UIHLEIN
SOCCER PARK
MILWAUKEE, WI
by Tammy Gilpin-Ripp
12
O
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.
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
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 park has also served as host to semi-
professional and professional soccer
teams. Uihlein was home to United States