Northeast News
October 7, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Missouri has teamed up with Major League Baseball [MLB] and the Kansas City Royals to create a safe atmosphere for young baseball fans in Kansas City.

Last month, Gov. Jay Nixon announced a partnership between the State of Missouri, MLB, the Kansas City Royals and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City to support an Urban Youth Academy, a free, indoor training facility with four new state-of-the-art diamonds in the Kansas City area.

The Fiscal Year 2016 budget signed by Nixon included $2 million for the project, which will be located at Parade Park in the 18th and Vine District, next to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Phase one of the academy is set to open next fall.

The Urban Youth Academywill provide:

• Educational programs developed in cooperation with the local accredited educational facilities to enhance personal development via individual determination;

• Major league quality baseball and softball instruction starting for children at age five through high school;

• Camps and clinics offered weekly or monthly for skill development of youth in the local community;

• Camps and clinics offered quarterly for the development of coaches, umpires, athletic trainers and scouting theory;

• High level competitive baseball and softball tournaments to further enhance individual and team skill development;

• Organized baseball and softball leagues at every appropriate level to offer the National Pastime to all skill levels in the interest of personal growth and skill development.

The two-phase project would represent an investment from private and public funds (phase two is contingent upon the successful completion of a capital campaign to be led by community leaders).

The Academy will transform the 21-acre park and enhance the area bounded by Truman Road, 18th Street, The Paseo and Woodland Avenue. Other improvements planned as part of the project include a walking trail, a playground, additional athletic facilities and a Great Lawn area that can serve as a site for special events.

Construction of phase two of the project, including an indoor baseball training facility and the installation of lighting for the baseball fields, would commence following the completion of the capital campaign. This project will enhance Parade Park for neighbors and support the existing efforts of Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to attract more youth to the game, particularly through the MLB Urban Youth Academy network.

A portion of the funds allocated to the project will be supplied by the new MLB-MLBPA joint youth development initiative. The Kansas City Urban Youth Academy is one of the first projects to receive funding and support from this new MLB-MLBPA initiative.

With the construction of this facility, Kansas City will become the seventh Urban Youth Baseball Academy in the United States. As of January 2015, more than 8,000 children between the ages of six and 18-years-old have participated in the programs. Nixon said by giving more young people the opportunity to take part in healthy after-school activities, the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy should have a positive and lasting impact on kids, families and the entire region.

“Participation in youth sports builds confidence and character, and imparts valuable life skills like problem-solving, conflict-resolution and collaboration,” Nixon said. “This project represents teamwork at its best – and I’m very pleased the State of Missouri is supporting this effort.”

Dayton Moore, Kansas City Royals Senior Vice President-Baseball Operations/General Manager, added that the Royals are deeply committed to growing the great game of baseball in the Kansas City community and throughout the region.

“The Kansas City Urban Youth Academy will provide special opportunities for boys and girls to develop their baseball and softball skills while, most importantly, growing as leaders,” Moore said.