UIHLEIN SOCCER PARK MILWAUKEE, WI

UIHLEIN
SOCCER PARK
MILWAUKEE, WI
by Tammy Gilpin-Ripp
pened in 1994, Uihlein Soccer Park is a
proud part of the award-winning Milwaukee
County Park System and is host to over
600,000 visitors each year. A member of
the United States Indoor Sports Association
since 2002, many consider it Wisconsin’s
premier indoor/outdoor soccer complex.
Built as a joint venture between Milwaukee
County and the Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club
(MKSC), the park houses MKSC coaching and
administrative staff, and serves as the “Home
of the Milwaukee Kickers” which is a nonprofit
youth soccer organization that spans 15
regions and serves over 6,000 youth players
ages 5-17 in Southeastern Wisconsin.
O
and the park’s accessible location from
across the Midwest, it hosts a number of
high profile, highly attended soccer events
and tournaments. Examples include World
Cup viewing parties; a fundraising event in
partnership with the Wisconsin Youth Soccer
Association (WYSA) for TOPSoccer and Soccer
Across America, led by special guest and
soccer legend Abby Wambach; four major
youth soccer tournaments, averaging 150
teams per event; the Wisconsin Youth Soccer
Association (WYSA) State Championships;
and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic
Association (WIAA) Boys and Girls State
Soccer Championships.
The soccer park’s many features include 13 full
size outdoor soccer fields, two lighted stadium
turf fields, three indoor fields surfaced with
artificial turf, full food and beverage facilities,
and locker rooms. Because of these amenities
The park has also served as host to semiprofessional and professional soccer
teams. Uihlein was home to United States
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not turn anyone away who wants to rent space
or partner with the park to host their events.
To meet that growing demand, the park
initiated a growth development plan that
includes expanding the current footprint
from 69 acres to 86 acres and, possibly, the
addition of more land adjacent to the park.
As conceived, the additional property would
provide court sports, like basketball, volleyball
and futsal.
Interregional Soccer League A-League
Milwaukee Rampage (1994-2002) and the
long-time practice facility for the Major Arena
Soccer League Milwaukee Wave (1984-).
Beginning in 2016, the park will home games
for the National Premier Soccer League
Milwaukee Torrent (2015-).
With indoor and outdoor play capability, the
park is a bustling year-round facility that
serves youth and adult soccer leagues. The
park is also host to practices, games
and tournaments for lacrosse, field
hockey, ultimate frisbee and indoor
football. With a full-time grounds
crew, transforming fields is
not an issue. What is an
increasingly common issue is
trying to fulfill requests and
“Without question, the motivation for the
current expansion and prospecting for adjacent
land is based on supply and demand,” said
Alvaro Garcia-Velez, Executive Director of the
Milwaukee Kickers. “We continually receive
requests to host more tournaments and
increased interest from our MKSC teams,
as well as local clubs, leagues and collegiate
Abby Wambach
at Uihlein Soccer Park
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teams to play year-round. It’s not a question of
if we expand, it’s a question of when.”
Increased demand has also been the result
of a mutually beneficial partnership with VISIT
Milwaukee, the tourism marketing organization
of the Greater Milwaukee Area, to attract
sporting events of regional and national scope.
One of the new events that Uihlein Soccer
Park will be hosting in September 2016 is
the National Soccer Coaches Association
of America (NSCAA) College North, Soccer
Showcase – a win-win-win for all three
organizations, plus the Milwaukee Kickers.
Partnerships also play an important role in
the park’s steadfast commitment to serving
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the Milwaukee community. Hundreds of staff
and field hours are donated each year to
provide underserved and at-risk youth through
organizations like America SCORES Milwaukee
and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.
The facility is host to free or reduced fee
clinics and special events for nonprofit
organizations and schools, and offers yearround Open Play (weekday indoor field play for
MKSC members and the general public) when
field space is available.
“It’s a privilege to have this premier sports
facility, and it’s our goal to ensure that each
guest, whether they’ve traveled five or five
hundred miles to play or spectate, has an
outstanding, rewarding and memorable
experience,” said Garcia-Velez.
Tammy Gilpin-Ripp is the Director of
Marketing and Sponsorship at Milwaukee
Kickers Soccer Club.
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