# Quickstart

# Quickstart

Get started with Sports Stack API in 5 minutes.

## Step 1: Get Your API Key

1. Sign up for a Sports Stack account
2. Navigate to your dashboard
3. Generate an API key from **Settings → API Keys**
4. Copy your API key (you'll need it for all requests)

## Step 2: Make Your First Request

Let's fetch a list of NFL teams:

```bash
curl -X GET "https://api.sportsstack.io/api/v1/teams?league_id=nfl" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"
```

```python
import requests

headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
    "Accept": "application/json"
}

response = requests.get(
    "https://api.sportsstack.io/api/v1/teams",
    params={"league_id": "nfl"},
    headers=headers
)

teams = response.json()
print(f"Found {len(teams['data'])} teams")
```

```javascript
const fetch = require('node-fetch');

const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.sportsstack.io/api/v1/teams?league_id=nfl',
  {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Accept': 'application/json'
    }
  }
);

const data = await response.json();
console.log(`Found ${data.data.length} teams`);
```

## Step 3: Explore the API

Now that you've made your first request, explore other endpoints:

* **Events**: `GET /api/v1/events` - Get game schedules and results
* **Players**: `GET /api/v1/players` - Get player information
* **Stats**: `GET /api/v1/event-stats` - Get game statistics
* **Markets**: `GET /api/v1/markets` - Get betting markets
* **Futures**: `GET /api/v1/futures` - Get future markets (outrights, season totals)
* **Odds**: `GET /api/v1/odds` - Get betting odds from sportsbooks

## Next Steps

* [Authentication](./authentication.md) - Learn about API authentication
* [MCP Server for AI Agents](https://sportsstack.readme.io/docs/mcp-server) - Use SportsStack from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client
* [Webhooks Guide](../guides/webhooks-guide.md) - Set up real-time notifications
* [API Reference](../api-reference/) - Complete API documentation