Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy Receives 2018 Community Impact Award

The Kansas City Business Journal recently named the Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy as the winner of the Community Impact category of its 13th annual Capstone Awards. The awards program recognizes exceptional real estate and development projects in the Kansas City area.

Created in partnership between the State of Missouri, City of Kansas City, KC Parks and Recreation, Major League Baseball and the Kansas City Royals, the Academy’s goal is to develop high character, productive members of society and reduce area crime rates locally. Designed to provide athletic and educational opportunities in the city’s urban core, the Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy is the nation’s largest and most advanced of its kind. The Academy also offers tutoring, gang-prevention programs and college prep, drug resistance and healthy lifestyle classes. The facility’s initial goal is to serve approximately 800 to 1,000 youth per year.

“For every young boy and girl that comes through those doors, our goal is to help them reach their ceiling on and off the field, as well as develop a passion for baseball and softball,” said Kyle Vena, Director of Baseball Administration for the Kansas City Royals.

Additionally, all Academy members and other community youth benefit from Academy facilities and educational programming and baseball vocational programming, such as umpiring seminars, athletic field management, scouting and player development, sports and broadcast journalism, public relations and statistics, and athletic sports training.

For more on how community-centric sports facilities can improve your city’s quality of life, contact David Bower.