GO Indoor

Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club Opens Learning Center atUihlein Soccer Park by Alyssa Klopatek he M i lw auk ee Ki ck er s L e ar ning Cente r, located at Ui hle in Socc er Par k in M il w auk e e, W i s c ons i n, allows opportunities for soccer education clinics, special events and corporate meetings. The main room features a 61-inch screen with television, video and PCbased software projection capabilities. During this past summer, soccer enthusiasts gathered here at 2 a.m. to watch the W o rl d Cup from South Korea and Japan. The state-of-the-art Learning Center opened in July 2001 and has provided the M i lw auk ee Ki c k er s Soc ce r Cl ub with innumerable opportunities to host club referee and coaching clinics, as well as tournament meetings, summer soccer camps and corporate events. Comfortable seating and workspace is available for groups of 30 or more. The room also offers an audio/visual system, equipped with DVD, CD, VHS and cassette players, plus surround-sound speakers. "The Learning Center has improved the effectiveness of our referee licensing clinics," says Milwaukee Kickers' referee administrator Bi l l Ric he. "We use video to demonstrate soccer skills and game situations. Visual aids are much easier to understand than written explanations, especially when it comes to a game as active as soccer." The MK Learning Center is the most recent major renovation to Uihlein T Soccer Park, which opened in 1995 and joined the Un i t e d S t a t e s I n d o o r So cc er A s s o c i a t i o n in 2002. The park's professionallymaintained facilities include 13 outdoor fields, 3 indoor fields, concessions facilities, trainer's room and locker rooms. Uihlein Soccer Park is the official training facility of the Milwaukee Wave and the home of the Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club, an organization dedicated to youth soccer since 1968. The Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club boasts over 7,000 youth members and serves nearly 10,000 area children annually through soccer instruction clinics, community soccer camps and league play. Uihlein Soccer Park's creation in 1995 was made possible through a groundbreaking collaborative effort between M i l w a u k e e Co u n t y , the Ui h l e i n F a m i l y Tr u s t and the Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club. Since its construction, additions and improvements have been continually made to the park. The facility boasts two outdoor, lighted stadium fields with bleachers and electronic scoreboards, A s t roPl ay surfacing on the three indoor fields, a full food and beverage facility, the MK Learning Center and more. MIlwaukee Kickers Learning 8 • Dec.-Jan. 2002 • G O A L Ind o o r The Milwaukee Kickers hold annual indoor and outdoor events at Uihlein Soccer Park, from club tournaments and skills clinics to ethnic festivals, community gatherings and professional tournaments. The MK Learning Center is often utilized at these events for event and volunteer meetings. quality presentation and to know that coaches really understand the curriculum I prepared," said Panek. Coach Panek knows that the MK Learning Center's technology improves and clarifies his presentations, which in turn produces a knowledgeable and respected roster of coaches for the Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club. "Many people are surprised to find One of Uihlein's three indoor fields The MK Learning Center is an asset to the city of Milwaukee and surrounding areas as well—the room is available for rent on an hourly, half-day or fullday basis for company training and workshops. Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club teams receive discounted Learning Center rental rates as a membership benefit. The MK Learning Center is in use every week for soccer education clinics, meetings and presentations. Recently, Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club's director of coaching, Je r r y Pa nek , was seen at the MK Learning Center's PC console, fine-tuning a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for his upcoming coaching course and preparing a visual presentation complete with video clips demonstrating children's soccer skills drills. "It's a great feeling to give a high- a room like the MK Learning Center at Uihlein Soccer Park," said park operations manager M a t t Toe l le r. "The area is so versatile, it's equipped with highquality technology, and it's a part of what makes our soccer park unique." Alyssa Klopatek is the Communications Coordinator Milwaukee Kickers. She can be reached at (414) 358-2678 ext. 208 or AlyssaK@mksc.org. AlyssaK@mksc.org

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