Richard Siegel Soccer Complex introduces the newest addition to its Murfreesboro soccer park, a large new Indoor Soccer Facility, as the centerpiece to the City’s drive to become a destination for youth soccer in the region. Hans Hobson, Chief Operating Officer for the Tennessee State Soccer Association (TSSA) and Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Director Nate Williams discuss the athletic and economic benefits of the practice facility set to open this spring.
Learn how the amenities of the unique soccer facility will facilitate youth soccer on the latest edition of “The Insider” at https://cityofmurfreesborotn.podbean.com/. If you prefer to watch the podcast, visit https://youtu.be/F-7_lEB_96U or watch Murfreesboro City TV for the 26-minute discussion.
The TSSA Board of Directors selected Murfreesboro as the site for its headquarters after assessing the community, the Parks Department and the association’s experience holding the state soccer tournament in the City. The Murfreesboro Park’s Department was committed to increasing capacity with eight synthetic fields and an indoor facility that overcame challenging weather conditions.
- On the YouTube edition, get a look inside the new 110,000 square foot facility, featuring synthetic turf, an exhaust fan system, making it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, and safety measures for practice and protection
- The Indoor Practice Facility will not be exclusive to soccer. Williams says the potential for hosting other events indoors expands its usage when available
- Hobson addresses the difference in competing on synthetic turf versus natural grass
- Learn how the City’s investment contributes to TSSA in attracting larger, prestigious soccer tournaments and events, such as the U.S. Youth Soccer Presidents Cup, the USYS Southern Regional and National Championships with fifty-four (54) associations, and the TSSAA State Soccer Championships
- TSSA hosted a USYS Southeast Regional Tournament in the summer 2022 attracting 260 teams to Murfreesboro
- The $8-15 million economic impact to Murfreesboro and Rutherford County when teams from states across the region travel to the area to stay in hotels, dine in restaurants, and shop in retail outlets for an entire week, as estimated by the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB)
- Local soccer clubs and volunteers are vital to the success to registration and parking
- How the six-field Jordan Farm Soccer Practice Facility, opened in 2017, enhances the partnership and competition with newly constructed restrooms and pavilion
- The partnership between the City and TSSA signed in 2019 along with the mission and vision of TSSA “To Make a difference. To Lead, To Service. To Inspire.”
The Murfreesboro City Council approved a 20-year Cooperative Use Agreement with the Tennessee State Soccer Association (TSSA) April 4, 2019, for Richard Siegel Soccer Complex. The formal agreement comes after TSSA voted December 1, 2018, to accept the City of Murfreesboro as the site of its new facility based on a proposal to expand the Siegel Soccer Complex on Hwy 231N and Cherry Lane. The 130-acre complex and Use Agreement includes the following:
- Eight outdoor synthetic turf fields at the lighted16-field complex
- Indoor Soccer facility
- Jordan Farm Practice Facility with lighting and restroom facilities, 1223 Cherry Lane
- TSSA headquarters for statewide operation and regional tournaments is located on Castlewood Drive
A YouTube video produced by CityTV on the new Indoor Soccer Facility is available for viewing at https://youtu.be/VH2OYrLZSO0.
For more information on the soccer project and making Murfreesboro a destination for youth soccer development, visit the Parks website at www.murfreesboroparks.com or call the Parks & Recreation Athletic Office at 615-907-2251. The Siegel Soccer Complex webpage is available at https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/194/Siegel-Soccer-Complex-Community-Park.
Michael Nevills produces “The Insider” every month in the studios located in Murfreesboro City Hall. The podcasts are available for listening via Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music Audible and Google Podcasts. Video versions are also available on YouTube and Facebook.
For City News online, visit www.Murfreesborotn.gov.