Find out when the next Sporting Kansas City Youth Academy Tryouts would hold in 2025 including other information like location, cost, training facilities and more.
The Sporting Kansas City Youth Soccer Academy is the development wing of the Major League Soccer franchise team Sporting Kansas City.
The Academy provides an avenue for young players to move up their careers from the initial stages up to the professional level.
The Youth Soccer Academy offers you world-class facilities for your kids to learn new ways that would propel their soccer careers to the next level in a more conducive environment.
Players interested in SKC Academy tryouts or trials, or who wish to be contacted when tryout information is released, should contact academy.
How much does Sporting Kansas City Academy cost?
The cost is almost free and affordable for players to play at a high level of soccer.
However, all SKC Academy players are required to pay a membership fee (which includes a season ticket to SKC games).
Players from the U19, U17, & U15 SKC Academy teams are fully funded and do not have to pay costs associated with coaching, facilities, travel, equipment, leagues, tournaments, referee fees, etc.
The U13 & U12 SKC Academy teams are partially funded, as the players only pay for costs associated with travel (transportation, housing, and meals) related to SKC Academy trips.
Sporting Kansas City Soccer Academy teams
The soccer development academy consists of players from age-grade 12 to 19.
Teams
U12, U13, U14, U15, U17, U19.
Sporting Kansas City (KC) Youth Soccer Academy Tryouts 2025
Ahead of the new soccer season (2025), the Sporting Kansas City Academy will conduct tryouts for U12-U14. Players for U15-U19 are excluded as the age grades are currently on hold. As per the club, the tryouts comprise three rounds.
The criteria for picking players will be based on performance following each round of tryouts monitored by expert coaches. Every player will be evaluated, and selected players will be invited back.
Players that cut will be invited to continue to Round 2 and Round 3, and their names would be listed on the club’s official website.
Gender: Boys
Location: Swope Soccer Village: 2020 Lewis Road, Kansas City, MO 64132 (Field 5). However, this is subject to change.
Cost: Free
Important things to note
The SKC U12-U14s are partially funded. Sporting KC takes care of the following: coaching fees, uniform fees, field rental costs, tournament entry fees, league fees, and player registration fees.
The players are responsible for paying for the following: transportation and room & board while travelling.
How to join Sporting Kansas City Youth Academy via Player Recruitment Program
The Sporting KC Academy consists of six teams in age groups U12, U13, U14, U15, U17, & U19. The Academy trains and competes at the Children’s Mercy Training Facility at Swope Soccer Village.
Players willing to be part of the team can only do so if they are invited through a trial basis as identified through the club’s scouting network.
Players interested in being considered for a trial will have to register and submit to indicate interest. This involves providing a video of yourself capable of attracting the interest of reviewers.
Your video must show the most important areas scouts would like to see in you.
The moment your information is submitted, it will be reviewed by the Sporting KC Talent Identification Staff for consideration.
Other ways to join Sporting KC Youth Soccer Academy
Centre of Excellence
The Sporting Kansas City Centre of Excellence (COE) Program is a high-level supplemental training program for boys. The program is available for boys aged eleven and younger.
The club expert coaches provide special training for players in the COE Program.
Participation in the SKC Centre of Excellence is supplemental to all activities with the current club team, as the SKC COE is a club-neutral program.
Important things to note
Training: The U19, U17, & U15 teams train four to five times per week with one or two games on most weekends.
The U12, U13, & U14 teams train three to four times per week with one to two games on most weekends. As a member of the Academy, you must wear Adidas footwear.
How to join the SKC Academy via affiliate clubs
You can also be found through an affiliate club. Sporting Kansas (KC) City Soccer Academy has over 17 affiliate clubs in the United States, including Iowa, Oklahoma, Indiana, etc.
The Academy Affiliates are youth soccer clubs that have rebranded under the Sporting Kansas City name and with the same principles and standards. The club is in direct contact with these affiliate clubs.
As per the club, affiliate players and coaches benefit from Sporting Kansas City’s resources, including coaching education, player development, and more.
In return, Academy Affiliates are equipped to provide the best opportunities for their players, parents, and coaches.
This was the right step taken even as Sporting aims to become one of the biggest soccer talent discovery and development hubs in the country.
List of Sporting Kansas City Affiliate Clubs
1. Sporting Arkansas
2. Sporting Blue Valley
3. Sporting Brookside
4. Sporting City West
5. Sporting Columbia
6. Sporting Iowa
7. Sporting Iowa East
8. Sporting Kaw Valley
9. Sporting Lee’s Summit
10. Sporting Michigan
11. Sporting Missouri Valley
12. Sporting Oklahoma
13. Sporting Nebraska
14. Sporting Springfield
15. Sporting St. Louis
16. Sporting Southern Indiana
17. Sporting Wichita
Why you should consider the affiliate clubs—benefits as a player
SKC City Affiliate Clubs events, tournaments, and/or competitions to expect
I. Affiliate All-Star Experience
The all-star game was organised for top boys and girls teams.
II. SKC Academy Regional Pool
An avenue for players to be found and to be selected possibly for the SKC Academy.
Sporting Kansas City Academy Location
Swope Park Rangers.
Sporting Kansas City Academy cost
The cost is almost free and affordable for players to play at a high level of soccer.
Ways to succeed during trials
1. Train consistently before applying
The most efficient way to play your way through the Academy trials is consistent training. Regular training exercises would help you accelerate your ability.
Training helps you learn new ideas, concepts, and techniques that would help propel your chances of getting into the Academy.
2. Master a particular role
Another recommended way is to choose a particular role you are confident of representing. As a soccer player, it is expected you devote yourself to a particular role and continue working on it.
3. Be more of a soccer
Devote yourself to anything related to soccer and soccer development. You can do so by choosing a soccer team to support. By so doing, you may end up becoming the best in your game.
4. Know what scouts expect from you
Scouts are assigned to detect the best-performing players for a club or team.
You should take it upon yourself as a responsibility by working towards impressing scouts that would be sent to monitor proceedings during trials.
The most important areas scouts always watch out for are your ability to perform basic soccer skills, including passing, throwing, running, self-positioning, etc.
Walk your way through the hearts of scouts by becoming a master of these basic skills of soccer. You can become successful at it by training regularly.
About the Sporting KC Youth Soccer Academy
The Sporting Kansas City Academy is one of the top-performing youth soccer development teams in the United States.
It has experienced more success dating back to its formation in 2007. It currently consists of six teams at the U-19, U-17, U-15, U-14, U-13, and U-12 levels.
Players from the team are either graduated and integrated into the professional team or made to go through the MLS draft process.
Sporting KC Academy also participates in the FIFA training compensation and solidarity payment system. The Academy program is fully funded, meaning the Academy covers all costs for gear and travel expenses.
Sporting Kansas City and the Sporting KC Academy also offer youth camps throughout the calendar year.
Participation in tournaments
The various teams do participate in top age-grade soccer competitions across the United States as well as some major international and regional tournaments.
The U-19, U-17, U-15, and U-14 teams play in the MLS NEXT League. (Know more about MLS Next League). The players will play against other players from top youth development teams on a year-round basis.
The players get to play high-level matches for MLS club academy teams and non-MLS academy teams that previously participated in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
The U-13 and U-12 teams play in the Sporting Development League, a new player development platform featuring the Sporting KC Academy and Academy Affiliate clubs from across the region.