Soccer Supporters;

Your calls, questions, and e-mails are working!

After a couple of phone calls and attending the Board of Aldermen's meeting Monday evening I learned a lot about what is going on.

The position of the City was that the Johnson Lane Recreational Complex (JLRC) project was not gone, just delayed until funding could be found. The conversion of unused softball fields at Waggoner Park into soccer fields is a partial solution in case the State demands the Rogers Group Soccer Complex (RGSC) fields back before we can get started on the JLRC new facility. There is no indication that this is about to happen, but it is a constant concern with our lease. How long is the delay for the complete JLRC project? Nobody knows. Other options may include breaking up the JLRC project into pieces to get started on a couple of fields or other options to phase it in over a longer period of time.

I have a copy of the initial sketch on the changes required to the softball fields at Waggoner park. These are the old Mens' Softball fields and where the Girls' Softball program played before moving to the JLRC. The $35k would be used to move light poles and fences and do some grass work. We would get access to the existing restrooms and concession stand. A storage building may be available, but would need some work. The buildings would get upgraded and improved over time as money allows. The plan is to convert 2 of the softball fields into dedicated soccer fields and keep 1 as a multi-use field for both softball and soccer. We would also be gaining lights. If someone knows the current condition of the restrooms and concession stand, feel free to share.

After pondering over the initial sketch and working with our current schedules and teams, having these additional fields now would let us move the U6 boys and girls to Waggoner Park and avoid moving them up to 4:30 the last 2 weeks of the season. The remainder of the Fall schedule would have to stay at RGSC to avoid different age groups playing at the same time in different locations.

Some Select games could move to Waggoner. As long as the teams stayed with the 3 team rotation and didn't bring in more teams (as the U12 girls and U14 boys do occasionally) it may work.

Some other concerns that would need to be addressed are the long term consequences for the JLRC improvements and the original reasons for abandoning the softball fields at Waggoner park. The proposed fields at Waggoner park are not adequate to replace the existing fields at RGSC and they are not intended to. Based on the information we have now RGSC would continue to be the primary playing location for TSA. The issues of lights, restrooms, and a permanent concession stand at the primary playing location would continue to be an issue. A major concern is that the proposed fields will reduce the perceived need and therefore delay and possibly eliminate any action on the JLRC project. Even with the additions at Waggoner Park, TSA will still not have the facilities to host tournaments or expand much beyond the current number of players. There is also a concern that with the scheduling difficulties the Waggoner Park facility will be grossly underutilized. The appearance would be that we don't need another set of fields at JLRC because we would not be fully utilizing what we had at RGSC and Waggoner Park. Another concern involves the Waggoner Park location. I have been told by several people that the current softball fields at the JLRC were built partly in response to deplorable conditions at Waggoner Park for the girls' softball programs. Questions that have to be answered are what were the problems then and what has been done to address those concerns? If the conditions of the facilities then were bad enough to support building new fields for girls' softball, what has been fixed so that soccer fields can go there without facing those same issues? That sequence of events was before my time, so I really don't know.

The City of Tullahoma has been very supportive of TSA soccer over the years. We would not have the program we have today if it were not for the efforts of the City Staff to help with maintenance and many Mayors and Aldermen over the years that have worked to support the program. We do greatly appreciate this support and look forward to the opportunity to take our kids to the next level with facilities to expand the base program, hold tournaments, and venture into new areas such as the TOPS Soccer program for physically and mentally challenged kids.

To see what the potential could be, you only have to look to our neighbors. In Manchester there is now a very nice Recreation Center. The gym was built with considerations for Indoor Soccer. The Coffee County Soccer League hosted the Tennessee State Soccer Association Indoor Soccer Championship tournament last January and will again in January 2006. The central location, easy highway access, and the excellent facility brought teams from Germantown, Kingsport, and all points in between to Manchester. The facility is a source of community pride for Manchester and many visitors at the tournament commented on how surprised they were to see such a first class facility in a town they just didn't know much about. The positive response to the tournament and the facility, which spilled over to the impression of the town, was invaluable.

Will the proposal for Waggoner Park do this for Tullahoma? Will it delay or stand in the way of a Johnson Lane facility that could?

So what are we asking for? TSA's position is that we need to get started on the JLRC project, even if it means phasing it in. The Waggoner Park conversion leads to a lot of questions, concerns, and a logistical nightmare for everyone involved. Operating fields at remote locations has been tried and doesn't work. We need to go ahead and at least start on the planned and approved Johnson Lane Project.

Think about it and let your opinion be known. The final reading of the Bond Issue will be done by October 19.

Please remember; positive, constructive, helpful comments only. These are our elected representatives who make hard decisions based on what they think are our needs and priorities. Part of our job as good citizens is to support them and let them know what is important to us, their constituents.

The contact info for the Board of Mayor and Aldermen is available at:

http://www.tullahoma-tn.com/board.html

Thanks,

Bob Forde

TSA President