacific Northwest there’s always so much to see and take in so I’m always ready to pop the camera out for that,” he said.
With an artistic interest in styles similar to that of graffiti and tattoos, it’s no wonder why Belmar was attracted to the aesthetic of Portland’s grit and natural beauty.
“A lot of the pictures I like to take tend to be a little darker, a little cloudier type of feels and monochromatic so I thought what better place to capture stuff like that and stuff that’s pretty moody than a rainy place like Portland so I guess it just kind of spoke to me,” he said.
Not only was Portland the perfect backdrop for his photography, but it was also the ideal launching point for his professional career. In the short summer season Belmar played for the U23s, where he netted eight goals in 14 games and earned a spot on the PDL All-Western Conference team as well as being named the Timbers U-23 Player of the Year following their title-winning campaign.
With an artistic interest in styles similar to that of graffiti and tattoos, it’s no wonder why Belmar was attracted to the aesthetic of Portland’s grit and natural beauty.
“A lot of the pictures I like to take tend to be a little darker, a little cloudier type of feels and monochromatic so I thought what better place to capture stuff like that and stuff that’s pretty moody than a rainy place like Portland so I guess it just kind of spoke to me,” he said.
Not only was Portland the perfect backdrop for his photography, but it was also the ideal launching point for his professional career. In the short summer season Belmar played for the U23s, where he netted eight goals in 14 games and earned a spot on the PDL All-Western Conference team as well as being named the Timbers U-23 Player of the Year following their title-winning campaign.
Portland kept its faith in Belmar following a frustrating senior season at VCU and drafted him in the second round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft before the former Ram signed with Timbers 2. Heading into his first USL campaign, he didn’t expect to be a staple in the starting eleven, but when he was handed his unexpected chance in the opening match, Belmar capitalized on the opportunity.
Portland kept its faith in Belmar following a frustrating senior season at VCU and drafted him in the second round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft before the former Ram signed with Timbers 2. Heading into his first USL campaign, he didn’t expect to be a staple in the starting eleven, but when he was handed his unexpected chance in the opening match, Belmar capitalized on the opportunity.
“I can’t even put that season into words. How that all transpired is amazing, I wasn’t remotely close to starting that first game that first year,” Belmar said. “I think a week before that first game I was the backup forward and there was this Brazilian player who was there and he disappeared, I don’t know what happened in that situation but I ended up getting the starting spot and scored my first two goals in my first professional game and that set the tone for the rest of the year which was just unbelievable, a complete whirlwind.”
Following his first year, Belmar was loaned to NASL’s New York Cosmos and had the luxury of lining up alongside some of the greatest names the game has ever produced. Cosmos lifted the title at the end of the season, the ultimate dream ending for his debut pro season which began with the striker nearly not even being included in T2’s starting squad.
“I’m just realizing, playing my first professional season, win a rookie of the year award then go win a championship with Marcos Senna and Raul in their last professional seasons, that was unbelievable,” Belmar proclaimed. “I was just that college kid, trying to make a name for himself and ended up being able to make an impact right away.”
“I can’t even put that season into words. How that all transpired is amazing, I wasn’t remotely close to starting that first game that first year,” Belmar said. “I think a week before that first game I was the backup forward and there was this Brazilian player who was there and he disappeared, I don’t know what happened in that situation but I ended up getting the starting spot and scored my first two goals in my first professional game and that set the tone for the rest of the year which was just unbelievable, a complete whirlwind.”
Following his first year, Belmar was loaned to NASL’s New York Cosmos and had the luxury of lining up alongside some of the greatest names the game has ever produced. Cosmos lifted the title at the end of the season, the ultimate dream ending for his debut pro season which began with the striker nearly not even being included in T2’s starting squad.
“I’m just realizing, playing my first professional season, win a rookie of the year award then go win a championship with Marcos Senna and Raul in their last professional seasons, that was unbelievable,” Belmar proclaimed. “I was just that college kid, trying to make a name for himself and ended up being able to make an impact right away.”
Belmar’s career was beginning to blossom, but it was still a work in progress. After a frustrating sophomore season, he made the move to the Midwest where he rediscovered his sizzling form in Kansas City.
The artist was back at work with the pitch as his canvas and his precise touches were his meticulous brushstrokes.
All the hard work in a new setting paid off, as Belmar was finally offered the chance to showcase his stellar work at the Major League Soccer level with Sporting Kansas City.
Belmar’s career was beginning to blossom, but it was still a work in progress. After a frustrating sophomore season, he made the move to the Midwest where he rediscovered his sizzling form in Kansas City.
The artist was back at work with the pitch as his canvas and his precise touches were his meticulous brushstrokes.
All the hard work in a new setting paid off, as Belmar was finally offered the chance to showcase his stellar work at the Major League Soccer level with Sporting Kansas City.
“Oh man, that was incredible, I’m pretty sure I cried because it was just something that I worked so hard for,” Belmar said. “I’m trying to put it into words, that was the vision I had for myself that first year, after the rookie of the year season I thought that was the next step. Then what I went through the steps of my second season where I’m no longer being the guy anymore and I’m kind of put on the back-burner so to finally get that call-up, it made all the sweat and the tears and the nights of just wanting to give up, it made it all worth it.”
It was a day that Belmar remembers vividly.
“I remember going into Peter’s [Vermes] office. I had no idea, I mean I had been training pretty frequently with the first team, but that’s really all it was,” he explained. “I played the Open Cup game, but it still wasn’t quite the real thing and I wasn’t fully apart of it yet. I remember getting called into his office, thinking that I did something wrong and he’s like ‘hey, we want to sign you’ and I just remember I said absolutely nothing and just kind of stared at him and he asked ‘are you excited?’ and I’m like ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! I just didn’t have any words because you kind of go through those periods where everyone’s like ‘keep pushing, keep pushing, it will come, it will come’ and sometimes it doesn’t but sometimes it does when you least expect it and that’s kind of what that was.”
“Oh man, that was incredible, I’m pretty sure I cried because it was just something that I worked so hard for,” Belmar said. “I’m trying to put it into words, that was the vision I had for myself that first year, after the rookie of the year season I thought that was the next step. Then what I went through the steps of my second season where I’m no longer being the guy anymore and I’m kind of put on the back-burner so to finally get that call-up, it made all the sweat and the tears and the nights of just wanting to give up, it made it all worth it.”
It was a day that Belmar remembers vividly.
“I remember going into Peter’s [Vermes] office. I had no idea, I mean I had been training pretty frequently with the first team, but that’s really all it was,” he explained. “I played the Open Cup game, but it still wasn’t quite the real thing and I wasn’t fully apart of it yet. I remember getting called into his office, thinking that I did something wrong and he’s like ‘hey, we want to sign you’ and I just remember I said absolutely nothing and just kind of stared at him and he asked ‘are you excited?’ and I’m like ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! I just didn’t have any words because you kind of go through those periods where everyone’s like ‘keep pushing, keep pushing, it will come, it will come’ and sometimes it doesn’t but sometimes it does when you least expect it and that’s kind of what that was.”
Belmar continued pushing, making the move to Nashville for the 2019 USL campaign but once the regular season came to a close, there was one west coast club in particular that was making a massive push to acquire his talents.
And it just so happened to be a club he was ecstatic about joining and one he was very familiar playing against.
Belmar continued pushing, making the move to Nashville for the 2019 USL campaign but once the regular season came to a close, there was one west coast club in particular that was making a massive push to acquire his talents.
And it just so happened to be a club he was ecstatic about joining and one he was very familiar playing against.
“Things started happening pretty quickly once the regular season ends and if I wasn’t going back to MLS at this point in time, then I only wanted to play for the best USL club possible and the second Sacramento came knocking, that was a no-brainer for me,” Belmar said. “It’s always been one of my favorite USL stadiums to play in with the atmosphere and I couldn’t imagine having to come here being on the other side of it again so now it’s nice to finally be on the right side of it.”
Belmar’s extremely appreciative of the opportunity he’s been given in the Indomitable City, and the reception he received following the announcement of being Republic FC’s first signing this past offseason is a moment he’ll never forget.
“I honestly could not believe it; I was telling my mom that,” Belmar said of the warm welcoming. “I mean, I’ve had big receptions in Nashville, but that one [in Sacramento], I couldn’t put that into words. It felt like I hit the jackpot in terms of hospitality, and it made me that much more excited to get here.
“Things started happening pretty quickly once the regular season ends and if I wasn’t going back to MLS at this point in time, then I only wanted to play for the best USL club possible and the second Sacramento came knocking, that was a no-brainer for me,” Belmar said. “It’s always been one of my favorite USL stadiums to play in with the atmosphere and I couldn’t imagine having to come here being on the other side of it again so now it’s nice to finally be on the right side of it.”
Belmar’s extremely appreciative of the opportunity he’s been given in the Indomitable City, and the reception he received following the announcement of being Republic FC’s first signing this past offseason is a moment he’ll never forget.
“I honestly could not believe it; I was telling my mom that,” Belmar said of the warm welcoming. “I mean, I’ve had big receptions in Nashville, but that one [in Sacramento], I couldn’t put that into words. It felt like I hit the jackpot in terms of hospitality, and it made me that much more excited to get here.
"I’ve told everyone who has asked me what I’ve thought of this so far and I’ve told them it’s been a dream come true experience so far, I just can’t wait to get onto the field and pay homage to what I’ve seen so far from the city and the fans of the club," he said.
“I’ve told everyone who has asked me what I’ve thought of this so far and I’ve told them it’s been a dream come true experience so far, I just can’t wait to get onto the field and pay homage to what I’ve seen so far from the city and the fans of the club,” he said.
Belmar’s back on the west coast and he’s brought his pace, power and camera lens with him.
This time, however, he’s finally in an Old Glory Red kit.
Belmar’s back on the west coast and he’s brought his pace, power and camera lens with him.
This time, however, he’s finally in an Old Glory Red kit.
