US Youth Soccer (USYS) recently announced the organization will be returning to Wichita for the 2024 National Presidents Cup, one of its signature national events. The national competition will be held, July 12-16, 2024, at SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex.
The 2023 National Presidents Cup was held in Wichita this summer with great success, spurring its return in 2024, says Susie Santo, president and CEO of Visit Wichita.
“Wichita is an amazing sports city, a place where sports thrive, and Midwest hospitality stands ready to welcome visitors from all over the country. I am proud of the effort and execution by our team at Visit Wichita in 2023, and we are honored and ready to host another successful National President’s Cup in Wichita – the Heart of the Country,” said Santo.
USYS is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year and said each 2024 site was carefully picked to ensure the destination will enhance the experience for those involved, setting the stage for a year to remember.
“We are extremely excited to bring the National Presidents Cup back to Wichita, Kansas,” said USYS’ CEO Skip Gilbert. “We were incredibly impressed with Wichita in 2023. The destination proved to be an ideal host city with its central location, excellent amenities and outstanding organizers and community partners. USYS is eager to again work with Kansas Youth Soccer, Visit Wichita, SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex and the City of Wichita to make this event memorable as a part of our 50th anniversary.”
Josh Howell, vice president of sports development at Visit Wichita, says the 2023 event brought more than 2,000 athletes, coaches and officials, plus players’ friends and family to Wichita, resulting in an estimated local economic impact of approximately $3.8 million.
“Not only does this event provide a significant positive economic boost for Wichita, but the National Presidents Cup represents some of the best youth soccer players in the nation and is one of USYS’ most prestigious events. To be able to inspire them to return for a second year in a row is a testament to the dedication of our team and our community partners to put our best foot forward.”
Visit Wichita collaborated with the City of Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas Youth Soccer and the state of Kansas to submit the original bid and coordinated the initial site visit to obtain hosting rights for 2023. Visit Wichita then took the lead in hosting and executing the 2023 event.
“Kansas Youth Soccer is ecstatic about having a repeat opportunity to show off such a great soccer community in the great state of Kansas,” said Kansas State Youth Soccer Association Executive Director Joe Burger. “The commitment from the State of Kansas, City of Wichita, Visit Wichita and the SCHEELS Stryker Soccer Complex to create a second-to-none event for teams in 2023 that earned the right to host the National Presidents Cup in 2024 was unmatched. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Wichita in July 2024.”
City of Wichita officials are excited to once again be selected as the host city. “The City of Wichita is thrilled that USYS had the opportunity to discover in 2023 that Wichita is the perfect place for teams, fans and families,” said Becky Tuttle, Wichita city council member, District 2. “As a centrally located facility, our SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex is optimized for tournaments of all sizes, and we are honored to once again host the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup.”
The SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex, consisting of 11 all-turf fields, is one of the premier facilities in the country and served as a worthy host facility for last year’s National Presidents Cup. Another benefit of the complex is its convenient location near a wide variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options.
“To say that we are excited to have been selected to host this prestigious event again is an understatement,” said SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex General Manager Larry Inlow. “Athletes and spectators alike can expect to see fantastic teams, experience excellent competition and create lifelong memories in 2024. We look forward to hosting teams from across the nation and supporting them as they compete for a national championship.”
Information on other USYS 2024 site selections can be found on the National Presidents Cup website.
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