Thursday, November 19, 2015

Sporting KC and Children's Mercy Announce Partnership, Sporting Park Now Children's Mercy Park

Sporting Kansas City and Children's Mercy Hospital today announced a long term partnership "to promote health and fitness among Kansas City-area schoolchildren and provide specialized sports medicine to a youth athlete market that has experienced a substantial increase in sports-related injuries."

The partnership is a 10 year agreement that will begin in 2016 and will focus on three areas; improving access to pediatric-trained sports medicine, strengthing community, protecting youth athletes and educating parents and coaches. And while there's plenty of PR speak in the release about these sections I don't doubt that much of this will be done. On the first point, Children's Mercy will open a sports medicine and rehabilitation center at the National Training Center when it opens.

Having one of the best medical centers for children in the country opening a center in a facility that will very likely be used by US youth national teams over the years (along with SKC academy and other children) is a no brainer. As for strengthing the community, it's a lot of PR speak, but this will strength Sporting's connection with Children's Mercy, especially with the Victory Project. And on the protecting youth athletes point, Children's Mercy will develop a "soccer-specific curriculum" for the Sporting Club Network as well as providing training, rehabilitation, and conditioning program for the academy.

The partnership will also give Children's Mercy exclusive naming rights to Sporting Park, which will be renamed Children's Mercy Park. It also gives Children's Mercy the naming rights to the team's training center as well as the championship field at the Swope Soccer Village. It'll be the third official name for the stadium since its completion back in 2011 when it was LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
Overall I don't think SKC could have done any better with their new name for the stadium. Children's Mercy is a fantastic hospital and working with them on this seems to be a no brainer.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good cause. Dumb name for the stadium though.

Ryde Natural Health said...

It's a very good news for the children that sporting park is now children's mercy park. It should be happened. Because children also need refreshment to lead healthy life. Thanks for sharing nice info.