Fast-growing athletics academy to expand with an additional 50,000-square-foot space

For any couple to have four children, two full-time jobs and another business of their own on the side seems like an awful lot, but for former K-State Wildcats Jarell and Nikki Childs, that extra business makes a lot of sense.

Jarell Childs, a former K-State linebacker, and Nikki Childs, a cheerleader for the Wildcats, started Wildcat Athletics Academy in 2023 and now are expanding with a second building and more club sports in which children can participate.

“We really started this because we saw the need in Wichita,” Nikki Childs said.

Their academy, which isn’t affiliated with K-State but gives a nod to their school, is designed to be a competitive organization but also an affordable one. Childs said a lot of club sports are cost prohibitive for families.

“There’s a pretty high price tag attached to that, and that doesn’t always equate to quality.”

The first Wildcat facility, which the Childses own, opened last year for baseball and softball at 4200 S. Meridian. It has 12,000 square feet at the building and three ball fields outside. There are 16 acres for further expansion.

The new facility, which the Childses will rent from Builders Inc. , is at 1410 S. Glendale behind the Parklane Shopping Center, at Lincoln and Oliver. It’s where the YMCA has long held youth basketball.

Builders broker Adam Clements, who handled the Wildcat deal, said the YMCA has enough space now that it no longer needs the almost 50,000-square-foot Glendale building.

Initially, as the Childses were seeking additional space, they wanted something for cheer-related sports.

However, the new building has room for much more. Nikki Childs said they’ll renovate the space and add batting cages and pitching lanes.

The plan is to offer baseball and softball at both sites.

The academy also has expanded into basketball and cheerleading and plans to add volleyball, wrestling and a flag football league as well.

“There will be more coming,” Childs said.

The academy started with 104 athletes and now has 500.

The Childses want to expand beyond athletics to help their athletes.

Nikki Childs, a licensed therapist who is a clinical director for a behavioral health company, and Jarell Childs, who sells medical devices, want to offer counseling to give athletes and families support. That includes coaching their coaches to help catch warning signs of problems with athletes.

“Kids in general already go through a lot, and then you add the stress of youth sports and parents and coaching,” Nikki Childs said.

She said she and her husband are looking at “bridging the gap between mental health education and youth athletics.”

“How do we bridge these two worlds?”

She said the new building has office space with room to establish some kind of program to help.

The academy also helps financially by offering youth scholarships and raising money year round to help families. Each Wildcat athlete has a fundraising account to help pay for tuition and tournaments.

The new building will open Oct. 1.

When the expansions are complete, Nikki Childs said the academy will be the largest all-inclusive organization of its type in Wichita.

For now, she said she and her husband are investing everything the academy earns back into it, but she said she hopes one day the academy can hire her.

“I would love to be able to do this as a full-time job.”