A proposed new soccer fields strategy may help kick off an era of unparalleled co-operation in Richmond. Thirteen local soccer associations and clubs want to partner with the city to construct four artificial turf fields that would be part of a Richmond Training Centre. And the soccer community is prepared to help fund the project, offering to chip in $250,000 toward the estimated $6 million in capital costs. They're also willing to pay a further $140,000 annually for field maintenance and to support a user-pay model that would see each youth player pay about $30 and each adult player $45 per season.
Coun. Harold Steves, who chairs the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Committee that heard the presentation last Tuesday, is excited by the proposal. Councillors on the committee voted 7-0 to endorse the project in principle and refer it to staff for further review. Staff has been asked to look at cost feasibility and possible locations and report back to the committee by October.
I haven't seen much of sports groups for a long time," Steves said. And I suggest this is probably the most important proposal to come forward since we tried to acquire the Garden City Lands for sports fields and the Commonwealth Games some 15 years ago."
Steves said his preference is still to locate fields on the Garden City lands, but added this proposal provides for many additional spinoffs.
By putting in an artificial field system like this we'd be reducing the need for some 40 acres of play-based fields (which would potentially be returned to the city because sport would no longer need them)," he noted. That's about $40 million worth of fields and even if it costs us $5 million or $6 million to build (the artificial turfs) we're still saving $30 million to $35 million which would potentially be available for other uses."
Steves said a study several years ago concluded that Richmond was actually short of the recommended total park space for a city of its size by about 500 acres. While releasing 30 to 35 acres for other park use doesn't solve that problem, it goes a long way, he said.
Richmond Youth Soccer Association chair Roger Barnes, one of the chief architects of this proposal, said he left Tuesday's meeting feeling positive. He said that he and Roy Oostergo, the other main delegate representing the soccer community who is representing girls' soccer, have had extensive discussions with city staff during the past six to eight months. Barnes said he was encouraged by the enthusiasm councillors appear to share.
We'd like our relationship with the city to be more on-going and consultative so groups that use the facilities best have our needs met," he explained. But we had to approach this in a way that everybody wins."
Barnes said many existing fields are not suitable for play, but can be better used in other ways.
We can get by with fewer fields if they're better. If you use a sand field in late October it's absolutely superb but because we also practice on them we soon destroy them. We have good (natural) fields and we want to keep them that way but we can only do this by not over-using them. A field like Minoru Oval is a good example where the quality breaks down very quickly and then isn't suitable for games that should be played there (like a provincial Cup match)."
Barnes said bringing the soccer community together also allowed the groups to see what their needs actually are, rather than what it simply desires.
We made a concerted effort to come as once voice, and not only ask for something but come up with a creative alternative and commitment in return," said Oostergo.
Bill Donaldson, who represents women's soccer, said this is a wonderful proposal for all of soccer." But he's particularly encouraged by what it could mean for the growth of the female game here.
Women's soccer has been given the crappiest fields, period, and that's a fact of life," he said. Terra Nova and Palmer are non-playable by the end of October."
More importantly perhaps, Donaldson said the women won't have to risk injury every time they step on to the pitch if the new artificial fields come on line.
The soccer community would like the fields and a support building constructed by the fall of 2006. However if that's not possible, they are asking that a significant first phase be completed by then and the remainder by 2008.
The sport is growing," Barnes said. It's up over 20 per cent over the past 10 years in particular because of the involvement of women and girls. Our expectations are also growing and we need better facilities to meet those.
We've increased our focus on development and when you spend all that time developing your skills you need somewhere you can show them. We also want to develop a lifelong love of the sport."
Coun. Harold Steves, who chairs the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Committee that heard the presentation last Tuesday, is excited by the proposal. Councillors on the committee voted 7-0 to endorse the project in principle and refer it to staff for further review. Staff has been asked to look at cost feasibility and possible locations and report back to the committee by October.
I haven't seen much of sports groups for a long time," Steves said. And I suggest this is probably the most important proposal to come forward since we tried to acquire the Garden City Lands for sports fields and the Commonwealth Games some 15 years ago."
Steves said his preference is still to locate fields on the Garden City lands, but added this proposal provides for many additional spinoffs.
By putting in an artificial field system like this we'd be reducing the need for some 40 acres of play-based fields (which would potentially be returned to the city because sport would no longer need them)," he noted. That's about $40 million worth of fields and even if it costs us $5 million or $6 million to build (the artificial turfs) we're still saving $30 million to $35 million which would potentially be available for other uses."
Steves said a study several years ago concluded that Richmond was actually short of the recommended total park space for a city of its size by about 500 acres. While releasing 30 to 35 acres for other park use doesn't solve that problem, it goes a long way, he said.
Richmond Youth Soccer Association chair Roger Barnes, one of the chief architects of this proposal, said he left Tuesday's meeting feeling positive. He said that he and Roy Oostergo, the other main delegate representing the soccer community who is representing girls' soccer, have had extensive discussions with city staff during the past six to eight months. Barnes said he was encouraged by the enthusiasm councillors appear to share.
We'd like our relationship with the city to be more on-going and consultative so groups that use the facilities best have our needs met," he explained. But we had to approach this in a way that everybody wins."
Barnes said many existing fields are not suitable for play, but can be better used in other ways.
We can get by with fewer fields if they're better. If you use a sand field in late October it's absolutely superb but because we also practice on them we soon destroy them. We have good (natural) fields and we want to keep them that way but we can only do this by not over-using them. A field like Minoru Oval is a good example where the quality breaks down very quickly and then isn't suitable for games that should be played there (like a provincial Cup match)."
Barnes said bringing the soccer community together also allowed the groups to see what their needs actually are, rather than what it simply desires.
We made a concerted effort to come as once voice, and not only ask for something but come up with a creative alternative and commitment in return," said Oostergo.
Bill Donaldson, who represents women's soccer, said this is a wonderful proposal for all of soccer." But he's particularly encouraged by what it could mean for the growth of the female game here.
Women's soccer has been given the crappiest fields, period, and that's a fact of life," he said. Terra Nova and Palmer are non-playable by the end of October."
More importantly perhaps, Donaldson said the women won't have to risk injury every time they step on to the pitch if the new artificial fields come on line.
The soccer community would like the fields and a support building constructed by the fall of 2006. However if that's not possible, they are asking that a significant first phase be completed by then and the remainder by 2008.
The sport is growing," Barnes said. It's up over 20 per cent over the past 10 years in particular because of the involvement of women and girls. Our expectations are also growing and we need better facilities to meet those.
We've increased our focus on development and when you spend all that time developing your skills you need somewhere you can show them. We also want to develop a lifelong love of the sport."
