Northland Sports Alliance (Formerly SPCAA) History
In the late 1960s, three young fathers in Southern Platte County, Missouri organized four summer boys’ baseball teams which created the beginnings of an essential family organization. In 1972 the Northland Sports Alliance (Northland Sports Alliance) was incorporated and approved as a non-profit 501-C3 by the IRS.
Demographics
Platte County is located in Northwest Missouri along the northern banks of the Missouri River and contains about 22% of the city of Kansas City, Missouri along with several smaller suburban communities. For the past 30 years, this volunteer driven organization has successfully met the needs of a rapidly growing suburban metropolitan county.
Mission
Northland Sports Alliance (NSA) is proud of the family centered atmospheres that it promotes. The goal of the Northland Sports Alliance is to foster a positive learning environment that allows young people not only to develop their athletic ability but also to develop their character. Many coaches within the Northland Sports Alliance have become life long role models. Young people are given the opportunity to assist with coaching and officiating the youth sports. There are countless examples of how the Northland Sports Alliance has made a major difference in the lives of children in Platte County over the last three decades. It is gratifying to know that many of the alumni are now volunteer parent coaches and board members.
The Association prides itself on never turning a child away regardless of their inability to pay the enrollment fees, or a child’s lack of athletic ability, and is committed to keeping this component in place. The Northland Sports Alliance is the only organization in the area that provides non-competitive (a child does not have to “try-out” to be placed on a team) low fee multi-sport programs for both girls and boys. There is a scholarship program which allows children to play who are unable to pay the fee.
Programs
The Northland Sports Alliance today provides organized youth recreational and competitive, sports opportunities for over 5,000 children each year in soccer, basketball, baseball, t-ball, softball, volleyball, Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading, serving boys and girls as young as age 4 up to age 18. Northland Sports Alliance is now on the cutting edge providing recreational programs, competitive divisions including elite and premier divisions in many sports. As well, the Association has become a provider of high quality tournaments, clinics and camps for all sports.
Our Future
The Northland Sports Alliance programs have continued to grow steadily over the last 30 years prompting its leaders to strategically plan for a stronger future (please see New Complex for more details - coming soon). Northland Sports Alliance’s growth of approximately 15 % per year has required greater commitment from staff and volunteers who are responsible to place each and every child on a team. The Association has responded to this growth and the needs of the community. Now the Northland Sports Alliance is in the process of constructing a state of the art athletic complex along the I-29 Corridor that will be a top rate venue for Northland Sports Alliance league play along with a hosting site for National Tournaments. The sports programs offered by the Northland Sports Alliance have truly come full circle.