This year marks the 25th anniversary of Sporting Kansas City, a proud charter member of Major League Soccer and a club that has undergone remarkable transformations over the course of its colorful history.
As lifelong supporters of the team can attest, Sporting's beginnings were humble. Back in the mid 1990s, the Kansas City Wiz and MLS were on the fringe — and no one was certain how long they would last.
In conjunction with this milestone anniversary — the Wiz hosted Colorado Rapids in their inaugural match on April 13, 1996 — The Kansas City Star has delivered a must-read feature that casts light on the team's infancy. The stories therein are true gems.
As columnist Sam Mellinger writes, "Sporting had planned a celebration this summer — the 25th season, the 20-year anniversary of its first MLS Cup and 10th anniversary of the rebrand. Former players would come back. Videos would play. Stories would be told. That’s on hold now, obviously, along with virtually everything else in sports.
"But it doesn’t have to be on hold here. It’s OK to remember the fun. Maybe it’s more important than ever. The franchise that used to be the Wizards, and before that the Wiz, has a lot of fun stories to tell."
To read Mellinger's full story, click here.
