East Texas

By BETTY WATERS
Staff Writer

HENDERSON -- Since setting out to construct a soccer complex to replace borrowed fields and expand soccer opportunities, Henderson Soccer Association has learned the new facility will be the biggest of its kind in the East Texas region.

"We didn't realize it at the time we were designing the complex. We have come to find out that as far as the number of fields, it will be the largest complex east of Frisco. We were surprised about that ourselves," said Denny Eby, president, Henderson Soccer Association, a nonprofit private organization.

The complex, valued at $7 to $8 million, will have 19 soccer fields and amenities capable of accommodating a wide range of soccer players -- all the way from under 6 years of age through high school and adult leagues.

"This would be used for our kids to play there," Eby said. The complex will handle not only Henderson and other Rusk County teams, but also tournaments for teams from other areas in Texas and Louisiana.

"We want to build this thing for 30 years down the road. We wanted to make sure it is big enough so that we wouldn't outgrow it," Eby said.

The new soccer facility will take form on a 41-acre tract of land on Farm to Market Road 782, about a half-mile north of U.S. Highway 259.

Tenaska Gateway Partners, operator of a power generating plant near Mount Enterprise, donated 10 acres and the association purchased the surrounding 31 acres in Sept-ember 2004 from Henderson Economic Development Corp-oration, reportedly for $65,000. HEDCO granted the soccer association's request to suspend payments for a couple of years so the association could put the money into start of construction.

An area is being cleared and dirt leveled for construction of Phase 1.

Phase 1 will consist of three fields -- one designed for high school players and two for under age 14 players and under age 12 players, who play on the same size field -- plus restrooms, a 150-space parking lot, a couple of pavilions and six or seven RV parking spaces.

"Our plan is to play there in the spring, so in March, we should be having our first games out there," Eby said. "It is very impressive. I'm excited for all of our kids and all of our parents and our volunteers. The town deserves something like this. It's going to be great for everybody."

Depending on how a fundraising campaign fares, there will probably be four or five phases of construction over a five- to seven-year time span before development of the new soccer complex is finished, according to the soccer association officer.

Currently, many soccer teams associated with Henderson Soccer Association play on borrowed land -- four fields for small kids where an old cattle auction sales barn and rodeo grounds sit off Farm to Market Road 225, about a half-mile south of U.S. Highway 79.

Players in the under age 12 through under 19 age brackets play in Longview.

"We haven't had a field for those age groups for several years; we will be able to get our kids back playing at home with construction of the new soccer complex," Eby said. "And when it is fully built, we will be able to use a lot of those (new) fields for practice fields."

Soccer is a big sport and growing in the Henderson area, he observed.

The number of participants in soccer games affiliated with the soccer association incr-eased at the rate of about 8 to 10 percent every year for the past four years, going from 250 youngsters to about 400 that play each of two seasons every year.

High school level teams have gone to state playoffs for about five years.

"If we can give our kids topnotch fields as they are growing up and our kids in high school now are as good as they are, we can only imagine how much better our teams will be if they played on topnotch fields growing up and that's our goal," Eby said.

A $20,000 grant from North Texas Soccer Association will fund grass for the fields. The association is relying heavily on donations of materials and contributions of in-kind services and use of equipment, such as dirt-moving equipment, to construct the planned complex.

"Our engineer estimated if we paid out of pocket for everything and bid (the project) out, it would (cost) between $7 and $8 million," Eby said. "We believe we can get it done for a whole lot less than that. We are trying to get as much donated as we can to keep costs down. (Since) we are going to build in phases, we can raise money as we go along and do things as we get the money."

Once the first fields are ready, the soccer association will try to lure smaller tournaments to the complex and, as more fields are built, bigger tournaments will be attracted, Eby predicted.

Studies show, and the U.S. Youth Soccer Association economic impact calculator indicate, that each tournament held at the complex could bring in $1.2 million to $1.5 million to the city of Henderson's economy.

"We are looking to have at least two tournaments per year," Eby said.

"We will look at anything we can to help us keep money coming in, because we feel once it's fully built, and as it's being built, we can keep it running by money we are able to generate through tournaments and concessions and things like that. We also are looking to be able to offer the fields to the high school if they want to host a high school tournament."

Although the complex will be primarily for soccer, it could be the site of community events such as open-air concerts, birthday parties and other types of activities because of ample room for people to sit.

"We will have the ability to have any number of events out there outside of soccer for the community. This is not only for our association, but we feel this is something for the town as well," Eby said.

"We're open for all sorts of suggestions for any kind of community event and willing to listen to anybody that wants to use our land. If we can do anything with local folks around here, we would love to do that."

After completion of Phase 1, other phases will add playgrounds, concessions, walking trails, another parking lot, picnic tables and more soccer fields -- four fields for players under age 6, four fields for under age 8, four fields for under age 10, two more fields for under age 12 and under age 14 and two more for under age 16 and under age 19, the same as high school and adult league.

Engineers are designing the fields on tiers -- stair-stepped because of the sloping elevation of the terrain.

All of the fields will be accessible to the handicapped and have bleachers for parents and benches for players, but there will be amphitheater-type seating on some of the fields due to the sloping terrain.

At the high point will be the concession stand and pavilions. A creek on the edge of the property will be diverted through the complex to make it more scenic.

Trees around the perimeter will be kept and more shade trees planted in strategic spots.

"We will be able to look down on the whole complex. We think it's going to look really nice -- probably one of the nicest facilities around," Eby said.