There was big news in Kansas City on Thursday pertaining to the growth of soccer locally and nationally. Sporting Kansas City CEO Robb Heineman took to Twitter that night with a quick updated for all of his followers.
The proposal to build a US Soccer training and education facilities has been in the planning stages for nearly a year and on the discussion board since the spring of 2013. As Heineman tweeted, the Unified Government Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve facilities being built.
According the to the Kansas City Star, the facilities "will occupy 174 acres across two patches of land neighboring Schlitterbahn water park, less than a 10-minute drive from Sporting Park." Last year it was reported by Vavel USA that the plans included twenty fields for training and a hotel/resort on the grounds for players, coaches, officials, and families to stay in while using the state of the art training and education facilities. It appears that the entire plan is coming together and that a location has been approved. Early indications from the city government are that the project will be completed before the start of 2018 and in time for the January training camp prior to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
In his interview with the Star, Heineman mentioned a 20 year lease by U.S. Soccer on the facilities. If this is indeed the plan, Kansas City is and will be the Soccer Capital of America for quite some time. With Sporting Kansas City, FC Kansas City, and the Missouri Comets (Major Arena Soccer League) all winning championships within a year of each other, the sport is booming in the city and fans are out in force to support their clubs and the game. There are only a few other cities that could bring the same level of enthusiasm.
Mayor Mark Holland of Kansas City, Kansas did discuss one change to the original plans with the Kansas City Star as well. He is quoted by the Star as saying “This idea of having 10 (futsal courts) instead of three (fields) and spreading them around and having this opportunity for futsal, it really became an idea that I personally got very excited about." Not only will the facilities support traditional soccer, they will support futsal as well. With the formation the Major Arena Soccer League in 2014 by the merger of the Professional Arena Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League, the growth of futsal is expected as well. Many futsal internationals are part of the league because the games have a similar style and pace with the skills for one translating more easily to each other than to the outdoor game. While the change is likely more for the local residents' benefit, the thought of building up an offshoot sport may be a pipe dream.
The establishment of a permanent soccer training facility for the next two decades, and possibly longer, is a huge boost to the sport in America. With the aim from the beginning being training and development for coaches and referees as well as the players, the groundwork is there to take the next step in the sport's growth domestically. One of the biggest complaints between Major League Soccer, CONCACAF, and the Professional Referees Organization is the lack of quality and consistency of officiating. The addition of a permanent education center will be crucial in improving the quality.
Youth development has been a focal point for U.S. Men's national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann since day one. Building in a centralized location and offering accommodations for players and parents makes Kansas City, Kansas an ideal spot for youth to meet and train as well as allowing the coaches from all levels to work more closely together and allow the head coach of the senior team to have a greater impact on youth development.
What started as a dream in a city excited about soccer has become a reality. U.S. Soccer had been looking at a national training and education facility for a long time, but it is Kansas City, Kansas that has stepped up locally and put forth the effort and resources to complete the project. The city will be funding the project and U.S. Soccer is rewarding them for it. If the facilities do what they are designed to do, fans of all levels of U.S. Soccer will see an improvement in all areas of the domestic game and in international play.