Washington DC – In a special ceremony held in Washington, DC last week, Kansas State University Football Coach Bill Snyder was awarded the 2015 Excellence in Mentoring Award by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership in recognition of his longstanding commitment to 0meeting the mentoring needs of young people in Kansas.

“If you are involved with coaching, you are involved with mentoring. And that mentoring happens both on and off the football field,” said Snyder. “I still have mentors. Probably the most significant thing that anyone can do in our lives is surround ourselves with people who care, and people who want to make our lives better. And young people don’t always know how to reach out and find those people. That is why the role of a mentoring program is so important.”

Coach Bill Snyder became head football coach at Kansas State University in 1989 and retired briefly in the 2005 season, returning in 2009. During his retirement, he spent three years establishing Kansas Mentors, dedicated to connecting existing mentoring programs with one another and serving as a resource center for communities wishing to start a program.

Through his steadfast support, Coach Snyder helped to increase funds in the mentoring sector, raise awareness about the importance of mentoring and elevate the cause. Coach Snyder, along with Coach Tom Osborne of the University of Nebraska, developed the Coaches’ Challenge, a recruitment campaign which has recruited tens of thousands of adults to mentor and this year, has first-time participation from the entire Big 12 Conference.

Coach Snyder was joined by the Director of Kansas Mentors, Cheri Faunce, at the awards reception. If you are interested in starting or strengthening the mentoring program in your community, please contact Cheri Faunce, cfaunce@ksde.org. Kansas Mentors is a partnership supported by the Kansas Volunteer Commission.

Five individuals were selected for the award: Former Detroit Mayor Dave Bing; Charles R. Burke of the Grable Foundation; Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Coach Bill Snyder, and Burlington Capital Group, LLC founder Michael B. Yanney.

Kansas City Royals Media Relations

KANSAS CITY, MO — The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has come to terms with left-handed pitcher Danny Duffy for the 2015 season, avoiding arbitration. Consistent with club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Duffy, 26, had an outstanding 2014 season, ranking fifth in the American League in ERA (2.53), fifth in opponents’ batting average (.209) and ninth in WHIP (1.11), to go with a 9-12 record in 31 appearances (25 starts). His .209 opponents’ average last season was the lowest by a Royals’ lefty and third-lowest in club history by a pitcher that threw more than 140.0 innings. The southpaw held opposing lefties to a .137 average (17-for-124), allowing just three extra-base hits (all doubles). Duffy made three postseason appearances out of the bullpen, earning the victory in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, pitching a scoreless 10th inning against the Angels in the 3-2 triumph. He’s 17-22 with a 3.67 ERA and a .241 opponents’ average, pitching in parts of four seasons with Kansas City.

The signing of Duffy leaves the Royals with three unsigned arbitration-eligible players: pitchers Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland and first baseman Eric Hosmer.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – Lamar Hunt Jr., son of the founder of the Kansas City Chiefs, has purchased the Missouri Mavericks, a minor league hockey team based in a Kansas City suburb.

Hunt finalized the sale of the East Coast Hockey League on Thursday. He says he hopes to increase interest in the sport in the Kansas City region but it’s too soon to tell if the area would be a strong candidate for an NHL team.

The Kansas City Star reports Hunt’s ownership of the Mavericks is not part of Hunt Sports Group, which is run by his brother Clark, chairman of the Chiefs.

Lamar Hunt Jr., of Leawood, is president of Kansas City-based Loretto Sports Ventures, which invests in sports teams, properties and affiliated assets.

Kansas State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas City, here come the Wildcats!

With construction of the new Vanier Football Complex presenting logistical and safety issues for both the K-State football team and fans to hold the annual spring football game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Athletics Director John Currie announced today that the 2015 Purple/White Spring Game and surrounding activities will be held Saturday, April 25, in Kansas City’s Sporting Park, the award-winning facility and home of Sporting Kansas City.

Currie said Sporting Park was the most reasonable and creative solution for K-State to play its spring game while construction continues at Bill Snyder Family Stadium and will allow the Wildcats, fans and the entire University community a unique opportunity to enjoy one of the most state-of-the-art sporting facilities in the country in addition to a day full of festive entertainment and activities. In addition to the game, the day will be filled with numerous activities for fans and families of all ages including pre-game hospitality opportunities, interactive games for children and appearances from Willie Wildcat, K-State cheerleaders and also the Pride of Wildcat Land Marching Band.

“Kansas City is a crucial part to President Schulz’s K-State 2025 vision of advancing the university into the ranks of the nation’s Top 50 public research universities, and when we first discussed the potential of moving our spring game away from Bill Snyder Family Stadium due to safety concerns, the first place that came to mind was Kansas City and Sporting Park,” Currie said. “It will present a great opportunity for us to bring Kansas State University to the KC area, and we look forward to having a packed house on April 25 and have our fans Paint Kansas City Purple.”

In order to move the contest to an outside venue and be permitted to host prospective student-athletes, the department received a one-time waiver from the NCAA due to the ongoing construction at Bill Snyder Family Stadium and safety concerns.

The game will kick off at 3 p.m. on April 25.

“We are excited about the opportunity to host a spring reunion of the Wildcat family in the greater Kansas City metro region,” said K-State President Kirk Schulz. “We’ll be rolling out the purple welcome mat for our many alumni, fans and friends. This is a great chance to showcase the university in one of the most dynamic and exciting districts in the region.”​​

Tickets for the game, which go on sale to Ahearn Fund members February 23 and to the general public on March 2, range from $5-$175 with multiple seating locations and options available. Seats in the South Stand and Member’s Stand can be purchased for $10 ($5 for K-State students or groups of 20 or more), while East and West Stand options are available for $15 and $25 each, as well as a 4-pack ticket option for just $50. Shield Club tickets are $50 each and provide access to the connecting lounge with a la carte premium food and beverage options, while Field Club seats range from $150-$175 and provide pre-game club access including complimentary food and beverage service throughout the game. Details regarding pre-game hospitality options for Ahearn Fund members will be emailed in the coming weeks.

Approximately 6,000 complimentary parking spaces are available and are located at several lots in The KC Legends area, including Kansas Speedway and CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Lots will open at 12 p.m., and tailgating is permitted with the exception of the Nebraska Furniture Mart and Cabela’s (Lot D) lots.

“It will be a great experience for our team to go play in a first-class venue like Sporting Park,” said offensive lineman Cody Whitehair. “We have the best fans in the country, and I know I speak for the entire team when I say we are looking forward to a stadium packed full of purple on April 25.”​​

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Hall of Famer Stan Musial’s Stan the Man Inc. is closing shop in St. Louis this week.
The building where the former St. Louis Cardinals player signed memorabilia until a month before he died is closing its doors due to a decreasing inventory. Dick Zitzmann, vice president of the company, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch  that Musial still meant a lot to St. Louis, and that the current cache of signed items would last four to six months.
According to Zitzmann, there were 6,000 to 7,000 balls in the inventory when Musial died in January 2013 at the age of 92. Today there are none left.
The paper reports that Musial would show up at Stan the Man every single morning and autograph pictures, balls and jerseys from 10:30 to 11:30.