The debate is over; Kansas City is the Soccer Capital of America. Wednesday's announcement of the proposal by Sporting KC and Kansas City, Kansas to build a $75 million dollar soccer training complex should cement the city with this title. 

US Soccer has been hinting at the idea that a national team training facility was needed and many cities were discussed.  There has been speculation that a US Soccer training facility was in the works in Kansas City.  Its central location in the country and the support both Sporting and the United States Men's National Team have gotten make it prime candidate for such a facility. But all of this speculation was just rumor as US Soccer appeared to be dragging the process out and not wanting to invest.

The facility will feature more state-of-the-art facilities than Sporting Park does for SKC.  The plans call for more than 20 fields indoors and out including one climate controlled field in the facility.  There will also be a full hotel/resort on the grounds for players, coaches, and families to stay in while they are training.  If the facility has an impact on US Soccer like the facilities Sporting use did, the USMNT will prosper. 

While the facilities are a wonderful addition to US Soccer, the ideas behind its creation are better.  The facility will be an asset to the national team, but the underlying theme is making soccer better, not just the players.  Sporting and US Soccer know that training better coaches and officials is key in moving Major League Soccer and US Soccer to the next level.  Better staffs will help teach the right habits and skills at younger ages which is where America fails on the international scene.  The Yanks produce great physical specimens that can't keep up with the technical abilities other countries teach at the most basic levels.

If there were any doubts before tonight's big announcement about Kansas City being the Soccer Capital of America, they should be gone now.  The city and the club have been making the claim for a long time now and they finally put some merit to it. The vision for the next step in US Soccer has been clear for some time, but no entity has pushed to make it reality until now.  

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About the author
Blayne Riffle
I am a KC native, living away from my true home. I do IT for a living. But I have always been an avid soccer fan and follow many other sports. Obviously there is some KC bias.