Sporting Club announced on Tuesday that
Swope Soccer Village
will host the top Under-15 thru Under-18 girls soccer teams in the states of Missouri and Kansas during the fall 2014 editions of the following four tournaments:
- Missouri State Cup
- Missouri Presidents Cup
- Kansas State Cup
- Kansas Presidents Cup
The semifinals of each competition will take place on Saturday, Nov. 8 and will determine the championship matches, to be held on Sunday, Nov. 9 in the lead-up to the 2014 Big 12 Soccer Championship on the Swope Soccer Village championship field.
The State Cup tournaments are considered the highest level of youth competition in the states. The winners will represent their respective state at the Region II Championships in Appleton, Wisconsin (June 2015) on the road to the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma (July 2015).
The Presidents Cup tournaments also provide a path to regional and national competition through U.S. Youth Soccer. The winners will advance to the Region II Presidents Cup Championships in St. Louis, Missouri (June 2015) with the opportunity to earn a berth in the National Presidents Cup Championships in Overland Park, Kansas (July 2015).
“Missouri Youth Soccer is extremely excited to bring the Fall Missouri State Cup and Presidents Cup tournaments to Swope Soccer Village along with Kansas Youth Soccer,” said Jake Griesenauer, Missouri Youth Soccer Association’s Executive Director. “This is a great opportunity for our participating teams to not only enjoy a tremendous soccer atmosphere with the Big 12 women's tournament being played at the same time, but to also be seen in front of many college coaches. We could not have brought these events together without the help of numerous groups, including Raytown SC, the Lee's Summit Soccer Association and the Sunflower Soccer Association.”
“The State of Kansas is really looking forward to holding the semifinals and finals of Presidents and State Cup in conjunction with the State of Missouri, alongside the Big 12 Tournament,” said Chris Duke, Kansas Youth Soccer Association’s Executive Director. “The atmosphere will be electrifying and exciting for the youth in both of our states, and we look forward to the exhibition of top competition at a world-class complex."
“Sporting Club is extremely happy to be hosting the first joint State Cup with Missouri and Kansas on our new fields at Swope Soccer Village,” said Betsy Maxfield, Sporting Kansas City’s Vice President of Soccer Projects. “As a club, we are passionate about growing youth soccer on both sides of the state line and this is another great example of our commitment to doing that. With these events in the same location, we are able to bring together the top resources from referees to facilities to college recruiting opportunities. In addition, the best benefit for these young girls is to view the Big 12 tournament that is being played simultaneously and to measure themselves against their future peers while being recruited by Big 12 college coaches.”
Swope Soccer Village is located at 63rd and Lewis Road in Kansas City, Missouri’s Swope Park. The state-of-the-art complex is in the midst of a $15.5 million expansion and now features nine full-sized soccer fields – three natural grass and six synthetic turf -- with surrounding amenities. MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City opened the facility in 2007 and Swope Soccer Village will also host the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships for Division II (2016-17) and Division III (2014-15) in the next four years.
An
official dedication ceremony for Swope Soccer Village
will be held at 4:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept.12 with Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Circo, 5th District Councilman Michael Brooks, Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders, KC Parks Commissioners and Sporting KC representatives in attendance.
For more information on the upcoming tournaments at Swope Soccer Village, follow
and visit
kansasyouthsoccer.org
or
moyouthsoccer.org
.
