Q: Who is Sporting KC?

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A: Sporting Kansas City are the national champions in Major League Soccer (MLS), which is the top professional league in the United States. There are a number of levels within the game in the United States and MLS is the highest, at the pinnacle of the player development pyramid. Therefore, partnering with Sporting KC provides players within the WDMSC and JUSC with a natural pathway to the professional level.
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Q: What is a Sporting KC Academy Affiliate Club?

A: Sporting KC Academy Affiliates provide their playing members with a direct connection to Sporting Kansas City Senior and Academy teams.  Additionally, Sporting Kansas City Academy Affiliates enjoy significantly increased benefits including but not limited to, the following:

·   A natural pathway to the top professional MLS team in the country

·   Access for Affiliate coaches to attend Sporting Kansas City senior team training sessions

·   Access to the Sporting Kansas City Academy Curriculum, including the program’s annual training play

·   An invitation to attend roundtable discussions during and after summer tryouts for each of the  four Sporting Academy teams

·   An invitation to participate in tournaments/showcase events exclusive to Academy Affiliate members.

-   An invitation to participate in MRL/MLS division (Midwest Regional League)

Q: What opportunities does becoming an Academy Affiliate offer our players?

A: The partnership opens up a multitude of opportunities on a variety of levels for our membership.
As a Sporting KC Affiliate Club, we have a direct link to the top MLS program in the country. On a regular basis, our players will be assessed by the Sporting KC professional coaching staff (in conjunction with our coaching staff). This is done with the view of establishing if they are ready to move on to another level. Learn more about Elvir's journey

Our goal at Sporting Iowa is to provide every player in our organization with the opportunity to reach their potential. In order to do so, we must have a complete player pathway from recreational to the very elite levels. One of the reasons we have partnered with Sporting KC is to help complete our player pathway and to provide players, who have the desire and ability, a natural transition to the next level.

We are fortunate that we have been able to build this partnership with Sporting KC, who is not only the closest geographical Major League Soccer team, but are the current national champions. In addition, our members benefit in a variety of others way such as discounts on Sporting KC events, camps conducted by their professional coaching staff, etc.

Q: What qualifies WDMSC and JUSC to be chosen as an Academy Affiliate?

A: The Sporting Iowa partnership is a result of several years of discussions and is an exclusive partnership within the state of Iowa territory. Sporting KC have been searching for the right organizations to partner with; organizations who have a tradition of excellence in all facets of their program. Our program align with the high standards that Sporting Kansas City as we have the most experience coaches and have a rich tradition of producing the top players in the State of Iowa. Our goal is to provide all of our players reach their goals and partnering with Sporting KC allows our players not only to dream about playing at the professional level, but for that to become a reality. It is important to note that all players (from recreational to Select) will benefit from this partnership on a variety of levels. The partnership is not only about striving for professional aspirations but to grow the game and develop every players, within Sporting Iowa, to their full potential.

Q: Will our name change?

A: WDMSC and JUSC will remain the foundation of the partnership and will not lose its identity. However, as an official Academy Affiliate, our name will change to Sporting Iowa for all U16, U17 and U18 teams.

Q: What will the training structure be like? Will it change from the current structure?

A: WDMSC and JUSC has a rich tradition of developing successful soccer players/teams who play at all levels (i.e. college, professional and at the Youth National Team level). The structure of our U16-U18 program will change only slightly, but the access to more quality opponents will increase dramatically. Sporting Iowa will align their training curriculum with the U.S. Academy program structure. In doing so, this will assist in preparing players more appropriately for the next level, whether that be college or at the professional level.

Q: At what age does the Affiliate Academy Program apply/begin?

A:  Fall of 2015: All U16, U17 and U18 boys and girl teams will be integrated into the Sporting Iowa program. There are ongoing discussions about additional age groups being added as the partnership evolves, but that has yet to be determined.

Q: What happens to the current WDMSC/JUSC partnership teams?

A: The WDMSC and JUSC partnership that has been in effect since 2009 will transition over to be Sporting Iowa and is the next natural step in the evolution of the plans we have for the U16-U18 players within both our programs. We are delighted to be able to bring this partnership to fruition.

Q: Will teams play in the spring season (HS Ages)

A: The commitment for players in Sporting Iowa will be for the fall and winter months primarily. However, with this new partnership we will be able to increase the opportunities to play against high quality competition during the spring months, which is something that has been lacking in the State of Iowa. These additional opportunities will expand the window of development for our players and as a result assist in helping them maximize their potential.

Q: Will players be allowed to play for their High School Soccer Team?

A: Yes, players will be eligible to play for their high school soccer team. Our current practice is to work closely with the high school coaches and coordinate schedules in a way that allows us to complement one another in the work we are doing to develop our players in Iowa

Q: How much travel will this require?

A: Travel will vary from team to team, depending on the age and events available. Each team will be provided with a seasonal plan at tryouts that will provide them with all of the team commitments for the year. The commitment level for each player will have to be in line with the commitment outlined for each team.

Q: What is the cost?

A: The cost of the program will be communicated prior to tryouts.