MCP Quickstart

Set up the AltSportsLeagues MCP Server to give AI agents access to league intelligence in just a few minutes.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• An AltSportsLeagues API key (or use demo-0001 for testing)
• Claude Desktop or another MCP-compatible client

Installation

pip install altsportsleagues-mcp

Verify installation:

python -m altsportsleagues_mcp --version

Configuration

Claude Desktop

1. Locate your Claude Desktop config file:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add the MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "altsportsleagues": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "altsportsleagues_mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ASL_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

For demo/testing, use demo-0001 as your API key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "altsportsleagues": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "altsportsleagues_mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ASL_API_KEY": "demo-0001"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop

The MCP server will automatically connect when Claude starts.

Verify Connection

Open Claude and type:

"What MCP tools do you have access to?"

Claude should list the AltSportsLeagues tools including search_leagues, get_league_valuation, etc.

First Query

Try asking Claude:

"Find professional pickleball leagues in North America"

Claude will automatically use the search_leagues tool and show you results!

Example Queries

Once configured, you can ask Claude natural language questions:

Discovery Queries

• "Find tier-2 soccer leagues in Europe"
• "Search for professional ultimate frisbee leagues"
• "Show me all tier-1 combat sports leagues"
• "What leagues are similar to the NFL?"

Evaluation Queries

• "Evaluate the data quality of league X"
• "What tier is the MLS classified as?"
• "Compare the NFL and NBA valuations"
• "What's the partnership potential for league Y?"

Analysis Queries

• "Which pickleball leagues should we prioritize for integration?"
• "What data improvements does league Z need to reach tier-2?"
• "Show me all leagues with API availability and tier-2 or higher"

Configuration Options

Environment Variables

Instead of putting your API key in the config file, use environment variables:

macOS/Linux:

export ASL_API_KEY=your_api_key

Windows:

$env:ASL_API_KEY = "your_api_key"

Then update config to reference it:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "altsportsleagues": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "altsportsleagues_mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ASL_API_KEY": "${ASL_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Advanced Options

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "altsportsleagues": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "altsportsleagues_mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ASL_API_KEY": "your_api_key",
        "ASL_BASE_URL": "https://api.altsportsleagues.ai/v1",
        "ASL_TIMEOUT": "30",
        "ASL_DEBUG": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Server Not Connecting

1. Verify installation:

   python -m altsportsleagues_mcp --version

2. Check Python path:

   which python  # macOS/Linux
   where python  # Windows

   Use the full path in your config if needed:

   "command": "/usr/local/bin/python3"

3. View logs:

   Claude Desktop logs are at:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\mcp*.log

Authentication Errors

• Verify your API key is correct
• Try using demo-0001 to test
• Check that env variables are properly set

Tools Not Appearing

1. Restart Claude Desktop completely
2. Check the config file for syntax errors
3. Ensure the altsportsleagues key matches exactly

Next Steps

Support

• GitHub Issues: github.com/altsportsleagues/altsportsleagues-mcp/issues
• Email: mcp@altsportsleagues.ai
• MCP Docs: modelcontextprotocol.io