Wichita’s largest youth soccer clubs, FC Wichita (“FCW”) and Kansas Rush Wichita (“KRW”) are pleased to announce that we will be joining forces.
On May 1, 2020 the FC Wichita Academy was granted acceptance into the ECNL Regional League - Heartland Conference. Immediately after the announcement both clubs continued their ongoing discussions for the betterment of Wichita soccer, arriving at the common conclusion that Wichita is stronger together.
FCW and KRW will be working together to best represent Wichita soccer in the ECNL Regional League. Three (3) FCW and three (3) KRW girls’ teams will compete in the Heartland Conference against teams from around the region including Des Moines, Kansas City, Omaha and St. Louis, with half of their matches being played at Stryker Soccer Complex in Wichita, KS.
“We’re pleased to have the opportunity to partner with FCW and have some of our KRW girl’s teams compete in the ECNL this year,” said KRW President Dana Johnson. “It’s another great opportunity for our players and coaches to showcase their talents on a new stage. We’re also excited that we’ll be able to play a portion of these games in front of a hometown crowd. Our club has consistently looked for ways to offer more to its members. Working with FCW will give us a new path to pursue that goal and see what’s possible. The future looks bright for our clubs and Wichita area youth soccer."
While both clubs and their teams are currently independent of each other, this arrangement represents a new opportunity for greater cooperation and collaboration between previously rival clubs. Teams from six (6) total age groups will carry the Wichita flag into the elite competition for not only a chance to increase their player identification, but also the opportunity to unite an entire soccer community. Current FCW teams will compete in the 2004, 2007, and 2008 age groups; KRW teams will have this privilege for the 02/03, 2005 and 2006.
“A relationship between clubs has been years in the making,” says FC Wichita CEO Blake Shumaker. “We’ve all worked hard to grow the game and now we find that if we are rowing in the same direction, we can truly provide the best opportunities for local players and coaches alike. This partnership is a massive step for Wichita, and we’re very excited for the future.”
Soccer fans who wishes to support the players are invited to help kickoff a new era of Wichita soccer by attending the season opening games at Stryker Soccer Complex on August 8th. Wichita will play host to the Elite Girls Academy (“EGA”) from Omaha, Nebraska.
The ECNL is a national youth soccer league founded in 2009 for U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 and U18 American female youth soccer players. The ECNL was formed with one driving purpose: to improve the developmental environment for elite female soccer players. In order to accomplish this, the ECNL has several specific objectives: (i) increase the frequency with which the top players in the country have the opportunity to compete against each other; (ii) decrease the number of uncompetitive games for the top players in the country so that these players can train more frequently; (iii) increase the collegiate recruiting exposure for top players; and (iv) provide an alternative identification program for these players to be identified for US Soccer Youth National Teams.
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