Veterans Memorial Park {Part 3 - Soccer}

The Bourbeuse River flood plain is flooded every weekend in September and October. If not with water, with soccer games and hundreds of boys and girls, as well as their families with their camping chairs.

Parents line the fields in camping chairs to watch the kids play soccer.

There are 36 soccer teams that play in the Union Soccer Association, utilizing 72 coaches and 6 fields. The players range from ages 4 years to 18 years old. The games are refereed by older boys and girls, the porta-potties are bright blue, and the concession stand is on wheels.

Why would the concessions be on wheels? So it can be moved when the river floods. The question during soccer season is not "Will the river flood?" but "When will the river flood?"

From early on, the players learn life skills from team sports.

And when the river floods, the fields are out of commission for several days after the water recedes. The association board carefully watches the river levels so they can quickly move the goals, benches, trash cans, concessions, and porta-potties out of the way of the water.

Practices are held during the week beginning July 20th, and games are held on the weekends, through October 31st. There are no lights, so fields are only playable during daylight.

Fun while learning!

According to Dawn Thompson, Union Soccer Association, the majority of players are from Union, with some from Beaufort and the surrounding area. The older teams travel to other towns to play, including Washington, St. Clair, Pacific, and Gerald.

With the new Veterans Memorial Park, the soccer players would have two additional fields to play on (ones that don't flood), actual restrooms (yeah!), a permanent concession stand (no more mud to cover with planks), and my hope, bleachers.

Tournaments could then be held in Union, Thompson added, bringing people in from the surrounding areas, and thus money being spent in our local restaurants and stores. These people would then be helping to pay for our new park when they go out for celebratory pizza and ice cream after the games.

On Tuesday, June 5th, Proposition Parks will be the only item on a special ballot. A "yes" vote will be for a .5% additional sales tax, making the tax rate 8.975%. The revenue from this tax is solely for the parks department, and cannot be used for anything else, according to the city website.

What does that amount translate to?

• on a $12 pizza from Benito's - 6 cents extra
• on a $40 oil change at Advanced Automotive - 20 cents extra
• on a $489 washer from Appliance Connection - $2.45 extra

Voting will only be held at the Union City Hall Auditorium, 500 East Locust, Union. However, voters may also cast an absentee ballot beforehand if they will not be able to vote on June 5th. The Union Parks Department may be reached at 636-583-8471.

Missed the previous posts? Here they are:
{Part 2 - Pavilions}
{Part 1 - Baseball}

Up next: more on the other areas of the 43.8 acre Veterans Memorial Park...walking trails, splash pad, playground, and football fields.

Author: Tyann Marcink
Photos: Marcink Designs