By Ali Yenchick
In just 12 months, AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk has evolved from an exciting grand opening into a powerful engine for play, performance, and placemaking across Overland Park and the Kansas City metro area—“one year strong, and just getting started.” The venue’s first year has been defined by packed weekends, marquee events, breakthrough youth programs, and measurable economic wins that ripple through the community and region.
Year One by the Numbers
- The sports park generated an estimated $14.5 million in regional economic impact through July 2025, buoyed by sports tourism, visitor spending, and job support.
- From January through August 2025, the park welcomed 466,100 guests, signaling strong regional demand and repeat visitation.
- Across October 2024 to September 2025, Bluhawk hosted 87 tournaments and events, drawing 110,235 attendees and reinforcing Overland Park’s reputation as a premier host city for high-quality competitions.
- Even the concessions tell a story: fans ordered 3,764 servings of chicken tenders (about 1,530 pounds) and 2,977 orders of fries and tots (about 1,120 pounds)—fueling families from morning warmups to championship finals.
A Destination Within a Destination
At the heart of the experience is Hawk’s Outpost, Bluhawk’s on-site family entertainment center that elevates the “play-all-day” promise—keeping athletes and families together on campus longer and enhancing the value for event organizers seeking comprehensive, family-forward experiences. The sports park sits within the larger Bluhawk District, a mixed-use hub with hotels, retail, restaurants, and entertainment that is projected to attract 3.8 million annual visitors—creating a seamless visitor journey from competition to celebration.
Big Moments, Bigger Reach
Bluhawk’s event calendar has blended elite, youth, and innovative programming to expand the venue’s reach and regional profile.
- A standout summer highlight: the Christian Braun Youth Basketball Camp brought the former Kansas University and current Denver Nuggets star to Overland Park for hands-on instruction for athletes ages 6–16, underscoring Bluhawk’s commitment to skill-building, confidence, and community leadership.
- The venue also demonstrated its versatility by booking unique non-sporting events, such as the Crash Combat Championship VI (MMA), which blew first-time expectations out of the water, attracting over 850 attendees that generated over $20,000 in food-and-beverage sales in a single evening–– all while maintaining core athletic programming earlier in the day.
“We are proving our ability to host diverse events while still serving our core athletic programming,” said General Manager Greg Jackson. “We’re excited to schedule more opportunities like this that are inclusive for the entire community.”
Elevating Access: Ice Programs Leading the Nation
Hockey can be one of the most expensive youth sports—but Bluhawk is rewriting the playbook for access. The rink ranked #1 nationally for participation in USA Hockey’s “Try Hockey for Free,” hosting three events in its first year and drawing large turnouts, including 175 participants in February and 123 at the September 13 event.
That entry point fuels a powerful pipeline: from Try Hockey for Free to Learn to Play and into the facility-owned IceHawks club program. In one year, IceHawks participation surged from 105 players to 290, with an additional 50–60 athletes on the waitlist—now spanning 23 teams from mini mites through high school and supported by a coaching staff of more than 40. Demand is so strong that the single sheet of ice is programmed from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and leadership is advancing Phase 2 plans for a second full-size rink plus a smaller training sheet to meet community needs.
Built for Sports Tourism—and Community Life
The first phase of Bluhawk’s state-of-the-art, 420,000-square-foot indoor sports park includes eight basketball (convertible to 16 volleyball/pickleball hardwood courts, an indoor turf field, an NHL-regulation ice rink, a sports performance training center, flexible meeting and event spaces, and multiple food-and-beverage options, all designed to maximize guest experience and event value. These capabilities are attracting regional and national organizers—and the families and fans who fill hotels, restaurants, and shops across the Bluhawk District and Overland Park.
The Regional Ripple Effect
With hundreds of thousands of visitors in just months and a multimillion-dollar economic lift, Bluhawk is strengthening Overland Park’s standing on national event circuits while creating local benefits that can be felt by small businesses, hospitality partners, and residents alike. The combination of tournament-caliber space, family entertainment, and mixed-use convenience makes the venue a magnet for return visits and longer stays—an advantage that compounds across the Kansas City metro and the Midwest.
Just Getting Started
As year two begins, Bluhawk’s momentum is unmistakable: more tournaments, deeper community programming, and expanded venue capabilities on the horizon, anchored by a vision to make sports more accessible, experiences more memorable, and regional impact more meaningful. One year in, this is more than a venue—it’s a community catalyst, building tradition and opportunity with every game, goal, and gathering.
