Expansion of Sporting Kansas City’s Academy Affiliate program continues as Missouri Elite FC and Springfield Soccer Club join forces to form Sporting Springfield, now the sixth affiliate club in the state of Missouri.
“We are thrilled to announce the collaborative partnership of MO Elite FC and Springfield Soccer Club,” comments Chad Young, former MO Elite President. “Sporting Springfield will be an unparalleled soccer club in our area, furthering the tradition of soccer excellence started by the two original clubs, while providing a place for players to realize their soccer dreams. The future of this club, and soccer in the greater Southwestern Missouri area, is promising and exciting.”
Players that participate and compete through the Academy Affiliate program will be directly connected to Sporting Kansas City’s Academy and youth development initiatives. In turn, they will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience while receiving heightened levels of training and development.
“We strive to make our Academy Affiliate program the strongest in the league, and the addition of Sporting Springfield shows a commitment to those continued efforts,” said Sporting KC VP of Youth Soccer, Betsy Maxfield. “We’re excited to begin integrating their membership into the Sporting Club Network, with a emphasis on supporting their player development, coaching education, and community-driven initiatives in the greater Springfield market.”
Sporting Springfield players can now be invited to partake in the annual Academy Affiliate Friendlies, a series of events that bring together many of the most competitive and talented youth soccer players from across the Midwest, all under the Sporting Club umbrella. Select Sporting Springfield players will also be named to Academy Affiliate All-Star Teams throughout the year, offering these players a chance to learn the game in the same environment and setting as Sporting KC’s own Academy and first-team players.
“The merger of Springfield Soccer Club and MO Elite is a big step forward for soccer in the Ozarks as it brings together the two leading youth soccer organizations in the area,” said Ron Rushing, former Springfield SC President. “We will have the only true vertically integrated partnership with an MLS program within this part of the state. Sporting Springfield families will benefit directly from the SKC first team staff, their USSDA staff, and all involved with the MLS program.”
As an Academy Affiliate member, Sporting Springfield becomes an extension of the Sporting KC Development Academy and therefore an extension of the club’s scouting network. The relationship between the Sporting Club Network and Sporting Springfield will play a large part in the overall growth of soccer in the Midwest by elevating the level of youth soccer in the region, while also offering extensive new benefits that will directly impact the improvement of these players. In the search for the next homegrown star that will wear the Sporting Kansas City crest and win championships at Children’s Mercy Park, the Southwestern Missouri region will now be closely linked with Sporting KC’s search to find and develop future talent.
