About Us
Our History
The Kansas City Royals Urban Youth Academy (UYA) opened its doors in 2018 to provide a safe space and empower underserved youth to become the leaders of tomorrow through baseball, softball, academic, and social opportunities. The UYA has continually looks for ways to expand its reach and impact within the urban core. Since opening, the UYA has welcomed over 60,000 youth and families into our facility. This has been done by providing opportunities for programs, camps, clinics, and educational programs like Crown Schools. In 2022, the Royals partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater KC and their Nike RBI program to form Nike Royals RBI.
Our Facility
Located at the heart of 18th and Vine, the 42,000-square-foot facility features an MLB-sized turf infield, two full-size baseball fields, one youth baseball and one softball outdoor field, a press box for educational programming, four batting tunnels, three classrooms, a weight room, and an athletic training room.
Our Team
Donease Smith
Brett Teel
Manager - Facilities and Operations
brett.teel@royals.com
Maya Schnable
Coordinator - Community Partnerships and Events
maya.schnable@royals.com
