A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, at Welborn Park, 2520 N. 55th St., to commemorate the completion and official opening of new futsal courts in Wyandotte County.
The Unified Government will be joined by area students, as well as Sporting KC players and Sporting Club representatives to celebrate the occasion.
The project is part of the development agreement between the Unified Government and Sporting Kansas City, which initially proposed the construction of three grass soccer fields in Wyandotte County. However after further deliberation, Sporting Club presented a more forward-thinking model to the commission with the idea of converting under-utilized tennis courts into new futsal courts, according to a spokesman.
This approach provides a safe and more accessible venue for youth to play, while also bringing a higher quality investment to the project at no cost to the Unified Government. Futsal is a small-sided variant of soccer that can be played at all ages and is widely popular across the globe from recreational to professional levels.
“One of the most exciting aspects of this project is that we are building futsal courts throughout Wyandotte County, not just in one place,” said Greg Cotton, Sporting Club chief of staff. “This gives kids the best chance to play, learn, and develop a love for soccer because the facilities are located in their neighborhoods.”
The courts will be located in parks throughout each of the eight commission districts in Wyandotte County. The first four court locations have been completed in Bethany Park, Highland Park, Westheight Park and Welborn Park.
There are four remaining four court locations to be constructed from the ground up, and they are scheduled to be completed in spring 2016.
Mayor CEO Mark Holland said the partnership with Sporting Club has transformed many of the abandoned tennis courts in our community into valuable assets.
“Sporting Club continues to be a strong partner in Wyandotte County. Their efforts to repurpose worn-out facilities that had fallen into disrepair will bring additional healthier recreational options for youth throughout our community,” Holland said.
Immediately following the ribbon cutting event, Sporting KC players will provide a futsal clinic for students at each of the four completed futsal court locations in addition to signing autographs and taking photos with participants.
Futsal clinics:
• Bethany Park – Central Avenue and North 11th Street
• Highland Park – South 50th Street and Shawnee Drive
• Westheight Park – Wood Avenue and North 20th Street
• Welborn Park – 2520 N. 55th St.
“These investments in our community will allow us to bring new life to our parks and our community,” said Commissioner Melissa Bynum.
Sporting Kansas City funded the project and has partnered with the Unified Government on other projects within the county, including a futsal clinic for local youth at Wyandotte High School as part of activities around the MLS All-Star game hosted at Sporting Park in 2013. These were the first set of futsal court constructed in the county.
– Information from Unified Government and Sporting KC