Annual report shows SoccerPlex is keeping the ball rolling

More sports variety in 2008 as the facility still struggles to attract new users

The facility, located on 166 acres of county land at the South Germantown Recreational Park in Boyds, is owned by the nonprofit Maryland Soccer Foundation and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

The SoccerPlex, which has struggled financially for many of its eight years, will detail its finances during a presentation to the board in January.

‘‘Our growth in the future is really running our own programs,” said Trish Heffelfinger, the foundation’s executive director, as opposed to only renting fields to existing programs. ‘‘That’s where the revenue is.”

The SoccerPlex is also banking on its three new artificial turf fields to attract new audiences. Flag football, lacrosse and adult soccer are too rough for grass fields, but perfect for artificial turf.

The foundation would ultimately like to convert more grass fields to synthetic turf, which can accommodate a greater number of games, she said.

The board voiced its approval of the SoccerPlex’s efforts to gain new revenue but cautioned Heffelfinger not to lose sight of youth soccer.

The SoccerPlex will add new opportunities for young soccer players with a new recreational tournament for kids who don’t usually play at a competitive level, Heffelfinger said. The foundation hopes to establish its own tournament in the fall in the style of the summer recreational tournament it hosts with the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association as well as introduce a family-friendly, festival feel to both events.

The facility also had success this year by holding its own tournament, she said. About half of the 170 teams that entered the tournament were from out of town, though the foundation would like that figure to increase to 70 percent.

The SoccerPlex is struggling with finding large sponsors, Heffelfinger reported, and the indoor Discovery Sports Center is still underused, particularly during school hours. The foundation hopes to launch a basketball program as well as improve the SoccerPlex experience, such as by handing out entertainment and dining guides during tournaments and offering better concessions.

Many people are still unfamiliar with the SoccerPlex, commissioners said, though more high-profile events expected at the facility could help with word-of-mouth. Real Maryland F.C. of the United Soccer Leagues’ Second Division will play its inaugural season at the SoccerPlex in 2008, and the complex is the new home stadium of the Washington Freedom, which will re-launch as a professional team in 2009.