A New Season and Old Challenges

Players, Coaches, Parents, and Friends:

Welcome to a new season of soccer.  After Hannah washed out the first weekend for most teams, this weekend we truly kicked off our seasons for both recreational and travel division teams.  As always, many thanks to our volunteer commissioners, managers, coaches, and others who helped to get the players and teams registered, the fields lined, and the games played. 

As we begin this season, however, our challenge to find field time for our programs remains.  As just one example, as of the Friday before the first games, we were still searching for a full size field for our Boys High School Division.  This situation, understandably, caused complaints and frustration on the part of our volunteers, coaches, and players.  Is it due to a lack of effort and concern by the volunteers who work to secure field permits and access?  I can assure you, the answer is No.  But that doesn’t make it better for those who just want to organize their schedules and play their games.

Last Spring I wrote to you all regarding the situation with fields in the District of Columbia.  As a result of your support and expressions of concern to government officials, and with the support of DCPS Chancellor Rhee and others, last Spring we did achieve access for a few games on new all-weather public school fields.  And with the help of the schools and the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), we hope to have some school field time this Fall.  In fact, Wilson High School provided the solution for week one of Boys High School – and I am sure the kids appreciated the opportunity.

But make no mistake.  The fields problem remains, perhaps bigger than ever.  The demand from various users – including private schools, youth sports of all types, and adult leagues – is greater than ever.  All of us are competing for a scarce resource in the city.  In addition, several fields of traditional importance to our program remain off-line – most notably Ft. Reno, where long-awaited renovations remaining progress.  This past Summer DC Stoddert also funded a major renovation at Ft. Stevens, in cooperation with the Department of Parks and Recreation.  That field is currently off-line to let the new turf establish itself, and will return later this Fall or in the Spring.

One promising development is that we are currently in the process of completing a Premiere Partnership agreement with DPR, that will have our club subsidize renovations at several fields over the next two years.  As I noted in my letter last Spring, we need to play a bigger role in improving the athletic infrastructure.

We are also continuing to negotiate potential upgrades at other locations.  But this is no easy task.  It is simply amazing the opposition we encounter from neighbors and others when attempting to create or even renovate field space for kids to play.  This theme will come to a head in the near future in connection with proposed improvements at the Francis Field in the West End.  Substantial political will is required, and we simply cannot survive and thrive with a continuation of the longstanding official indifference to the needs of children in the city.  Your e-mails and support are still absolutely necessary.  I again urge your continued advocacy for improved recreation field maintenance and open access to fields in the city. 

In regard to fields we recognize, that with the help of former DC Stoddert Soccer coach and referee, Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, ground has finally been broken on the Ft. Reno renovation, and we hope to have our old access to that field in seasons to come.  But I have again pasted below a link that will take you to the e-mail addresses for City Council members.  Please let them know that there are parents in the city who care about this issue:

                  http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/members.html

 Finally, as DC Stoddert Soccer takes on a greater financial load to support needed maintenance and capital improvements, we will be undertaking our first ever fundraising drive for fields along with our traditional call for scholarship donations later this Fall.  We will not solve field issues without money, and  therefore your contributions are necessary.  This need is also dictated by the uncertainty surrounding the future of our home at the Jelleff Branch of the Boys and Girls Club.  More on that issue in the near future, but we must not let our kids be squeezed out of that facility and field.

So welcome to a new season.  Hopefully it will be a wonderful one, creating friends, fun, and many memories.  Meanwhile, collectively, we must face the latest twists on our oldest challenge – access to fields to run programs and play games. 

 
David Repka
Chairman
DC Stoddert Soccer

 September 24, 2008