Over the last 10 years, few professional sports franchises have experienced a more transformational journey than Sporting Kansas City. From Wizards to Sporting, from minor league baseball park to world-class soccer stadium, from MLS afterthought to perennial title contender, the 2010s ushered in a Kansas City soccer renaissance as Sporting enjoyed a meteoric rise both on and off the pitch.
Throughout this decade of success, everyone tied to the club—from players and coaches to owners and fans—made priceless memories that will last a lifetime. As the 2010s come to a close, SportingKC.com is counting down the top 20 moments of the decade. The daily series will run from Dec. 12-31, looking back on the biggest matches, announcements and off-the-field developments that left lasting impacts on the club. The top 20 list was determined through voting among front office associates at Sporting. Click here to visit the top 20 as it unfolds.
Full disclosure: No. 13 on our countdown actually consists of two separate moments, but their sharp similarity and equal relevance is reason enough to bend the rules.
Landmark partnerships with Ivy Investments and Children's Mercy have helped Sporting impact and engage the Kansas City community like never before. For that reason, we shine the spotlight on two cherished partners in the space below.
Ivy Investments
On Jan. 17, 2013, Ivy Investments became Sporting's first-ever jersey sponsor as part of a multi-faceted partnership announced at the MLS SuperDraft. What followed was one of the longest and most distinguished MLS jersey sponsorships to date.
As the club’s first-ever jersey sponsor, Ivy Investments will have featured on each of Sporting’s last 11 primary, secondary or alternate MLS jerseys—including the new secondary kit set to debut in 2020. Sporting’s kits have received widespread acclaim over the last several seasons, establishing a reputation for supreme style in American soccer. The Ivy Investments logo has also been showcased on numerous special-edition jerseys that Sporting Kansas City has unveiled to supporters, such as the adidas Parley jersey, Retro Top, Pride Top, Americana Top, Camo Top and Kick Childhood Cancer Top.
Children's Mercy
Less than three years after joining forces with Ivy Investments, Sporting welcomed another leading partner to mark the start of a new era with the region's leading pediatric hospital.
On Nov. 19, 2015, Sporting and Children’s Mercy Kansas City launched a long-term partnership to promote health and fitness among Kansas City-area school children and provide specialized sports medicine to a youth athlete market that has experienced a substantial increase in sports-related injuries. Focused on improving access to pediatric-trained sports medicine, strengthening the local community and protecting youth athletes, the partnership also saw Children's Mercy Park acquire naming rights to Sporting's world-class stadium.
The following year, Sporting and Children's Mercy broke ground on what became Pinnacle National Development Center, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a professional sports team (Sporting), a sports medicine provider (Children’s Mercy) and a national sports federation (U.S. Soccer).
