Kansas City Roos
| Kansas City Roos | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | University of Missouri–Kansas City |
| Conference | Summit League |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Brandon Martin |
| Location | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Varsity teams | 16 |
| Basketball arena | Swinney Recreation Center(men and women) |
| Softball stadium | Urban Youth Academy Softball Complex[1] |
| Soccer stadium | Durwood Soccer Stadium |
| Other venues | Plaza Tennis Center[2] Hy-Vee Arena(Track & field) Municipal Auditorium |
| Mascot | Kasey Kangaroo |
| Nickname | Kangaroos or Roos |
| Colors | Blue and gold[3] |
| Website | kcroos |
TheKansas City Roos,known before July 1, 2019, as theUMKC Kangaroosand also sometimes called theKansas City Kangaroos,[4]are the intercollegiate teams representing theUniversity of Missouri–Kansas Citythat compete in theNational Collegiate Athletic Association'sDivision I.The Roos formerly competed in theWestern Athletic Conference(WAC) but, as of July 1, 2020 the Kansas City Roos became members of theSummit Leaguein all 14 varsity sports.[5]
Sports
[edit]As a member of theSummit Leaguethe University of Missouri–Kansas City sponsors seven men's and nine women's teams inNCAA-sanctioned sports.[6]
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Basketball | Basketball |
| Cross country | Cross country |
| Golf | Golf |
| Soccer | Soccer |
| Tennis | Softball |
| Track and field† | Tennis |
| Track and field† | |
| Volleyball | |
| † = Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor. | |
Soccer
[edit]Among the notable Roos soccer players have been goalkeepersKevin Corby(Major Arena Soccer LeagueandUSL Championship(USL)) andConnor Sparrow(Major League Soccerand USL), defendersCoady Andrews(Major Indoor Soccer League,USL) andRoberto Albuquerque(USL), forwardsLevi Coleman(USL,National Premier Soccer League(NPSL)),Eric McWoods(League of Ireland Premier Division), andJordan Rideout(USL), and midfieldersManny Catano(USISL,Eastern Indoor Soccer League,and the NPSL),Jony Muñoz(2020Gatorade Boys' Soccer Player of the Year) andBryan Pérez(United States Soccer Federationand USL). Former professional soccer playerRyan Porehas been the head coach of the Roos men's soccer team since January 2020.[7]
The team was a member of the NCAA Division ISummit Leaguefrom 1994 to 2013, and won the league men's soccer championships in1996, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2010.[8]It then played seven seasons in the NCAA Division IWestern Athletic Conference,returning to the Summit League in 2020.[8]The team set an NCAA record on October 12, 2001, with the fastest trio of goals scored in Division I soccer during the MLS era, by scoring three times in 1:46 againstValparaiso University.[9]
Conference affiliations
[edit]- 1969–70 to 1985–86 –NAIA Independent
- 1986–87 to 1993–94 –NCAA Division I Independent
- 1994–95 to 2012–13 –Summit League
- 2013–14 to 2019–20 –Western Athletic Conference
- 2020–21 to present – Summit League
Name
[edit]The nickname was chosen in the 1930s for the school'sdebateteam, following the acquisition of two baby kangaroos by theKansas City Zoo.[10]
The school has long branded itself for athletic purposes as "UMKC", but in June 2019, shortly before it announced its return to the Summit League, it unveiled a new logo and branding strategy emphasizing "Kansas City",[11]and officially unveiled its full rebranding as the Kansas City Roos on July 1 of that year.[4]
While its previous conference, the WAC, used "UMKC", its current conference, the Summit League, uses "Kansas City". As part of the 2019 rebranding, the program is now known as Kansas City Athletics. Teams will be known as the Kansas City Roos, with "Roos" having long been used as a short form for the historic nickname of Kangaroos.[4]The national media had been inconsistent in usage prior to the 2019 rebranding.
References
[edit]- ^"Urban Youth Academy".University of Missouri-Kansas City.
- ^"Plaza Tennis Center - UMKC Athletics".Umkckangaroos.com.RetrievedAugust 27,2015.
- ^Kansas City Athletics Visual Identity Guide(PDF).July 1, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 5,2019.
- ^abc"UMKC Athletics Completes New Brand Identity"(Press release). Kansas City Athletics. July 1, 2019.RetrievedJuly 1,2019.
- ^"Kansas City Athletics Back in Summit League".University of Missouri-Kansas City.RetrievedJuly 1,2020.
- ^"UMKC Roos".University of Missouri-Kansas City.RetrievedDecember 16,2016.
- ^"Ryan Pore to Lead Kansas City Men's Soccer Program"(Press release). University of Missouri Kansas City & CBS Sports Digital. January 14, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 14,2020.
- ^abHaenchen, Brian."Welcome back: University of Missouri-Kansas City Roos rejoining the Summit League".Argus Leader.
- ^"2012 UMKC Men's Soccer Media Guide by Nik Busch".issuu.com.
- ^"Evolution of the kangaroo".RetrievedDecember 29,2011.
- ^"UMKC Athletics Launches New Brand Identity"(Press release). UMKC Kangaroos. June 12, 2019.RetrievedJune 26,2019.
