Growing up in east London I was able to play "football" morning, noon and night. There were plenty of parks to play pick up games on but organized games were played on Wanstead Flats, two miles from where I lived. Created as a public park in 1878 the park is a large open area in the middle of inner city London and, to the south of the park at least, home to some of the most economically deprived urban communities in England.As you can see from the aerial photo on we had access to 36 publically owned fields that charged teams the equivalent of around $150 a season to play games on. These fields were as good as, if not better than, the Germantown SoccerPlex but a walk or bus ride for tens of thousands of players - mostly boys as girls soccer was non existent in those days. One local boys club Senrab FC had 20 or 30 players go on to play professional and in many cases international soccer.
For all sorts of reasons, DC lacks a public park area like Wanstead flats. Partly this is a function of space, partly a land development issue, and partly it is a cultural issue with other competing demands from other more established "National" sports.
The lack of adequate urban soccer fields represents the single biggest constraint to the development of the sport in the US and perhaps to the US becoming a World Cup Champion.
With the possible exception of Brazil, the US has more youth soccer players than any other top soccer nation. We have some of the best youth coaches and an improving youth soccer set up but without urban soccer fields we have large soccer playing populations who can not play at the highest levels because they do not have access to fields in their neighborhoods and can't afford to travel to suburban complexes like the Soccerplex.
While establishing a field complex like Wanstead flats in DC is unrealistic, we must continue to work with DCDPR and other partners to develop one field at a time so that our kids can play and develop and so that those players in Columbia Heights, and NE, SE and NW that can't afford to go to the SoccerPlex get their chance. If we can do that then I believe the US can be a World Cup contender.
Thanks. Please tell us what we can do. Also, it is not just a matter of who can "afford" it. Unless you mean that those families with greater means in this city can also afford to hire chauffeurs to take the kids out to practices and games all over the place. With two working parents in most families, no one has time for all that driving, even if we have the cars to do it. The result? Choosing more conveniently located sports.
ReplyDeleteI know DC will make many excuses but even the fields they do have, they can't even take care of. It would be wonderful if they could at least create a good sports area and feature fields for differnt. and not just create it but also take care of it and maintain it.
ReplyDeletemaybe on the next congressional discussion about DC voting rights, a friendly senator could make his/her agreement on condition that they create a soccer complex on federal land somewhere near the Mall, instead of the usual rider that says we have to scrap all chance for gun restrictions if we want to vote! ;o)
ReplyDeleteSUSTAINABILITY.
ReplyDeleteI think that Stoddert makes responsible decisions about canceling games and closing fields
but...
I think that the word needs to get out to the culture of pick up games not to destroy the fields
and yes...
The fields even if they are not official fields could do with some attention towards long term SUSTAINABILITY
some more fields may need to go to Astro Turf
and other fields just need to be worked so that they drain better
while others could use grass
and then as said
after these things happen it would need maintenance
grass needs to be cut and whatever
Stoddert thanks for all that you do... we are appreciative of your program and all that it offers the children of our city!
Speaking of soccer fields in DC, my coworkers are looking to play pickup games after work but none of know of any spaces (besides the Mall) to actually play soccer. I play in Rockville usually but am looking for something in DC proper
ReplyDelete