Our Experience with Legends, Sporting, and Hammers
If you are looking for a competitive soccer club in Kansas City, there are a lot of options. Two of the biggest names are Kansas City Legends and Sporting City, which is the youth soccer club associated with Sporting Kansas City.
Bigger doesn’t always mean better, though.
We have spent quite a bit of time around youth soccer in Kansas City, and one thing we have learned is that the right club can depend heavily on the player. Some kids do great in a large club environment. Others can easily get lost in the crowd.
For our family, we eventually found that a smaller club with more emphasis on individual player development was a much better fit.
Kansas City Legends
Legends is one of the largest and most recognizable soccer clubs in Kansas City. They offer programs ranging from developmental soccer through competitive teams for older players. Their Premier program runs from ages 7-18. They also offer a Happy Feet program that our youngest currently attends. I also spend a year coaching for Legends which was a great experience.
We spent several years with Legends, and our experience at the lower levels wasn’t what we were looking for.
With a club that large, there are obviously going to be different coaches and different experiences from team to team. For us, though, it felt like too many players were getting lost in the crowd.
Player evaluation was also something we struggled with. We saw large differences in ability within some of the groups, including experienced players training alongside kids who were essentially brand new to competitive soccer.
That can make it difficult to challenge the more advanced players while still giving newer players the attention they need.
Another issue for us was the training environment.
The indoor field we trained on was fairly small. At the level we were playing, outdoor practices weren’t part of the normal schedule either. Our understanding at the time was that outdoor training was primarily available to the top Academy Red group.
For a player who wants a lot of touches, movement, small-sided play and room to actually open up and play, the amount of usable training space became important to us.
That doesn’t mean Legends is a bad club. They have been around since 1989 and have developed a very large program. It just wasn’t the best fit for what we wanted.
Sporting City / Sporting KC
Sporting is obviously another huge name in Kansas City soccer.
There is an important distinction here that can be confusing for parents.
Sporting City is the competitive youth club affiliated with Sporting KC and currently serves boys and girls from U8 through U19. Sporting City says it has more than 1,700 competitive players and 128 competitive teams, which gives you an idea of just how large the organization is.
The actual Sporting KC Academy is a separate, fully funded elite pathway. It currently has U15, U16 and U18 teams, with younger players potentially entering the Sporting KC pathway through programs such as the Center of Excellence.
Sporting obviously offers opportunities that a small independent club can’t duplicate. There is a direct connection to Sporting KC, exposure to higher-level programs and potentially a pathway toward the Sporting KC Academy.
But size can create some of the same challenges we experienced elsewhere.
We have heard similar complaints from families about players being placed in groups with very different ability levels. That doesn’t mean every Sporting team has that problem, but it is something I would pay attention to when attending a practice or evaluating a team.
At the younger ages especially, I wouldn’t choose a club simply because of the logo on the jersey.
I would look closely at the actual coach, the training environment, the other players in the group and how much individual attention your player is going to receive.
Why We Chose Hammers Academy
After going through the larger club experience, we found Hammers Academy.
We have now been with Hammers for around seven months, and we have been extremely happy with the experience.
Hammers is much smaller than Legends or Sporting, but for us that has actually been one of its biggest strengths.
The club describes its philosophy around high-level coaching, player development and creating a close-knit environment. That’s been pretty consistent with what we have experienced.
The coaches know the players.
They know what each player is good at.
They know what each player needs to work on.
And because the club isn’t enormous, it doesn’t feel like your kid is just another number in the system.
The Training Is the Biggest Difference
The biggest thing that has stood out to us at Hammers is the training.
Club dues are around $225 per month.
Our schedule includes a two-hour training session with approximately one hour dedicated to speed and agility, along with another practice focused heavily on technical skills, small-sided games and soccer-specific training.
During the fall we are able to train outside at Scheels one day per week.
Hammers also trains indoors throughout the year at All American.
The indoor training area is significantly larger than what we experienced previously, and that makes a noticeable difference.
The players have enough room to play.
More importantly, the practices don’t feel repetitive.
Different teams may be doing different drills at the same time, and the coaches are constantly changing exercises, small-sided games and technical work. That variety does a good job of keeping the kids engaged.
Instead of standing in lines waiting for their turn, there is a lot of movement and a lot of involvement.
For younger players, I think that matters.
What’s Included
Our Hammers experience currently includes:
- Two training days per week
- A two-hour session that includes approximately one hour of speed and agility work
- Technical training and small-sided games
- Outdoor training during the fall season
- Year-round indoor training
- Access to Veo recordings of games
- Two tournaments per season
Having Veo has been especially useful.
Being able to go back and watch an entire game gives players and parents a much different perspective than what you remember from standing on the sideline.
Hammers Teams
Hammers has continued to grow and now has teams across several age groups.
On the boys side, the club currently includes groups around U8 through U11 as well as older U14 teams, with multiple Premier and Elite teams depending on the age group.
There are also girls teams, including U12 and U13 groups.
The club’s Wall of Champions is worth checking out because it gives you a good idea of how the different teams have been performing in league and tournament play.
Hammers currently lists numerous Heartland League championships and tournament wins across several age groups, including its younger boys and girls teams.
View the Hammers Wall of Champions
Hammers Is Currently Looking for U10 Players
As of Fall 2026, Hammers is looking for approximately five additional U10 players for the Spring season.
There are opportunities for players who could compete at roughly the Division 1 level as well as players who would fit a Division 4 team.
That’s another thing I like about the setup.
The goal isn’t necessarily to throw every player onto the highest team possible. Having multiple levels gives players somewhere appropriate to develop while still having the ability to move as they improve.
What I Would Look for When Choosing a Kansas City Soccer Club
After experiencing both a very large club and a smaller development-focused club, I wouldn’t choose a youth soccer club based solely on reputation.
Go watch a practice.
Look at how many kids are on the field.
Look at how much time players spend standing around.
Watch how much the coach actually coaches.
Pay attention to whether players are being challenged at their ability level.
And probably most importantly, ask yourself whether your player is actually improving.
A big club can provide tremendous opportunities. But for younger players, development still has to happen first.
For us, Hammers has provided the combination we were looking for: good coaching, plenty of training, competitive games, a lot of touches on the ball and a smaller environment where the coaches actually know the players.
That’s why we have been happy there.
Want to Try a Hammers Practice?
If you’re looking at competitive soccer in Kansas City and want to see what Hammers is like, I would recommend coming out to a practice rather than making a decision based on a website.
You’ll get a pretty good feel for the club after watching one training session.
For information about joining a practice, contact Hammers Academy Club Director Tom Holmes at:
tom@hammersacademy.com
You can also learn more about Hammers Academy and see its recent team results on the club’s website.
