A Community Dream: The Rebirth of Inclusive Sports in Liberal

Liberal Kansas | February 4, 2026

By Claudia Amaro

Picture of the old high school gymnasium acquired by Emmanuel Bañuelos and Nereida Torres. By Emmanuel Bañuelos

Emmanuel Bañuelos and Nereida Torres share the dream of creating a space for everyone in Liberal Kansas. Picture provided by Emmanuel Bañuelos.

Emmanuel Bañuelos and his wife, Nereida Torres, founders of the nonprofit organization ABA Sporting Center, Inc., are on a mission to transform a historic gym, abandoned since 1982, into an inclusive sports hub for the entire community. Driven by an urgent need to provide hundreds of children and teens with a safe, year-round space, the couple has pushed past weather challenges and limited access to city facilities to acquire an iconic property and build a permanent home where family unity and development can flourish without discrimination.​

This project is more than a renovation; it is a direct response to the shortage of inclusive spaces in a city where, according to Bañuelos, soccer is often treated as a “third option” and where many children have no choice but to train in home garages or in freezing temperatures. By rescuing this historic building, ABA Sporting is not only filling a crucial gap in the local sports infrastructure but also reviving a piece of the city’s collective memory, promising an accessible refuge where “all children are equal on the field” and no family is excluded for lack of money or connections.​

From discrimination to opportunity

The seed of this dream was planted around 2008, when Bañuelos, originally from Zacatecas, Mexico, witnessed a harsh reality on the field: children facing discrimination. Seeing overweight or less athletic kids denied playing time on other teams, he decided to create an alternative where the focus would be on development, not exclusion. What began as a group of organized parents under the name “Wizards” (a nod to Liberal’s connection to The Wizard of Oz) evolved into a community force that travels across Kansas, representing the city in soccer tournaments.​

Emmanuel Bañuelos

Wizards

Wizards

Wizards

Wizards

Wizards

Wizards

Wizards Champions

Awards

Growth, however, brought new obstacles. Despite serving hundreds of children, the organization has increasingly encountered closed doors. “About a year ago, the doors started closing on us,” Bañuelos recalls, describing how changes in school and city leadership have limited access to public gyms, citing concerns about floor damage or prioritizing other sports.

A winter without a roof

The lack of facilities has forced the community into dire circumstances. “We practice in my garage; we practice in parents’ garages… or in rooms that don’t have heating,” Emmanuel says. The passion for sport doesn’t freeze in winter, but the dignity of young athletes demands something better. Bañuelos refuses to accept that in a city with more than ten gyms, children must brave the elements simply because of administrative unwillingness.​

The discovery: “I saw my dream come true.”

A long-closed former high school gym, owned by a church and shuttered for more than 40 years, offered a way forward. When the city’s director toured the property with Emmanuel, he saw only debris and decay. “It’s a pile of trash,” he told him. Emmanuel saw something else: “I saw my dream come true in that room.”

The building, though in need of roof repairs, remains structurally sound and rich with history. Former students who remember their glory days on that court have already contacted Emmanuel to request that seats or lockers be saved as mementos. ABA Sporting Center, Inc. aims to honor that legacy by restoring the gym not just for soccer but as a family events center serving the entire community.​

A future of whole peace

ABA Sporting’s impact is already evident: many of its young players have gone on to college and earned athletic scholarships, choosing sports and studying over sedentary, screen-centered habits. Now, the goal is to solidify that impact under their own roof.

“My dream is to have peace here in town,” Bañuelos says. The ultimate mission is to offer “whole peace” to every family, a place where they can leave stress at the door and spend time together in safety and trust. ABA Sporting Center, Inc. is calling on foundations, construction companies, and neighbors to join this effort. This is not just about raising walls, but about lifting an entire community and ensuring that in Liberal, Kansas, sports and history come together to give new generations a brighter future.