the history of

LA LIGA KC

No bells. Just whistles.

My wife and I moved to Kansas City in 2012 to begin a graduate program at UMKC. My daughters were now old enough to start participating in youth sports. As a former high school soccer player, I was excited to enroll them in the city recreational league.  As I participated in the league and volunteered as a coach, I felt that there were several deficiencies that could be improved upon, especially for recreational youth soccer.  After graduating from my program and starting my career, I decided to also start my very own soccer league. My priorities were to make it strictly recreational, affordable for families, and supportive to the coaches who volunteered their time and resources. 

Our first season began in the Fall of 2016. We created a website and advertised at local elementary schools. We had 36 players from ages 3 to 14. Volunteer coaches received free registration for their child. The jerseys were blank, no names and no numbers. The fields just had cones to mark the boundaries and water hazards. To cut costs and reduce environmental impact we had the players return their jerseys at the end of the season to be used for the following season. We made league t-shirts for the players to keep so they could proudly show their support for the league while at school and after the season. I officiated most of the games and coached two teams. It was a lot of work but we had a lot of fun. 

My mantra for the first season was "No bells, just whistles" since all I could promise was just teaching kids how to play soccer.

HOW WE GREW:

The following season we more than doubled our numbers. We enlisted the help of youth volunteers to set up fields and referee games. Each consecutive season our numbers grew.  By the Spring of 2018 we finally established our league as a non-profit organization, and began paying our referees.   

 Next to our volunteer coaches, these 14 to 18-year-old referees are the most important part of our league. We work closely with them to develop them into, not only outstanding referees, but responsible members of society. For many of them it is their first job. They are learning about the importance of punctuality, communication, respect, conflict resolution, and adaptability. They are evaluated frequently, so they must be teachable or learn to be teachable. It has been fun for me and others who work with them to see their progress as they learn the skills required to be a good referee. 

 Another key to our growth and sustainability is our sponsors. Although we didn’t initially seek out sponsors, our first sponsor, Zaxby’s, reached out to me and asked if they could help us. They donated enough money to cover t-shirt expenses and also offered all players free chicken fingers all season long if they showed up wearing their league t-shirt with the Zaxby’s logo on the back. The kids loved it! 

Soon other business began to reach out. The next business was KC Braces and Kids, formerly known as Christensen Orthodontics. They became our primary sponsor, so their logo is carried on the front of every jersey. Other sponsors’ logos are carried on our league t-shirt, website, field signs, or other materials and locations that make sense for the sponsor. 

 As of Spring 2024, we had 330 registered players. We continue to learn new things and make changes to make the league enjoyable and rewarding for everyone involved.