Sports in Wichita, Kansas facts for kids

Wichita, Kansas is a city that loves sports! It's home to many exciting teams, from professional athletes to college and high school stars. You can find all sorts of sports here, like baseball, basketball, hockey, and even soccer.

Awesome Sports Teams in Wichita

Wichita has a great mix of teams. Let's explore some of them!

Pro and Semi-Pro Teams

These teams play at a high level, often with paid players.

• Wichita Wings: This team plays fast-paced indoor soccer.
• Kansas Stars: A professional baseball team that brings exciting games to the city.
• Wichita Wind Surge: Another professional baseball team, part of the Minor League Baseball system.
• Wichita Thunder: Get ready for action with this professional ice hockey team.
• FC Wichita: A semi-professional soccer team.
• Wichita Force: This team plays indoor football, which is a thrilling, high-scoring game.
• Kansas Diamondbacks: A minor-pro football team.
• Wichita Skyhawks: Another semi-pro football team in the area.

Non-Professional Teams

These teams play for the love of the game!

• Wichita Barbarians: A fun Rugby union team.
• Wichita World 11: This team plays Cricket, a popular sport around the world.
• ICT Roller Derby: A fast and exciting sport played on roller skates.

College Sports Teams

Wichita is home to several universities with strong sports programs.

• Friends University Falcons Athletics: They have many teams, including Baseball, Football, Volleyball, Soccer, Cross Country, Basketball, Tennis, Track and Field, and Golf.
• Newman University Jets Athletics: Their sports include Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Wrestling, Volleyball, and Cheer/Dance.
• Wichita State Shockers Athletics: This university has very successful teams in sports like Men's and Women's Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Track and Field, Tennis, and Bowling.

The Wichita State Shockers are known for their amazing achievements:

• WSU Shockers Baseball team: They have been to the Collegiate World Series seven times. This is a huge tournament for college baseball teams. They even won a National Championship in 1989!
• WSU Shockers Basketball team: In the 2013–2014 season, the men's team had a perfect record in regular play. They even made it to the "Final Four" in the NCAA tournament, which is a big deal in college basketball. Many Shocker basketball players have become national stars and even Olympic gold medalists!
• WSU Shockers Bowling team: They have won an incredible 19 national championships. That's more than any other college team in the country!

High School Sports

Young athletes in Wichita also have great opportunities.

• Crusaders Unified: This is a high school boys' lacrosse team started in 2014. It's for students from Kapaun High School.
• Wichita Rowing Association: High school students can join this rowing team. They practice and compete all year long.

Sports Organizations and Places

Wichita also has important organizations and places dedicated to sports.

• The National Baseball Congress: This group helps organize baseball leagues across the country. Wichita has been its home and the place for its big National Tournament for a long time.
• The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame: You can find this museum at the Wichita Boathouse. It celebrates famous athletes and teams from Kansas.
• The Wichita Sports Hall of Fame and Museum: This place also honors local sports heroes and their achievements.

Cool Sports Venues

Wichita has many places where you can watch or play sports.

Intrust Bank Arena

• Intrust Bank Arena: This is a huge arena with 15,000 seats! It's where the Wichita Thunder hockey team plays.
• Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center: This big downtown building is used for many things, including sports shows and events.
• Charles Koch Arena: Located at Wichita State University, this is the home court for the WSU Shocker basketball team. Many high school sports events and concerts happen here too.
• Eck Stadium: Also at Wichita State University, this is a fantastic baseball stadium. It's where the WSU Shocker Baseball team plays their home games.
• 81 Motor Speedway: Just north of Wichita, this is a racetrack where you can see all kinds of car, truck, and motorcycle races.
• Hartman Arena: This arena is in Park City, a town just north of Wichita. It's home to the Wichita Wings (indoor soccer) and the Wichita Force (indoor football).
• Sam Fulco Pavilions: In Park City, these buildings are used for rodeos, horse shows, and other animal competitions.
• Wichita Ice Arena: This public ice-skating rink is west of downtown. It's great for skating and also hosts ice-skating competitions.
• Adair-Austin Stadium: This 5,000-seat stadium is home to the Friends University Falcons football and soccer teams. It's also used for track and field events.