2. Chan/Chaska Soccer Club Field Availability.Chan/Chaska Soccer Club
PO Box 735, Chanhassen, MN 55317
April 2, 1996
Chanhassen City Council
Mr. Mayor and Councilmembers:
The City of Chanhassen has had a long history of being a good friend to youth athletics. In
partnership with the City, organizations like ours have been able to provide the youth of
Chanhassen with quality athletic experiences and a solid foundation for the future. The
City has taken the role of Facilitator and allowed the parents to operate the programs. This
has been a "Win -Win" situation.
Soccer is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. Our Club has been
growing at about 20% per year. Two years ago we created our Under 6 program with 18
kids. This year we expect to have almost 60. Soccer is growing faster than we can find
places to put fields. We are not alone in this problem. Baseball programs need more
fields, basketball needs more Byrn space and even in Minnesota hockey needs more ice.
The rate of growth of athletic facilities is much slower than the rate of growth of the City.
The last soccer field built in Chanhassen was the one at Lake Ann Park. Since that field
was built the soccer playing population has more than doubled. Two more fields are
scheduled for Bandimere Park in 1999 or later. By then the youth soccer population may
have doubled again.
Without facilities, we will eventually have to place limits on the number of young athletes
that we can handle in our programs. Some youths will have to find other activities to fill
their time. We must work together for the future of our youth, who are our future.
Sincerely,
Jay E. Johnson
President
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Chanhasssen /Chaska Soccer Club
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' The Organization
' The Chanhassen /Chaska Soccer Club (C /CSC) is a parent run nonprofit youth athletic organization
which provides competitive traveling and recreational /instructional soccer programs for youth in
eastern Carver County. The Club was started as a division of the Chanhassen Athletic Association
' (CAA) in the late 1970's and early 1980's. In the late 1980's the Club split from the CAA to
concentrate its efforts on traveling competitive soccer for youth. The CAA continues to offer
recreational fall soccer programs. At the request of the parents of our players we have added a
spring/summer recreational instructional program for the younger players and a fall traveling
program. Several of our teams also participate in various indoor winter leagues.
' The Need for Playing Fields
There is a known and desperate need to create established soccer playing fields for our youth.
Take a look at what was used in 1995:
' Summer Programs, 418 girls and boys share 6 fields - 70 per players field
g � g Y P Y P
' Of the six fields only one, Lake Ann, is considered a
regulation field in good condition, the other five fields
are not regulation and in very poor playing condition.
The 266 boys and girls who make up the competitive
traveling teams have 3 fields, 88 players per field
Fall Programs, 879 girls and boys played on 16 fields - 55 players per field
The 10 additional fields used for the fall program are
fields created over baseball diamonds behind City Hall
'
and at Pioneer Field. They are not regulation and can be
hazardous because of play on infield gravel.
High School, Our varsity teams plays their games on the football field,
a good use of resources, but a substandard field that is often
torn up by the football games and practices. The field of play often is
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confusing because the football field lines conflict with soccer lines.
They do not have a regulation field or regulation practice field.
How do you calculate this player to field ratio?
`The following page compares us with other area and Lake conference communities`
SOCCER FIELDS
Following is a comparison of the traveling team programs of other
communities. These are the competitive teams similar to AAU in
basketball and tournament teams in baseball.
1995
PLAYERS.
FIELDS
PLAYERS/FIELDS
1. APPLE VALLEY
500
20
25
2. BURNSVILLE*
450
20
23
3. EDEN PRAIRIE
500
20
25
4. EDINA
400
11
36
5. WAYZATA/PLYM'
500
10
50
6. CHAN / CHASKA
266
3
88
Apple Valley 7 4 - ,
Burnsville �-
Eden Prairie
Wayzata *
& Plymouth
Chanhassen
& Chaska
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
* Wayzata/Ply mouth ha ve 9 permanent fields to be completed in 1997.
