Sporting Kansas City Academy Tryouts 2024: location, cost

The Sporting Kansas City Youth Soccer Academy is the development wing of the Major League Soccer franchise team Sporting Kansas City.

The Academy allows young players to move up their careers from the initial stages to the Professional level.

The Youth Soccer Academy offers world-class facilities for your kids to learn new ways that would propel their soccer career to the next level in a more conducive environment.

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, and referee fees, etc.

The U13 & U12 SKC Academy teams are partially funded as the players only pay for travel (transportation, housing, and meals) related to SKC Academy trips.

Sporting Kansas City Soccer Academy teams

The soccer development academy consists of players from grade 12 to 19.

Teams

U12, U13, U14, U15, U17, U19.

How to join the Sporting Kansas City (KC) Youth Soccer Academy

The Sporting Kansas City Tryouts 2024

The Sporting Kansas City Academy will conduct tryouts for U12-U14 tryouts.

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 will be listed on the club’s official website.

The tryouts for every age grade include U12, U13, and U14 Tryouts

Visit the link to sign up for the Sporting Kansas City Academy tryouts.

Important things to note

• Regional Travel is required on select weekends.

• Players may miss 2 to 4 school days per semester due to travel and showcase tournaments.

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. For the latest about tryouts, visit the link.

How to join Sporting Kansas City Academy via the Player Recruitment Program

The Sporting KC Academy consists of 6 six teams in age groups U12, U13, U14, U15, U17, & U19.

Players willing to be part of the team can only do so if they are invited on a trial basis, as identified through the club’s scouting network.

Players interested in being considered for a trial must 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 want to see in you.

When your information is submitted, it will be reviewed by the Sporting KC Talent Identification Staff for consideration. Visit the link to register.

Other ways to join Sporting KC Youth Soccer Academy

Center Of Excellence

The Sporting Kansas City Center 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 Center of Excellence is supplemental to all activities with the current club team, as the SKC COE is a club-neutral program.

Contact the Academy for more and how to register: academy@sportingkc.com

Important things to note

Training: The U19, U17 & U15 teams train four to five times weekly, with one or two games on most weekends.

The U12, U13 & U14 teams train three to four times weekly, 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 affiliate clubs in the United States, including Iowa, Oklahoma, Indiana, etc.

The Academy Affiliates are youth soccer clubs re-branded 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 Kanas 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

• The best players are selected to participate in the All-Star Experiences.

• Players will be selected for a place in the Sporting Kansas City Soccer Academy team.

• Avenue for more development.

• Consideration for a place during the SKC DA Regional Player Pool.

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 possibly selected 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 development. You can do so by choosing a soccer team to support.

4. Know what scouts expect from you

Scouts are assigned to detect the best-performing players for a club or team.

It would help if you took it upon yourself to work towards impressing scouts who would be sent to monitor proceedings during trials.

The most important area scouts always watch out for is your ability to perform basic Soccer skills, including passing, throwing, running, self-positioning, etc.

Walk your way through scouts’ hearts by mastering these basic soccer skills. You can become successful at it by training regularly.

Competitions and tournaments

The various teams 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 MLS NEXT League. (Know more about MLS Next League).

The players will play against other players from top youth development teams year-round.

The players get to play high-level matches for MLS clubs 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 across the region.

You can contact the Academy via mail at academytryouts@sportingkc.com.