Anonymous wrote:SYA Sports Park has nice grass fields.

West Creek has 8 pristine grass fields at a single location.

SYA Sports Park has nice grass fields.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it's not just the maintenance cost of grass, it's the field availability. Our club has really nice grass and turf fields, the turf is always available. If it's raining or has recently rained, the grass is not. The turf can host games or practices back to back all day, the grass would be destroyed by that schedule

You're not really answering the question. The Strikers can obviously afford to have west creek lie dormant when it's too wet to play on. Most clubs in the NoVA are do not even have the choice. They have their county allocation of a turf field and that's it. There is neither the space for this luxury, nor the money at the clubs to pay for it. That is the question. Why are the strikers so fortunate? Is it revenue from many years of Jefferson Cup registrations?

It is a huge organization. I think something like over 6,000 kid play there throughout all their teams. Then you throw in all the lucrative tournaments, camps, rented field space they manage and it's probably some series money. I'm assuming they made some smart moves and bought up land for fields as they were expanding over time.

Oops! Wrong auto correct...serious money, but they may also have series money too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it's not just the maintenance cost of grass, it's the field availability. Our club has really nice grass and turf fields, the turf is always available. If it's raining or has recently rained, the grass is not. The turf can host games or practices back to back all day, the grass would be destroyed by that schedule

You're not really answering the question. The Strikers can obviously afford to have west creek lie dormant when it's too wet to play on. Most clubs in the NoVA are do not even have the choice. They have their county allocation of a turf field and that's it. There is neither the space for this luxury, nor the money at the clubs to pay for it. That is the question. Why are the strikers so fortunate? Is it revenue from many years of Jefferson Cup registrations?

It is a huge organization. I think something like over 6,000 kid play there throughout all their teams. Then you throw in all the lucrative tournaments, camps, rented field space they manage and it's probably some series money. I'm assuming they made some smart moves and bought up land for fields as they were expanding over time.

Cost of land, cost of maintenance, conducive growing environment for proper field grass. The further south you go the nicer the fields - the varietals that make for nicer tougher fields grow better there and the land and labor are cheaper.

Grass if I play

Turf if I am paying and maintaining.

Don’t forget that some clubs pay for schools and sites to build turf to give them a guaranteed place to play and practice

Look to any club without a lease or facility and you’ll see that

Anonymous wrote:it's not just the maintenance cost of grass, it's the field availability. Our club has really nice grass and turf fields, the turf is always available. If it's raining or has recently rained, the grass is not. The turf can host games or practices back to back all day, the grass would be destroyed by that schedule

You're not really answering the question. The Strikers can obviously afford to have west creek lie dormant when it's too wet to play on. Most clubs in the NoVA are do not even have the choice. They have their county allocation of a turf field and that's it. There is neither the space for this luxury, nor the money at the clubs to pay for it. That is the question. Why are the strikers so fortunate? Is it revenue from many years of Jefferson Cup registrations?

it's not just the maintenance cost of grass, it's the field availability. Our club has really nice grass and turf fields, the turf is always available. If it's raining or has recently rained, the grass is not. The turf can host games or practices back to back all day, the grass would be destroyed by that schedule

All 3 of DD's games at Jeff Cup this weekend were scheduled at West Creek. The grass fields there are pretty fantastic, even though they were too wet to play on Friday. I am envious.

NoVA is dominated by county owned small 1-3 turf field complexes which are likely just the result of greater population density and congestion. Even the 4 field Evergreen complex (ignoring the stadium part), where there is relatively more space, pales in comparison to West Creek.

Are the economics of field maintenance costs in Richmond different than in NoVA? Probably not, which leads me to think that the Strikers (vs the county) actually own these facilities and are rich enough to not only afford the land, but also the higher maintenance costs. Anybody have first hand info?