Daisy Garcia Montoya 
Education Reporter

Soccer enthusiasts will have plenty of events to look forward to as the 2026 World Cup arrives this summer and local organizations bring activities for local participation, one of them being Copa de Calle (Street Cup).

Last spring, Ryogoku Soccer Academy, an international school and soccer academy for boys in grades 6-12, created a street soccer tournament and took Copa de Calle to City Market and the Crossroads for the first time. 

Through its first edition in Kansas City, competitors participated in soccer tennis, a fusion similar to pickleball, where feet replace the paddles and a soccer ball is kicked over the net. 

After the two-day tournament was over, competitors and spectators alike have been patiently waiting for the street tournament to come back, with their pleas finally being answered. 

In just a few weeks, the West Bottoms area will be transformed into the home of this year’s Copa de Calle street soccer competition and will serve as a fundraiser for the students at Ryogoku.

Although last year’s competition featured soccer tennis, this year’s edition will be organized as a 3v3 soccer tournament. The tournament will take place on Saturday, May 23rd from 11-3pm at West Bottoms Liberty Square  and will follow a “Winner Stays On” format. 

This tournament will feature dedicated courts for three different age groups: 6-8, 9-12, and 12-15. Participants will have a $20 fee to play or can pay a $30 fee, which also includes a Senda Bag. 

Ryogoku Head of School Brad Leonard said that as he undertook his own responsibilities with the school and students, Board Chair Valeria (Val) Espadas decided to take on the lead on organizing and preparing for this year’s Copa. 

Focusing on the participant experience and community engagement became the leading guide as planning began underway. 

With the world’s biggest sporting tournament getting ready to make a stop in Kansas City, finding ways to increase excitement and participation became crucial for organizers. 

“Everyone’s looking for something and all we are hearing is watch parties. Brad and I thought to ourselves, how can we bring something different and make people feel like they’re part of something?” Espadas said. “Soccer is such a universal language and there’s so much passion behind it so we felt that Copa is the perfect way to get folks to be a part of something and not just watch.” 

Throughout the planning process, Espadas says that she’s gotten outreach from various organizations including Big Brothers and Big Sisters as well as interests from across the state line.

In working with prior collaborators like Cafe Cà Phê and FK Menace, Espadas wants to ensure that the tournament not only showcases the talent in Kansas City but also spotlights other partners in the community. 

“I know Copa is going to be big. Every year it will continue to grow, I want it to become a traveling tournament, that is my goal,” Espadas said. “So I start thinking about who am I going to bring with me? Who are we building up?”

Knowing that she wanted to highlight other organizations that align with Ryogoku’s mission and the idea of making soccer accessible to all despite socioeconomic factors, Espadas sought out Jennifer Ruiz as a partner for this year’s tournament. 

Ruiz, who founded the JR7 Footballers Club- a soccer training club- said that she created the program so that players in the community could have access to quality training at an affordable cost. 

With JR7 Footballers Club as the main collaborator at this year’s tournament, Ruiz will help create designated soccer courts for younger competitors. 

“Everybody’s excited for the World Cup and you don’t really see street soccer here. I grew up playing street soccer and I want my players to know what it is and learn the different sides of the sport,” Ruiz said. “They’re all from different backgrounds and have different visions of soccer.”

With a highly anticipated sporting event and an unprecedented number of tourists expected to stop in Kansas City over a span of a month, organizers said they want to capitalize on the excitement and create something for visitors to join and enjoy Kansas City soccer culture.

“Soccer culture here is growing and there’s room for everyone so if you like the city and like soccer, come to Copa,” Espadas said. 

Outside of the active participants playing on the courts, organizers want to remind the public that the event is family friendly and invite them to join in the fun regardless if they will be playing in the tournament or not. 

Attendees can expect vendors, food trucks, music from various DJ sets, as well as the opportunity to experience a street soccer tournament, something that is more common in coastal cities across the country. 

“I’m excited to showcase the ballers we have here in the Northeast. Ninth St. (soccer field) is filled with talent and sometimes those kids don’t get the opportunities to go to the highest levels due to costs but this will be a fun way to see and showcase that,” Espadas said. 

As a way to further support Ryogoku, any additional funds raised throughout the event will go back to the families and school. 

This year’s Copa de Calle will also serve as a kickoff event for a series of events that are still under wraps but will be planned around the World Cup during the summer, according to Espadas. 

“Copa has grown into its own thing. It’s part of our school, it’s a way to fund our school but also a way to celebrate soccer,” Leonard said.

For more information and details about the upcoming tournament, visit: Copa de Calle on Instagram.