With the sport booming in popularity, Juan de Fuca Soccer Association is worried about accessing playing space long-term.

The club now has more than 2,000 members B次元官网网址� making it one of the biggest user groups on the West Shore B次元官网网址� and has been growing quickly in the past four to six years, something association president Kevin Allen expects to continue. While thereB次元官网网址檚 still capacity with new turf fields in Langford opening like Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School and the soon-to-be-opened field at the north Langford elementary school site, Allen worries that wonB次元官网网址檛 last long.

B次元官网网址淚 really feel that if theyB次元官网网址檙e figuring that what they have currently available to them in the West Shore is adequate, theyB次元官网网址檙e missing something.B次元官网网址�

Allen said lit turf fields are particularly in high demand, especially over the winter months when practices during the week happen in the evening and heavy rain usually means grass fields are unplayable.

After the Sooke School District asked for the City of Langford to commit to funding a new turf field at the South Langford Elementary School, Langford said it was evaluating the cityB次元官网网址檚 recreation needs, adding that budget pressures and the planned smaller size of the field at the school meant it couldnB次元官网网址檛 provide funding for the turf field, according to a memorandum sent to council by Langford CAO Darren Kiedyk.

Preliminary findings from that assessment estimated the cityB次元官网网址檚 fields would serve the communityB次元官网网址檚 needs until 2031, based on estimates for population growth, wrote Kiedyk.

B次元官网网址淏y the time they get to 2031 they may be finding that things are quite a bit different as far as the amount of people that are living out here, the expectations of the residents, and what theyB次元官网网址檙e looking for in their sports and activities,B次元官网网址� said Allen.

READ MORE: Langford says budget, field size partly why funding nixed for SD62 turf field

READ MORE: Plans for new Langford school turf field up in the air after deadline missed

If growth in membership continues without new fields, Allen said the quality of the programming could suffer with teams potentially losing time slots as grass fields become unplayable during the winter months. In the near future, finding field space for summer camps is proving to be a struggle, he adds.

In the interim Allen says the club has found some creative solutions, like running the Timbits program for younger ages on the grass fields B次元官网网址� because they have less impact on the grass B次元官网网址� and having slightly older age groups use the lawn bowl fields during that sportB次元官网网址檚 offseason.

Allen commended Langford on having the B次元官网网址渇orethoughtB次元官网网址� to work on a number of field projects like Centre Mountain and the north Langford elementary school site.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got to make sure that weB次元官网网址檝e got things for our residents to do that are not just purely B次元官网网址榞o to work, come back to my house, go to work, come back to my house.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

READ MORE: West Shore football program back on Langford field

bailey.moreton@goldstreamgazette.com
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