Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy

the vision for the kansas city mlb urban youth academy first originated with city leaders along with dayton moore, general manager of the kansas city royals. through the support of major league baseball, leaders in kansas city and the state of missouri, along with many generous donors, this idea became a reality with the official grand opening in march 2018. the purpose of the academy is to provide our community's youth with a dual opportunity to develop into high-character members of society and, at the same time, learn the skills of baseball and softball. the vision for the academy is to become the epicenter for youth baseball and softball throughout the midwest, beginning with the urban community and its location in the backyard of the historical 18th & vine district. baseball changed dramatically in 1920 when the negro national league was founded in the paseo ymca building, which sits a block south of the academy near the district and also serves as home to the negro leagues base