Major League Soccer announced Friday the launch of Soccer For All month, showcasing the collective efforts taking place throughout the League to foster more inclusive communities.
During the month of June, Sporting Kansas City will join the other 22 MLS clubs in conducting activations to highlight inclusivity within the Kansas City community.
In its mission to help children fighting cancer and other serious illnesses, The Victory Project will join Sporting KC players and Sporting Club Network coaches in hosting a soccer clinic fundraiser on June 12. The clinic will take place on the Children’s Mercy Park field with approximately 100 kids aged 6-12 participating.
On June 16, the club will host a King of the Courts futsal tournament and block party featuring Sporting KC player appearances, music, yard games, skills challenges and food trucks. The family-friendly event is open to fans of all ages and will take place at Shawnee Park in Kansas City, Kansas (S 7th St. & Shawnee Ave).
Special Olympics Kansas City will play its first of two matches this season against Special Olympics Houston, squaring off on June 23 at Children's Mercy Park after Sporting KC's contest against the Houston Dynamo at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game is part of the Special Olympics Unified Sports Soccer Exchange Program, allowing MLS fans to witness first-hand the talents and abilities of Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners.
On Wednesday, June 27, Children’s Mercy Park will welcome more than 100 guests for the Women and Girls Leadership Clinic. The event will lay the groundwork for a long-lasting anti-bullying campaign, formed by female soccer players who currently compete for clubs within the Sporting Club Network.
Lastly, soccer fans of all ages are invited to No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.) this summer for 2018 FIFA World Cup watch parties. From the opening match on June 14 to the final on July 15, No Other Pub will be Sporting KC’s World Cup headquarters. The venue will open early at 9 a.m. on every World Cup matchday, offering food and drink specials while giving guests the opportunity to play EA SPORTS FIFA 18 and a full array of other interactive games throughout the 21,000-square-foot space. Watch party attendees will also be able to enter giveaways for Sporting KC tickets, merchandise and more.
More Soccer For All activations in the Kansas City area will be announced in the coming weeks.
Across the country, MLS players from all 23 clubs will kick off the month-long promotion by wearing Soccer For All t-shirts during the procession and national anthem of 18 matches between tonight and Sunday, June 3. Soccer For All month will be promoted on all MLS social and digital channels, in-stadium and supported by MLS broadcast partners.
Soccer For All t-shirts are now available in club-specific colors and black and white beginning at MLSstore.com. Proceeds from the t-shirt sales will raise awareness of the initiative and directly benefit MLS WORKS as well as local club charitable partners.
Soccer For All was launched earlier this year through Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, MLS WORKS. The platform signifies that everyone is welcome to MLS, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status. To join the conversation, fans are encouraged to use #SoccerForAll on social media.
While the commitment is ongoing, Soccer For All month will feature widespread efforts taking place in MLS communities throughout the U.S. and Canada to highlight the League’s commitment to drive positive social change and end discrimination. Local activation will focus on a number of initiatives, including celebrating the diversity of MLS players and fans, Special Olympics Unified Sports Soccer exchange matches and events presented by MLS WORKS and ESPN, diversity workshops for student athletes, coaches and administrators through RISE (Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality), anti-bullying education, leadership training for girls and women, LGBTQ Pride Nights, parades and community events and exclusive matchday experiences and soccer clinics for underserved and disadvantaged youth.
To follow all the MLS club community activity during the inaugural Soccer For All month and for more information on other MLS WORKS initiatives, visit MLSsoccer.com/mlsworks.
