Look back to see what can be Wichita’s future

James Chung’s recent presentation at the sparkling new Advanced Learning Library drew a packed house. Chung’s exhaustive study on the state of Wichita’s economy was a decidedly mixed bag.

Though Wichita’s self-esteem is on the rise, the raw economic numbers, relative to our peer cities, are not. Though Chung does not offer specific policy prescriptions, he does offer the following wisdom: “Getting involved, saying yes to a good idea and compelling those with the means to make meaningful investments, are logical outcomes to pursue.”

Raising Wichita up to the level of our peer cities may seem like a difficult task, but it’s something we’ve done before.

From 1979 to 2001, Wichita came together, got involved, and said “yes” to the idea of an indoor soccer team called the Wichita Wings. Men and women with names such as Ritchie, Carney, Oliver, Rolph, Wagnon, Beren, Brasted, Devlin and Barton made meaningful investments of their time, energy, and hard-earned wealth in promoting the first major-league sports team in state history.

For the first time, Wichita competed and won against America’s biggest cities. Sports pages across the country showed the name “Wichita” against New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis and Houston.

The Kansas Coliseum was filled to capacity with the working-, middle- and upper-class people of Wichita, united together for one common purpose: to root for the success of their city. And if you couldn’t make the game in person, you could watch the Wings on ESPN or the USA network, televised nationally.

In many ways, the Wings were the great civic project of Wichita’s baby boomers. They built the team to compete with the great cities of America. They found a champion in Roy Turner, who turned their dream into a real, living, breathing soccer team composed of world-class players from England, Denmark, Wales and beyond. Wichita’s baby boomers said yes to what may have seemed like folly: the idea that Wichita can fight above its weight class.

Wichita’s new project, as outlined by Chung, is daunting. Our city is losing ground. The children of the 1980s and 1990s, many of whom grew up going to Wings games, are now the ones who will, or will not, rise to the challenge. But they can’t say Wichita’s never done it before. Why not again?