On March 29 and 30, a weekend-long soccer tennis tournament called Copa de Calle will take its first shot at amplifying cultures in Kansas City.
The tournament is set for two neighborhoods at opposite ends of the KC Streetcar line: the River Market and the Crossroads Arts District. The River Market will have Vietnamese-themed courts set up in the City Market, and the Crossroads will have Mexican-themed courts outside of Made Mobb.
Soccer tennis (short version: tennis using a soccer ball and your feet) will be the centerpiece, but the tournament’s organizers are laser focused on creating a lively atmosphere surrounding it.
“We want people dancing, we want the DJ blasting music, we want good food, the smell of good food in the air,” says Brad Leonard, who founded Ryogoku Soccer Academy, the Northeast Kansas City private school that’s putting on the tournament. “And we just want people to have fun, connect, and just experience Kansas City for what it is—which we believe it’s awesome.”
Leonard says each court will have DJs and food and drink vendors—including sponsors Cafe Cà Phê and Ollama. Spectators can play tech ball (short version: soccer table tennis) on the periphery. The tournament, which consists of 2-on-2 matchups, will go from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. both days.
Leonard hopes this is the first of many Copas de Calles. The academy hopes to host the tournament twice a year, picking up steam—and more culture-themed courts along the streetcar line—as the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches.
“We’re trying to build it up each time,” he says. “We’re going to host this twice a year, and so by the time the World Cup hits, we want to have 20 courts, 20 cultures, and have something for everybody, right?”
Eventually, Leonard wants the tournament to serve as a day-long tour of Kansas City.
“We’re going to try to structure the games and the environments to where people are moving. So you might start your morning in City Market, which is always a good place to start, and then slowly, through the day, you’re going to move toward the Crossroads. And if you’re an adult, that’s kind of the spot you want to be on a Friday or Saturday night at 8 o’clock.”
You can find updates on Copa de Calle’s Instagram. Teams can register here.