Tri-Cities soccer club scores new indoor digs
For years, Tri-Cities Soccer Association has bounced between church basements, school gyms and other communal spaces when practice was forced indoors.
But come July, the non-profit soccer club will finally have a place to call its own.
The organization recently announced the signing of a long-term lease for a 13,000-square-foot indoor training facility -- the first in the program's 31-year history. The facility, at Randall Road and Dean Street in St. Charles, is expected to be ready for occupancy as soon as July 15.
The project is something of a milestone to the organization, said its public relations director, Jeff Durocher.
"Our goal really is to create an environment where any level of soccer player can have a place to play," he said. "Right now, we're limited to whatever space is available. This gives us a lot more flexibility, so we're very excited."
The new training facility will be similar to an open gymnasium the club will dissect into "pods" where players can practice individually or as a group. There will be artificial turf on the floors and protective padding on the walls, Durocher said. The space also includes a conference room and an office area for teachers and coaches.
The association is still tinkering with some logistics, such as operating hours.
"We're going to try to open early and keep it open late at night, until 10 or 11 o'clock," Durocher said Thursday. "We want a robust scheduling system so people can have a lot of options."
Durocher declined to share the length of the new lease or discuss other specifics, but said it's a "multi-year" investment. The association's administrative office will not move from its current location at Campton Hills Park, along Peck Road, he said.
Founded in 1977, Tri-Cities Soccer is Northern Illinois' largest independent soccer club, boasting some 4,500 athletes on recreational and travel teams, according to its Web site. Co-sponsored by park and recreation districts in St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia and South Elgin, the club serves children ages 5 to 18 from across the Fox Valley.
For more information, call (630) 377-1101 or visit www.tcsa.net.