Sporting KC Youth Soccer to Enter Academy Affiliate U-13 team into inaugural USL Academy Cup

KANSAS CITY (June 20, 2019) — Sporting Kansas City Youth Soccer announced today that a Sporting KC Academy Affiliate U-13 boys’ team will compete in the inaugural USL Academy Cup, taking place May 22-25, 2020 in Tampa, Florida.

The U-13 team will consist of players from Sporting KC’s Academy Affiliate clubs across the region. Sporting is one of 37 clubs set to compete at the tournament, which will feature elite youth players from the U-13 and U-17 age groups.

“Sporting Kansas City Youth Soccer is excited to participate in the inaugural USL Academy Cup at the U-13 age group,” said Dan Popik, Sporting KC Vice President, Youth Business Development. “This is a fantastic development opportunity for players from within our Academy Affiliate clubs to represent Sporting KC at a national tournament.”

The USL Academy Cup is designed to better identify and accelerate the development of premier youth players with the potential to reach the professional ranks.

The competition will include teams representing the USL Championship, USL League One and USL League Two while serving as a forerunner to the first-ever USL Academy League, built to provide a clear youth-to-pro path in each USL community.

More details about the national event, including schedules and tournament structure, will be announced at a later date. For more information on the latest USL Academy initiatives, visit USL-Academy.com.

For more information on Academy Affiliates and Sporting KC Youth Soccer please visit sportingkcyouth.com.