Academy Affiliates

Official Sporting Branded Youth Soccer Clubs

Academy Affiliates are youth soccer clubs proudly operating under the Sporting Kansas City brand, united by a shared mission: to grow and elevate the game of soccer within their communities.

Through the Academy Affiliate program, players and coaches gain exclusive access to Sporting Kansas City’s premier resources — including advanced coaching education, elite player development initiatives, and more. In turn, these clubs are empowered to deliver top-tier opportunities and experiences to their players, parents, and coaching staff, creating a strong foundation for long-term growth and success.

Academy Affiliate Clubs

Academy Affiliate Club of the Year

2024 – Sporting Arkansas

2023 – Sporting Wichita

2022 – Sporting Springfield

2021 – Sporting Nebraska

2020 – Sporting Iowa

2019 – Sporting St. Louis

2018 – Sporting Kaw Valley

2017 – Sporting Iowa

2016 – Sporting Omaha FC

2015 – Sporting Southern Indiana

2014 – Sporting St. Croix

2013 – Sporting St. Louis Rangers

Benefits of Being an Academy Affiliate

  • Redesign of club crest
  • Permitted use of the Sporting KC brand
  • Sporting KC autographed home and away jerseys
  • Annual market visits & experiences with SKC Academy coaching staff
  • Discounted tickets
  • Priority access and pricing to SKC hosted competitions
  • Unparalleled access to SKC Senior team and SKC Academy
  • Top players participate in All-Star Experiences
  • Opportunity to make the jump to an SKC Academy team
  • Complete player development pathway
  • Resources and support for players in their college recruitment process
  • SKC observation days
  • Coaching educations led by SKC Academy coaches
  • Sporting Sessions (access to SKC Academy curriculum)
  • Connectivity and consultation from SKC Academy technical staff
  • Opportunity to send one director per year to SKC preseason
  • Participation in director’s summits
  • Monthly calls with SKC, involving front office and technical staff
  • Direct access to consultation from full time staff of Sporting Club
  • Behind the scenes access for SKC events (SKC trainings, chalk talks, etc.)
  • Discounted tournament prices
  • Discounted tickets to SKC and SKC II matches
  • SCN Uniform Scholarship Program
  • Educational resources tied to our clubs and player development practices

Discounted Sporting KC Tickets

As an Academy Affiliate member, you can receive discounted tickets to a Sporting Kansas City match!

Click the button below to find your Sporting KC ticket representative and to purchase your discounted tickets.

Affiliate Events

Affiliate All-Star Experience

We host two Academy Affiliate All-Star Experiences throughout the year – one in the Spring and one in the Fall.

The All-Star Experience includes four All-Star teams, two boys and two girls teams.

Each of our Academy Affiliate clubs have the opportunity to send their top boy and girl players to Kansas City to participate in the All-Star Experience.

Affiliate Observation Days

Sporting KC Affiliate Observation Days will give the Academy Affiliate coaches the chance to observe training sessions from the youth & professional teams of SKC.

Depending on the daily schedule, these on-field coaching education could include the Centers of Excellence (U9/U11), the SKC Academy (U12-U19 teams),  SKC II (MLS NEXT PRO), and the SKC First Team (MLS).

Affiliate Director’s Summit

Periodically throughout the year, SKC may host Academy Affiliate Director’s Summits. At these events, key Affiliate staff hear from guest speakers, participate in round table discussions & on-field demonstrations, and more.

These events create a positive learning environment where Directors can share & increase their knowledge in youth soccer, and collectively work towards further developing their clubs

Affiliate News

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Sporting KC Youth Soccer Unveils Evolution of Sporting Development League with New Competition Format for 2025-26 Season

Sporting KC Youth Soccer is proud to announce the continued evolution of the Sporting Development League, U11 (2015) and U12 (2014) Boys Divisions, for the upcoming 2025-2026 season. Since its launch in 2020, the league has served as a competitive platform for Sporting KC Academy Affiliate clubs, focusing on player and coach development within the…

Recipients of the Bitch Black Awards lining up for a photo

Sporting Arkansas Named Sporting Club Network Member of the Year

On October 10th, Sporting Arkansas, was named as the Sporting Club Network Member of the Year, presented by Price Chopper.   The award was one of nearly a dozen presented at Pitch Black, Sporting KC’s annual awards banquet, which highlights accomplishments across the club throughout the 2024 Season.   Since 1998, Sporting Arkansas has grown…
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Eight Academy Affiliate Players Selected for U13 Sporting KC Academy Team

Recently, the Sporting Kansas City Academy announced rosters for the 2024-25 Academy season. Its newest team – for boys 13-and-under – includes eight players who joined directly from an Academy Affiliate club.   “Congratulations to the eight Academy Affiliate players that were selected to the U13 SKC Academy team,” Sporting KC Vice President of Youth…

For more information on Academy Affiliates or on how to become an Academy Affiliate, please contact Jamie MacGregor at Jamie.MacGregor@sportingkc.com.