FC Wichita Academy - International Residency School

FC WICHITA RESIDENTIAL ACADEMY 

FC Wichita announced today it's launch of an international soccer residency program designed to imitate the professional standards and resources offered in European and South American boarding schools. 

FC Wichita believes in a holistic approach to develop student-athletes and provide options that suit the objectives of each individual player by giving them the option to pair academy soccer development with an outstanding academic college curriculum at Life Prep Academy.  Students will live on campus and have classes each week Monday - Thursday. The residency tuition includes academics, housing, meals, and athletics. 

"This was the missing piece to get both the club and Wichita soccer to the next level", says FC Wichita founder Blake Shumaker. "Over the last 8 years we've made major headway towards the growth of soccer in our community. From successfully lobbying for a state-of-the-art complex, to the inclusion into youth national league platforms (ECNL) used for college identification, to the recent addition of the USL2 first team which gives players the most proven pre-professional pathway in the United States. We couldn't be more excited about the future than we are today."

The program will begin taking open enrollment applications on March 15th, 2022.   

CULTURE

With a seamless methodology that cultivates academic growth, athletic improvement, character development, and social responsibility, our program prepares student-athletes to become tomorrow's leaders and influencers, both in sport and in life. FC Wichita's goal is to combine athletic accomplishments with unparalleled college placement, creating an overall campus environment that’s both supportive yet challenging.

FULL IMMERSION IN A MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

For players who want to truly experience an immersive environment, FC Wichita gives players the option to board year-round on the campus at the Life Preparatory School, in Wichita, Kansas. With classmates and teammates coming from all over the world, players will live in a multicultural environment that replicates that of a professional team.

A strong characteristic of the FC Wichita Academy Residency is the unique opportunity to be part of an international community and being able to learn and engage with people coming from other cultures. Student-athletes enjoy a variety of sport, academic, cultural and personal learning experiences as a part of an extraordinary community.

The Academy Residency fosters a supportive and nurturing environment where all students and teammates will bond in this shared experience of being away from home. Those who are not American citizens will apply to receive an F-1 Visa. 

Players will learn the importance of open-mindedness, independence, responsibility, and integrity. 

RESIDENCY

A full remodel of a former hotel and conference center will eventually allow for over 450 fulltime student residents on the Life Prep campus. The student-athlete dormitories are located on the second floor above the general classrooms. In addition, the administration, cafeteria, and performing arts departments are also located inside the building, making it easy for students to be on schedule, avoid the occasional inclement weather, and have all their necessary resources under one roof.  

 *Note: Players do not have to be students or live on campus to join FC Wichita. Non-residential academy players are encouraged to continue playing for their high school until the kshsaa season has concluded. Those seasons are August-October for the boys, and March-May for the girls. 

tuition & Scholarship

The Academy will be offering up to $400,000 annually in scholarship money to qualified student-athletes. Each application will be reviewed in a timely manner and on a first-come-first-serve basis. All of this helping FC Wichita Academy to offer students affordable placement at over 50% less than many other residency programs across the United States.   

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