Discussion: The Best Mothers in KC Sports

For this article, I wanted to keep it more open ended and encourage audience participation. There have been many women who have impacted the Kansas City sports landscape, that have donated time, energy, commitment, and love to this great city of ours and the athletic success of our city. I want to hear stories of mothers, whether that be locally or as large as the Chiefs, Royals, SKC, etc., that have made a significant impact on the sporting world in your community. Below I gave a few examples:

ALSO Disclaimer: All mothers are great, go hug your mom and spend time with her today.

Muriel Kauffman

Muriel Kauffman was the wife of Ewing Kauffman, famed owner of the Kansas City Royals, however Mrs. Kauffman herself had a significant impact on both the Royals and the city at large. She co-founded the Royals with her husband in 1969, and is arguably the key matriarch of Kansas City to this day. The couple, Muriel in particular, had diverse and wide-spanning interests both in and out of sport, though the Kauffmans are most notably known for having built the Royals into a World Series winning organization that has stood as a staple of Kansas City culture for many years and many more to come. Not only that, but Muriel made significant impacts to fine and performing arts, turning Kansas City into a key culture hub in the Midwest through the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts (Finished by her daughter Julia) and building the Crossroads District in Kansas City into one of the most diverse arts districts in the United States.

Norma Hunt

Norma Hunt is probably one of the only matriarchs in Kansas City that could give Muriel Kauffman a run for her money in terms of community impact. Norma is the widowed wife of Chiefs founder, AFL founder, and Super Bowl namesake Lamar Hunt, you know the guy that had arguably the biggest impact on football in the modern age. She herself however has been no stranger to notoriety and community impact, as she carries the mantle of Hunt Family matriarch and de facto owner of the Kansas City Chiefs to this day. Not only that, but Norma has countless foundations with the goal of improving the Kansas City area, and her family continues to be involved and impactful for the betterment of our city. She's seen every Super Bowl, her children have gone on to further the impact of the Hunt family both locally and nationally, was a founding member of the MLS and Kansas City Wizards (Now known as Sporting KC), and has been one of the main catalysts for Kansas City's growth into a modernized metropolis.

Melissa DeDonder

Now you may be wondering who this is, and I don't blame you if you do not know me personally. This is my mother, a woman who has impacted me and the way I view sports for as long as I can remember. She is the person that first got me invested in sports, taking me to my first sports games, indoctrinating me into KU and KC sport culture, and establishing what it meant to be a player and competitor. She is a great coach, mentor, teacher, and principal, and on top of all that, a fantastic mother. Highly involved in whatever me or my brother set our minds to, she encouraged my passions and actually encouraged me to start this blog in the first place. Her impact on the community compared to the two women above may be smaller, but her impact on myself, my brother, and so many others is astron0mically large. I love you mom, Happy Mother's Day!

I would love to hear any of my fanbase's thoughts and opinions on this matter, whether it be about your mother or a mother that made a significant impact on your sporting life or the sporting life of Kansas City as a whole. These women do so much for us and we have so much to be thankful for because of our mothers, they're the ones who give us life and push us to be our best. As I said, hug your mothers today, and let me know your thoughts and share some stories! Happy Mother's Day to all!