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Sports Medicine Center

Nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report

USWNR Orthopedics

Children’s Mercy is the best in the game when it comes to pediatric sports medicine. In our nationally ranked Sports Medicine Center, we help student-athletes maintain and increase strength and speed through performance conditioning. When injuries occur, we have the specialized care your student athlete needs to maximize their healing potential and get back to the competition they love.

Strengthening student-athletes:
mind, body and spirit


Our sports medicine team knows that student-athletes’ bodies are still developing. They need a care plan tailored to their specific circumstances, not a one-size-fits-all approach. We bring together board-certified sports medicine physicians, nurses, athletic trainers, nutritionists and physical therapists who all have a passion for helping student athletes reach their peak performance.

We also understand that your student-athlete is more than just a position on a team. They are integrating the demands of their sport alongside their academic, family and social commitments. Sometimes, the pressure is intense, especially when an injury means unexpected time on the sidelines.

Our social work and mental health professionals care for your child as a whole person and help them stay positive and focused during their rehabilitation and recovery.

Clinical Services

Our team at the Sports Medicine Center offers a full spectrum of world-class care for youth and adolescent athletes in Kansas City and throughout the Midwest. 

The Adaptive Sports Medicine program at Children’s Mercy provides comprehensive evaluation and guidance for children and teens with all types of disabilities who want to participate in sports. The program combines elements of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine to ensure equitable access to sports medicine and musculoskeletal care for participants with impairments.

Our athletic trainers are certified, licensed health care professionals whose primary concern is the wellbeing of student-athletes. They are on the sidelines at local high school and club team sporting events to manage emergency situations, evaluate injuries, and provide guidance on next steps after an injury.

Concussions can happen during almost any sport. Children’s Mercy’s board-certified sports medicine physicians will perform a thorough evaluation and create a plan to help your student-athlete recover and get back to playing the sport they love.

The Human Performance Lab at Children’s Mercy utilizes 3D motion-capture technology to analyze the body. This state-of-the-art technology allows our health care providers to make more informed and precise treatment recommendations for adolescents and children who need specialized care.

When a sports-related injury sidelines your athlete, Children’s Mercy has the pediatric-trained specialists to get them back to the game they love as soon as safely possible.

Children’s Mercy sports medicine surgeons specialize in expert care and treatment for student-athletes of all ages. When you visit with your surgeon and their team, your student-athlete is the center of the conversation. The surgical team will work together with you to design a plan for surgery that fits with your family’s needs and expectations.

Sports performance services can help your athlete become stronger. From sports medicine-focused primary care to nutrition to injury prevention, we will work with your child in meeting their personal goals.

Children's Mercy coaches work 1-on-1 with adolescents to become stronger and more well-rounded athletes. The program is for children 12 years and up.

Sports physical therapy helps student-athletes recover from sports-related injuries. Our expert physical therapists are trained to meet your child’s needs from middle school through their college career.

Stories

Debilitating Pain: Lauren’s Story

Multiple challenges threatened this baton twirler’s college ambitions. Nicole Hogan, DPT, got her back on track. 

Meet Lauren

Lateral meniscus tear: Deron’s story

A chronic knee injury hampered Deron's football career, but with comprehensive care from the Sports Medicine Center, the Coffeyville Community College tight end returned to the field for the 2022 season. 

Meet Deron
Deron throws the medicine ball against a wall to increase his explosiveness.

Spondylolisthesis recovery: Gabby’s story

A high school athlete chases her college gymnastic dreams with the help of former NCAA Division I gymnast, Brooke Boehmer, DPT.

Meet Gabby
Sports Medicine patient, Gabby, smiling while at Sports Medicine Center.

MACI surgery recovery: Hidde’s story

Division I basketball player Hidde Roessink learned to harness his strength while recovering from knee surgery with the help of former Division I player, Kaylee Hoffman, DPT.

Meet Hidde
Hidde Roessink smiling and holding a Wilson basketball that also has the NCAA logo in it.

Tommy John surgery recovery: Gage’s story

A college catcher-turned-pitcher with a powerful arm faces the biggest challenge of his athletic career yet. The strong trust he built with the team at Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine Center is supporting his journey back to the mound.

Meet Gage

Find Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine on social media

Premier sports training facilities


As the official health care partner for Sporting KC Academy and the Pinnacle National Development Center, Children’s Mercy offers state-of-the-art facilities where student-athletes can work out using the latest equipment and techniques.  

Sports Medicine Center at Village West

Our Village West location in Kansas City, Kansas offers many amenities, including our human performance and motion analysis lab and an anti-gravity treadmill. Often, Sporting KC and US Soccer players are training in this same location as well.

Sports Medicine Center at Blue Valley

Our Blue Valley sports medicine gym in Johnson County offers comprehensive rehabilitation options for any sports injury, including a basketball court with regulation sized goal and textured track lanes.

Strengthening the sports community

Children’s Mercy is the official health care and sports medicine provider for Sporting Kansas City and the Pinnacle National Development Center. The partnership works to improve youth health, access to pediatric sports medicine and provide soccer-specific curriculum for the Sporting Club Network.

Kansas City area high schools, clubs and organizations have selected to partner with Children’s Mercy to provide sports medicine and athletic training services throughout the metro area. You’ll see athletic trainers from Children’s Mercy on the field every sports season.

See our partnerships
Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery

Section Chief, Sports Medicine; Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine; Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kansas School of Medicine

4.8 out of 5