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 to be the premier youth club in the region and has developed a robust player development pathway. Based in northwest Arkansas, Sporting Arkansas has grown to 57 teams since becoming a part of the Academy Affiliate program in 2015, and provides opportunities at various competitive levels for players aged 6 – 19.
“We are honored to have been selected as the 2024 Sporting Club Network Member of the Year. This year has been another amazing extension of the growth of our club since 2021. Over the past 3.5 years, we have poured our energy into making decisions driven by the player and family experience, the growth of the game in Northwest Arkansas, and creating opportunities for kids in NWA to live a full life,” Scott Marksberry, Sporting Arkansas Director of Coaching, said.
Established in 2011, the SKC Youth Academy Affiliate program has grown to include 15 youth soccer clubs across seven states. The Academy Affiliate program offers player development pathway opportunities, coaching education, specialized events and experiences and unparalleled access to the professional club to players of all ages and skill levels.
“This is a significant achievement for the club, and their on-field and off-field efforts have been remarkable. The club’s influence on the local community through soccer stems from the culture created by its coaches, staff, volunteers, and players,” said Jamie MacGregor, Academy Affiliates Director of Coaching.
This year, Sporting Arkansas advanced to Arkansas State Championship Matches in all 9 boys’ age groups, earning five championships, and in all 5 girls’ divisions that they entered earning, two championships.
“We often talk about how our club- like most grassroots youth soccer clubs- is really a “Community Club.” We are driven by our potential for impact in NWA. In light of that, we have enlisted and/or developed more than 100 coaches, we have nudged more than 60 referees into ref training and certification, we have brought in hundreds of new families with very limited experience in club soccer, and we have launched free neighborhood soccer programs across our community,” Marksberry said.
“At the same time, we recognize that a growing portion of our community is interested in experiencing a higher level of the game. So, we have steadily grown our most competitive players and teams into a force in our state.”
“I want to congratulate our players, coaches, families, and staff for their part in creating a special place here at SportingArkansas. And thank you to Dan, Jamie, and the staff at Sporting KC for recognizing the great things that are happening with the Affiliate network here in Northwest Arkansas!”
For more information on Sporting Arkansas, visit SportingArkansas.com and follow them on Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram.