Pivot Point: Can Greenwich Road become youth soccer capital of the plains?

Get ready for an increase in North Greenwich Road’s KQ. That’s Kicker Quotient, the number of youth soccer players wearing bright jerseys and flip-flops and hanging out in hotels and restaurants between games of tournaments.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will soon begin construction on a project that expands and improves the 13-field Stryker Soccer Complex north of K-96 and Greenwich. Closed for all of this year, the complex is expected to open in 2019 with artificial-turf fields and an indoor facility.

Once the 17-year-old facility is refurbished, it’s supposed to surpass anything like it in Kansas, plus Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Stryker’s Wichita location makes it a desirable spot for youth tournaments that will attract teams from around the Midwest.

Turf fields and new lighting will double the number of games that can played in a day, Parks director Troy Houtman said.

The $22 million project will be funded by STAR bonds, which use sales taxes generated by a tourism area to pay for the bonds. A Wichita State University study says Stryker should bring in $1.4 million to $2.1 million in sales and hotel taxes.

Though construction will displace Wichita’s professional team, FC Wichita, for its National Premier Soccer League season, the renovations are a good long-term investment for the club that has a solid fan following. The stadium field will be artificial turf and seat about 2,500 spectators. It seats less than 1,000 now. The club hasn’t announced a home field for 2018.

Already a top spot in Kansas for soccer, Stryker’s renovations will bring more business to an already-busy Greenwich corridor. Restaurants and hotels will be ready for kickoff.

This story was originally published January 23, 2018 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Pivot Point: Can Greenwich Road become youth soccer capital of the plains?."