Dreaming of future home games

By: David Cordill

Posted: 8/25/08

I always seem to be missing out on something.

In 1972, my Cub Scout group was scheduled to go watch the Royals play on Opening Day at the brand new Harry S. Truman Sports Complex.

My buddies from Pack 430 in Clinton, Mo. and I instead watched the game from the unspectacular confines of the dying Municipal Stadium. Due to several workers' strikes and other setbacks the baseball stadium's unveiling was delayed until the following year.

In 1996, I was to take over the coveted men's basketball beat for The Scout at Penn Valley Community College. I planned to return to the newspaper following Christmas break. Longtime Head Coach A. Fred Pohlman had an unlikely crew of overachievers that year, and I was chomping at the bit to get in on their run toward a possible postseason tournament berth.

Insufficient funding and an instructor's resignation, however, cancelled the newspaper's remaining production schedule. That season, Penn Valley won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Championship.

And there were other misses too. On my eleventh birthday I had a root canal. As a server in various restaurants, I worked every Thanksgiving, Easter, and Mother's Day. I nearly missed last Christmas, as I battled a flu strain so bad it needed its own 1970's Blacksploitation theme music.

Now, as I embark on my fourth and final semester of covering men's soccer at UMKC, I have a sinking feeling I'm getting passed by again. I say this because I know if everything goes as planned; the Kangaroo footballers will have a real home in the 2009 season; and I won't be around to take pleasure in it, not as a sportswriter anyway.

Still, it couldn't happen to a more deserving program.

When I started at University News in 2005, the soccer team toiled in anonymity on a less-than-suitable soccer pitch within Swope Park. A supposed home venue for the Roos, the opposing team's fans would often outnumber the host's supporters.

A couple of years later, a deal allowing the Kangaroos to use the Kansas City Wizards' practice facilities for home games was discussed and supported by the Department of Athletics. Unfortunately, a proper agreement could not be reached and UMKC scrambled to find an alternative home base.

A suitable arrangement for the 2007 season was made with Rockhurst University. The Roos had also used Rockhurst's stadium for their final games of the 2006 season, when turf conditions at Swope Park were far from ideal.

So, the team was closer to campus, but they still weren't quite home. A faithful following of fans would show up at the matches and the plush turf was immaculate; yet, playing there still felt like we were wearing someone else's shirt.

Several blocks west of Troost Avenue, the UMKC soccer field sat unused for competition; it was not wide enough for NCAA specifications. There were renovation rumors afoot, but no one was talking about where the money was going to come from. That was until last May, when the Stanley H. Durwood Foundation slapped down a cool $5 million for a new stadium.

And what is it that justifies this gift to the UMKC soccer team? Well, the team has gone 29-24-2 in conference play with Head Coach Rick Benben at the helm and they have been one of the more successful sporting entities at the University in recent history.

Now in his 11th season, Benben's teams have reached the NCAA College Cup tournament twice, most recently in 2003. During this time, Benben received conference Coach of the Year honors on three occasions.

With all due respect, some of our teams have conquered much less and still enjoy the benefits of student and alumni patronage. The women's basketball and volleyball teams both play their home games on campus at the Swinney Recreation Center and benefit from the logistics. The men's basketball team plays at a more distant downtown venue (Municipal Auditorium), but its program receives more promotion through its high-profile stature.

The Kangaroos are slated to begin play at the Stanley H. Durwood Stadium during the 2009 season. This year, however, they will once again play all of their home games at Rockhurst.

Most likely due to scheduling conflicts with the athletics department at Rockhurst, the Roos home segment of their 2008 agenda is curiously lumped together over an eight week period. They will play all seven of their home matches during this time frame.

This venue snafu should not be an issue next year. I do plan to take in a few matches when I can, just to see what it's like for our guys to finally play a home game. It's something I really don't want to miss.

dcordill@unews.com