CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A local soccer club has been denied the use of a city owned field at Heritage Park due to concerns over potential damage to the facility that is only used for game play.
The Clarksville Soccer Club (CSC), which holds practice at a facility on Sale Road, wants the city to allow access to a field at Heritage Park for their practices, which the city has denied.
The 350 members range in age from 7-18. The Sale Road facility is 15 miles from the more centrally located Heritage Park. League officials argue that creates an unnecessary burden for league parents and say the field is under-utilized. Mayor Kim McMillan says current policy is necessary.
Bryan Drotar, the club’s Director of Coaching expressed frustration with McMillan, who met with CSC officials in a closed door meeting September 10.
“When we got in there we were told there is no negotiation. That the mayor had been elected by the citizens and that they had ceded the right to ask for usage and given her the control to determine how things are used.”
A statement issued by Mayor McMillan’s office says, “In order for the Heritage Park soccer fields to be maintained in the condition needed for game, league and tournament play, specialized turf management is necessary. Staff at the Parks and Recreation Department has evaluated the potential for damage to the fields and has determined that opening up the reserved game/league/tournament fields for practice would make this virtually impossible.”
According to the club, they provide more than $3 million annually in tourist revenue from games and tournaments. The club has also offered to pay to cover the cost of maintenance.
The city maintains that an exception to the policy will necessitate allowing other leagues broader access and jeopardize league games and tournaments.
“Because of this, we have tried to make other accommodations for the CSC,” the city’s statement said. “We have offered to add practice fields at other parks such as Edith Pettus, BelAir and Liberty. We have even discussed with CSC the possibility of requesting additional funding from the City Council to increase the number of lighted fields at Heritage Park for expanded use. None of these offers have been acceptable to the CSC.”