Sporting Development League

The Sporting Development League (SDL) is a premier youth soccer platform operated by Sporting KC Youth Soccer and Sporting Kansas City, featuring top U11‑U12 boys’ and girls’ teams across the Central Midwest. In the 2025/2026 format, the SDL expanded to include 13 teams across 10 clubs—marking its largest season ever—and welcomed, for the first time, a non‑affiliate club.

The season now follows a traditional home-and-away model with twelve league matches in both fall and spring. Play is structured around cost‑efficient, double‑header weekends—two matches in a single day—culminating with a spring championship event held in Kansas City to crown league champions.

What truly sets the SDL apart is its player-first development philosophy:

• Technical and tactical focus – games are structured to emphasize skill, decision-making, and game awareness.
• Dynamic and continuous play – innovative rules such as fly substitutions (no stoppages) and boundary-line restarts promote game flow, quick thinking, and sustained engagement.

Designed to align closely with Sporting KC Academy standards, the SDL offers a unified pathway for young athletes and coaches, fostering an elevated and consistent development environment across the Midwest.