I ,
Chanhasssen /Chaska Soccer Club
I Youth Involved In Soccer
t Membership has grown rapidly from 7 teams and 105 players in 1989, to 38 teams and 418 players in
1995. These teams involve boys and girls of ages 6 -19 years of age. The following shows the growth
of the organized teams of soccer:
Summer Programs, Includes the competitive traveling teams and the
' developmental in -house teams:
1989 ... 7 teams and 105 players
' 1994 ... 31 teams and 341 players
1995 ... 38 teams and 418 players (an increase of 23 %)
(Preliminary 1996 enrollment show over 500 participants)
TOTALS 634 players 879 players (An increase of 38 %)
' � Y soccer co
High School Varsi in the Lake Conference. At this time,
g P
the soccer program does not have a regulation playing field or
practice field. The numbers in the high school programs are:
' Boys & Girls "B" squad, junior varsity and varsity teams, each team
with 18 players or a total of 108 high school girls and boys.
Other, The Minnetonka Assoc. has reported that over 400 Chanhassen boys and
girls participate in their programs each year.
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Fall Programs, Chanhassen and Chaska organize fall leagues and teams. The
'
Park & Rec. are responsible in Chaska and the CAA is responsible in
Chanhassen. This involves developmental training for boys and girls
ages 5 -12. Following is the growth pattern:
1994 1995
Chaska Soccer ... 348 419
'
Chanhassen Soccer ... 286 460
TOTALS 634 players 879 players (An increase of 38 %)
' � Y soccer co
High School Varsi in the Lake Conference. At this time,
g P
the soccer program does not have a regulation playing field or
practice field. The numbers in the high school programs are:
' Boys & Girls "B" squad, junior varsity and varsity teams, each team
with 18 players or a total of 108 high school girls and boys.
Other, The Minnetonka Assoc. has reported that over 400 Chanhassen boys and
girls participate in their programs each year.
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Chanhasssen /Chaska Soccer Club
Soccer, Baseball/Softball
These two sports will always exist side -by -side in our communities and both require the use of large
open areas. Both programs are extremely beneficial for the youth and adults of our communities.
We all know how baseball games work and how many people are involved, please be aware of the
workings of soccer. Soccer involves more players in a fast moving aerobic sport.
Following is a breakdown of a typical summers night at a baseball field and a soccer field:
Baseball Field - One game involving approximately 25 players over two hours
50 player hours (2 hours x 25players)
Soccer Field - Two games, each involving 30 players over 90 minutes
or a total of 60 players for three hours. 180 player hours
We have provided you with comparative data only to show the inequalities on the youth who choose
' soccer as their sport of preference and not baseball or softball. There is no intent to take away from
the baseball/softball program as their membership and needs are also great.
* The following page compares these two sports within our communities
Request for Action
We ask for your help in creating short term and long range goals
to provide the needed facilities for the residents Chanhassen.
Currently Chanhassen offers one field by Lake Ann. We ask for:
4 new permanent regulation soccer fields to be established by the year 2000,
or one per year, with the two regulation size soccer fields at Bandimere Park
being worked on in 1996 and available for use in 1997.
Summary
The enclosed data is for your consideration. We are asking all of the involved communities to help us
provide more permanent soccer fields for this growing sport. We are not trying to do this at the
expense of the baseball /softball programs, but rather to ask for equal consideration.
Soccer is a sport played year around. With the increased numbers and demand for soccer fields across
the Metro area, cities are running out of available land to develop for recreational uses. We need to
be providing for the present but also need to look ahead to the future needs of the community and
look ahead to the future needs of the community and support outlets for healthy "asset" building with
our youth.
The need is painfully evident that our youth need soccer facilities. Soccer fields are needed not only
to play soccer on, but to provide open space multiuse areas for our residents. Where they may run
their dog, fly a kite or radio controlled plane, throw a frisbee, have a pickup game of football or just
take a walk on a field of grass and occasionally kick a ball.
L
C
Recreational Outdoor
Space Used by Sports
Soccer and Baseball /Softball fields are the primary users of
outdoor recreational space.
Currently 31 permanent Baseball /Softball fields and 3
permanent soccer fields are maintained.
BASEBALL
SOCCER
(Includes trivel & in -house teams)
PLAYERS
1519
418
FIELDS
31
6
PLAYERS / FIELD
49
70