Children's Mercy Park facts for kids
|
The Blue Hell
Home of the Brave |
|
 |
|
Children's Mercy Park from the air
|
|
 Children's Mercy Park
Location in Kansas
Children's Mercy Park
Location in the United States
|
|
| Former names | Livestrong Sporting Park (2011–2013) Sporting Park (2013–2015) |
|---|---|
| Address | One Sporting Way |
| Location | Kansas City, Kansas |
| Coordinates | 39°07′18″N 94°49′23″W / 39.12174°N 94.82318°W |
| Public transit |  KCATA 101 |
| Owner | Kansas Unified Development, LLC. |
| Operator | Sporting Kansas City |
| Capacity | 18,467 (soccer) 25,000 (concerts) |
| Record attendance | 21,650 Sporting Kansas City vs. Real Salt Lake, MLS Cup 2013 |
| Field size | 120 yd × 75 yd (110 m × 69 m) |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Scoreboard | Three Daktronics Video Boards 20 by 126 feet (6.1 m × 38.4 m) 12 by 24 feet (3.7 m × 7.3 m) 14.5 by 24 feet (4.4 m × 7.3 m) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 20, 2010 |
| Opened | June 9, 2011 |
| Construction cost | $200 million ($260 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Populous |
| Project manager | LANE4 Property Group |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers, Inc./FSC Inc. |
| General contractor | Turner Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Sporting Kansas City (MLS) (2011–present) Sporting Kansas City II (MLSNP) (2018–present) FC Kansas City (NWSL) (2015–2017) Kansas City Current (NWSL) (2022–2023) |
|
Children's Mercy Park is a special stadium built just for soccer games. It's located in Kansas City, Kansas, in the United States. This stadium is the home field for Sporting Kansas City, a professional soccer team that plays in Major League Soccer (MLS).
The stadium opened its doors on June 9, 2011. It can hold 18,467 fans for soccer matches. For big events like concerts, it can even expand to fit 25,000 people! Before Children's Mercy Park, Sporting Kansas City (then called the Kansas City Wizards) played at Arrowhead Stadium and CommunityAmerica Ballpark. This stadium is known for being a great place to watch soccer. In 2013, it was the only stadium to host the MLS All-Star Game, a United States men's national soccer team game, and the MLS Cup all in the same year.
Contents
History of Children's Mercy Park
Building the Stadium
The team's owners, called Sporting Club, first planned to build the stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. They wanted to use land where a mall used to be. This plan was approved in 2007 and 2008.
However, a big economic slowdown, called the Great Recession, caused delays. The stadium developers then looked for a new spot. They found a great location near the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. This new spot was close to another stadium, CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Construction Begins
In September 2009, the developers asked officials in Wyandotte County for help with funding. They wanted to use money from existing local taxes to build the soccer complex. By December 2009, it looked like the Kansas City, Kansas, location was final.
Construction equipment arrived at the site very quickly. On January 19, 2010, Wyandotte County approved the money needed. The very next day, on January 20, the official groundbreaking ceremony happened. Sporting's CEO, Robb Heineman, even used heavy machinery to start moving dirt!
First Games and Big Wins
The first game at the new stadium was on June 9, 2011. Sporting Kansas City played against the Chicago Fire. It was a tie game, 0-0, with 19,925 fans watching. The first goal ever scored in the stadium happened a few days later. It was during an international tournament called the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Sporting Kansas City's first goal in their new home was scored by C. J. Sapong. This goal helped them win 1-0 against the San Jose Earthquakes. In their first season, Sporting KC had a great record at home. Many fans came to watch, filling almost all the seats.
In 2012, Sporting KC continued to draw big crowds. They even won the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by beating the Seattle Sounders. This win was a big deal for the team!
Hosting Major Events
The stadium became a popular spot for big soccer events. In 2013, Sporting KC played in the CONCACAF Champions League because of their 2012 cup win. Children's Mercy Park also hosted a FIFA World Cup qualifying match. The United States men's national soccer team beat Jamaica 2-0 in front of a full stadium.
Later that year, the stadium hosted the 2013 MLS All-Star Game. A famous Italian team, A.S. Roma, played against the MLS All-Stars. Sporting KC also set a new attendance record during the playoffs. They won the MLS Cup 2013 right there at home, beating Real Salt Lake in a penalty shootout!
The stadium has also hosted college football and soccer championships. From 2014 to 2018, the NCAA Division II Football Championship was played here. In 2015, the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship, known as the NCAA College Cup, also took place at Children's Mercy Park.
Women's Soccer and Other Sports
The stadium has also been home to women's professional soccer teams. FC Kansas City played some of their home games here from 2015 to 2017.
More recently, the Kansas City Current women's team played all their home matches at Children's Mercy Park in 2022 and 2023. This was while their own new stadium was being built.
