What You Need to Know About Soccer in Overland Park
In a city that’s as passionate about sports as Kansas City, it only makes sense that locals have embraced a rapidly growing soccer culture that’s become an integral part of the regional sports scene.
Overland Park has one of the highest per capita for children playing youth soccer in the nation. Plus, with the addition of a new, state-of-the-art training facility, the city has taken its rightful place as the national leader in soccer development.
The area boasts six world class youth soccer facilities with the Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex being the largest and nationally recognized. Scheels soccer complex as it is affectionately known is home to Sporting Blue Valley and regularly hosts youth soccer tournaments that draw players and fans from all over the Midwest. It also is home of Heartland Soccer, America’s largest youth soccer league.
Youth Soccer in the Heartland
Overland Park located south of downtown KC features spectacular sports venues for a multitude of sports. One of the grown jewels of the community is the Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex which covers 96 acres and features 12 lighted, regulation-size synthetic turf fields, a fieldhouse, concessions and a playground. The complex is incredibly busy serving as a practice facility for multiple soccer clubs and league and tournament play for the Heartland Soccer Association, the country’s largest youth soccer organization.
On any weekend you can see all the fields in action with fans lining the sidelines and stands. Players and parents love the location for its quality fields as well as its proximity to restaurants, shopping and area attractions. Parents and players also appreciate the convenience of the nearly 4,000 hotels rooms that are within 5 miles of the complex. The Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex regularly hosts teams across all ages spanning 3 to 19 from recreational to competitive levels.
The complex was recently named the host to the US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships in 2024 and 2025, featuring 250+ teams across 11 Midwest states. The champions in the 13U through 19U age brackets from each regional event will converge in July for the US Youth Soccer National Championships.
Shop Soccer in Overland Park
Forget something at home? Overland Park has a wide variety of stores that feature soccer equipment. Four of the favorites that are not far from the action are: Academy, Soccer Master, Soccerium and Scheels. Looking for your next fan gear to wear to a game, stop at Rally House for all your Sporting KC and KC Current items.
The World Stage
Not only is Overland Park home to Jason Sudekis AKA world-famous AFC Richmond Manager Ted Lasso and former MLS star Matt Besler, but there’s a high level of anticipation in Overland Park and the Kansas City area being a Host City of the FIFA World Cup 2026... Kansas City was the lone Midwestern locale to be awarded matches for the 2026 World Cup. Of the 11 American cities chosen among 16 host cities in total, Kansas City ranks among the biggest surprises. They don’t have a new-ish NFL stadium like the other American hosts, and they’re the smallest metropolitan statistical area picked by FIFA.
Kansas City has created a reputation and earned the title of "Soccer Capital of America" in recent years with their dedicated support of the US Men's and Women's National Teams and their very own successful MLS franchise, Sporting KC. Sporting KC’s original name was the KC Wiz that was established in 1995. The team officially extended its name to the Wizards in 1996 and originally played their games at Arrowhead Stadium until 2007 when they began building a state-of-the-art stadium brand new stadium, Children’s Mercy Park, which opened in 2011. A sea of blue fills the space as dedicated fans will be decked out with scarfs, banners and their favorite player's jersey.
Kansas City will soon be home to the first purpose-built training complex for a women’s professional sports team in the United States. The KC Current recently oved into their state-of-the-art facility in nearby Riverside and in 2024 they will begin play in the $117-million soccer-specific stadium at Berkley Riverfront Park, the first soccer stadium purpose-built for a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team. With a capacity of 11,500. The perfect size for raucous KC Current sell-out crowd or a concert on the Riverfront. A spectacular community venue in the perfect location.
If you can’t make it to a game while in Overland Park, whether be sure to watch the action at one of the local sports bars in OP!
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