KENOSHA, Wis. – On Sept. 25, 2021 at 5:30 p.m., Parkside Athletics will hold a ceremony to officially name the new multipurpose indoor turf center as the Rick Kilps Center. Kilps is a 1975 Parkside graduate that served the University for more than 25 years in various roles, most notably as the head men's soccer coach.
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"It is going to be an exciting weekend for Parkside Athletics!" current head coach Jason Zitzke said. "It is the perfect opportunity for our alumni and community members to get their first look at our new state-of-the-art facility. This dedication is a special way to celebrate the impact Coach Kilps had on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and especially the men's soccer program. This facility is going to honor his legacy."
The state-of-the-art Rick Kilps Center will be an immediate game changer for Parkside Athletics, providing a first-class practice facility for men's soccer, women's soccer, baseball and softball. These student-athletes – who regularly feel the adverse effects of the Wisconsin winters and have previously been routinely forced off campus for indoor practices – will now have a training center just steps from their locker rooms.
If you are interested in attending the event and celebrating the dedication of the Rick Kilps Center on Sept. 25 at 5:30 p.m., please RSVP and more information will be provided to you in the weeks to come.
"We're thrilled to open the Rick Kilps Center as an incredible new asset for our athletics department and community," said Andrew Gavin, Director of Athletics. "We're excited to get together with alumni, sponsors, student-athletes, donors, and supporters to honor Coach Kilps and his legacy during the formal dedication ceremony."
If you would like to support the project through donations or partnerships, you can do so on the RangerVision 2020 website or by contacting Assistant AD/Advancement and Partnerships Jake Sutter (sutter@uwp.edu).
ABOUT RICK KILPS
Rick Kilps, a member of Parkside Hall of Fame, amassed 363 victories over 27 years as the leader of the Parkside men's soccer program. That success ranked him fifth in all-time victories among men's soccer coaches in the history of NCAA Division II at the time of his retiring.
Kilps' program established a standard for success throughout his career. His teams were nationally ranked in 24 out of his 27 years as head coach; climbing as high as #1 in the country in 1994. The Rangers reached the final four of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament ten times while claiming the 2000 GLVC Championship.
He was a six-time NAIA District Coach of the Year and three-time Area Coach of the Year while also receiving two NCAA Regional Coach of the Year awards. Prior to his induction at UW-Parkside he was enshrined in the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame.
Kilps' mentored 85 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Region recipients and 41 All-Americans at UW-Parkside. Prior to Parkside's transition to NCAA Division II he guided 47 NAIA all-district players. He's had 18 players drafted or sign contracts after their careers have ended with 13 going on to play professionally.
A grand total of 119 GLVC all-academic awards were bestowed on Kilps' players after joining the league. Five of those players earned NSCAA Regional All-Academic Team awards and three took home the GLVC's Academic Player of the Year Award. The team won 12 awards for Academic Excellence from the NSCAA over his last 15 years by achieving the necessary 3.0 team grade point average.
Kilps also was instrumental in the development of the Wood Road Field soccer complex on the east side of campus. He worked as the school's head trainer from 1984-1998 while also serving as an associate professor of education.