In 2024, the University of Kansas football team played two of their home games at Children's Mercy Park. This happened because their usual stadium was being renovated.
International Soccer Matches
Children's Mercy Park has hosted many exciting international soccer games for both men and women. The first international match was part of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The USA played and won against Guadeloupe.
The stadium also hosted its first women's international match in 2011. The USA women's team played against Canada in front of a large crowd.
Men's Matches
| Date | Team 1 | Result | Team 2 | Tournament | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 14, 2011 |  Canada |
1–1 |  Panama |
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup | 20,109 |
 United States |
1–0 |  Guadeloupe |
|||
| March 31, 2012 |  El Salvador U-23 |
2–3 (AET) |  Honduras U-23 |
2012 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament | 16,101 |
 Mexico U-23 |
3–1 | Canada U-23 |
|||
| April 2, 2012 | Honduras U-23 |
1–2 | Mexico U-23 |
10,501 | |
| October 16, 2012 | United States |
3–1 |  Guatemala |
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification | 16,947 |
| October 11, 2013 | United States |
2–0 |  Jamaica |
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification | 18,467 |
| July 13, 2015 |  Haiti |
1–0 | Honduras |
2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup | 18,467 |
| United States |
1–1 | Panama |
|||
| October 1, 2015 | Panama U-23 |
1–1 |  Cuba U-23 |
2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship | 3,827 |
| United States U-23 |
3–1 | Canada U-23 |
|||
| October 3, 2015 | Canada U-23 |
3–1 | Panama U-23 |
3,755 | |
| Cuba U-23 |
1–6 | United States U-23 |
|||
| May 28, 2016 | United States |
4–0 |  Bolivia |
Friendly | 8,894 |
| June 26, 2019 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
1–1 |  Guyana |
2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup | 17,037 |
| United States |
1–0 | Panama |
|||
| July 11, 2021 | Canada |
4–1 |  Martinique |
2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup | 12,664 |
| United States |
1–0 | Haiti |
|||
| July 15, 2021 | Haiti |
1–4 | Canada |
7,511 | |
| Martinique |
1–6 | United States |
|||
| July 18, 2021 | United States |
1–0 | Canada |
18,467 | |
| June 5, 2022 | United States |
0–0 |  Uruguay |
Friendly | 19,569 |
| June 25, 2024 |  Peru |
0–1 | Canada |
2024 Copa América Group A | 15,625 |
| September 7, 2024 | United States |
1–2 | Canada |
Friendly | 10,523 |
Women's Matches
| Date | Team 1 | Result | Team 2 | Event | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 17, 2011 |  United States |
1–1 | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
Friendly | 16,191 |
| October 15, 2014 |  Guatemala |
0–1 |  Haiti |
2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship | 3,621 |
| United States |
1–0 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
|||
| October 16, 2014 |  Costa Rica |
1–0 |  Mexico |
N/A | |
 Jamaica |
6–0 |  Martinique |
|||
| July 22, 2016 | United States |
4–0 | Costa Rica |
2016 Olympics warm-up | 12,635 |
| July 26, 2018 |  Brazil |
1–3 | .svg){kind=small} Australia |
2018 Tournament of Nations | 10,307 |
| United States |
4–2 |  Japan |
18,467 | ||
| October 21, 2021 | United States |
0–0 |  South Korea |
Friendly | 18,467 |
| September 3, 2022 | United States |
4–0 |  Nigeria |
14,502 |
Stadium Name Changes
When the stadium first opened in 2011, it was called Livestrong Sporting Park. This was part of a partnership with the Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation. The soccer club agreed to donate money to the foundation.
However, in 2013, Livestrong and Sporting Kansas City decided to end their naming agreement. The stadium was then simply called Sporting Park for a couple of years.
On November 19, 2015, a new partnership was announced. Children's Mercy Hospital became the new naming partner for ten years. That's why the stadium is now known as Children's Mercy Park!
Attendance Records
Children's Mercy Park has seen some huge crowds over the years. The 2013 MLS All-Star Game set a record with 21,175 people. Just a week later, a regular season game against the New York Red Bulls broke that record with 21,304 fans.
The biggest crowd ever was 21,650 people. This happened twice in 2013. First, during a playoff game where Sporting Kansas City beat the Houston Dynamo. Then, two weeks later, the same number of fans watched Sporting win the MLS Cup 2013 in a penalty shootout against Real Salt Lake.
Awards and Recognition
Children's Mercy Park has won awards for being a great stadium:
- It won the "Venue of the Year Award" and "Community Award" at TheStadiumBusiness Awards in 2012.
- It was a finalist for "Sports Facility of the Year" in 2012 by SportsBusiness Journal.
- It was also a finalist for the "New Venue Award" at TheStadiumBusiness Awards in 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Children's Mercy Park para niños
