BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Over 2000 youth soccer athletes are running out of time at the existing fields by the airport. An exciting transition has begun to build a new complex on the land located at Raab (north), Towanda (west), Shelborne (south), and Rt 66 (east). Acquiring the land, having a plan, and a little money to get going is a good start, but this project will take a significant amount of community support and numerous local business partnerships to create the new home for the largest sports organization in town.

About 15 years ago, the airport broke the news to the Prairie Cities Soccer League (PCSL) they needed to find a new home. The airport agreed to renew the lease a couple times, but is nearing the end of the extensions. The latest lease came with contingencies. 2020 was set to be the end of the latest lease unless progress could be shown toward a new complex. In July, the league was granted a one year extension with the presentation of the recent land acquisition and blueprint for a new complex. There is one more conditional year that can be extended through 2022, if and only if, the new fields are at least 50 percent completed.

PCSL has been around for 42 years. Fusion Travel has been around since 2007. Three years ago the two leagues combined to form the Illinois Fire Juniors. Out of the 2000 kids who play in the league, about 500-600 of them are part of the travel program. The club’s mission is “to create a safe and inclusive environment that allows every child to realize their potential through the sport of soccer.” As Jeremy Kelley, secretary of the league, puts it, “we want to ensure there is a path for every kid.” There are athletes who are striving to play Major League Soccer as well as kids who just want to play for fun.

The league is also proud of their Top Soccer program which pairs up special needs children with a buddy to provide an opportunity for every child. Many people do not realize that the Illinois Fire Juniors league is a 501c3, not-for-profit organization. They try to keep costs low and every dollar goes back into the organization, including $30,000 in scholarships given out on a needs basis for athletes to play.

Jeremy Kelley, President Tim Cook, their co-chairs Erica Hunt, Axel Jimenez, Brandon Menke, and Ginny Eves, along with 20 other team members all encourage the community to get involved in this awesome project that impacts so many of our young athletes. The team is looking for local support, creative business alliances and various other partnerships to make this project happen. Signage around the complex, field naming rights and overall complex naming rights are available to claim. “Trees and bench naming rights….even toilets…are up for grabs if people wanna bid on those!” jokes Kelley. When you imagine everything you would need to construct a soccer field, that’s what they are looking for. Landscaping materials, concrete, electricity, lighting, plumbing, building construction, concession food items, grass, flowers, you name it, they need it. If you own a business that may be able to assist, this is a great way to attach your name to a project that means so much to the community and our youth.

To put into context the size of the newly acquired land, the existing fields at the airport extend across 60 acres of property. There are currently 20 fields of various sizes ranging from a couple full-size fields to numerous smaller fields for the younger athletes. The new space is 100 acres and the first phase will include ten full-size 400×300 foot fields that can be split into 40 smaller fields. Then phase two will include seven smaller youth fields, as well as a full-size championship field, eventually yielding 11 full-size fields and seven youth fields. This is enough space to allow the complex to host big regional tournaments with over 50 youth size fields in total!

The Illinois Junior Fire use field space for about 50-60% of the year, which leaves time to accommodate other sports organizations, including lacrosse, rugby, cricket, football, ultimate frisbee, even baseball if teams bring their own bases. Also on the premises will be a six- or seven-acre retention pond, a pavilion with a concession stand, restrooms, and walking paths.

Building this complex is not just important for the kids who play, but for the community as a whole. The Town of Normal hired a third party sports consulting company and the results of their analysis showed a significant positive impact for the community stemming from potential tournaments and games. Once the complex is up and running, it will give Bloomington-Normal the opportunity to be the host for large tournaments, bringing in millions of dollars of commerce to the area. The income generated will not pay for the facility, however, the numerous teams coming to town from all over will create income in the form of hotel stays, eating out, entertainment, shopping, and gas stations from the tourists coming to stay and play here. The opportunity also presents itself to make the much desired connection of one of our other community assets, the Constitution Trail.

The clock is ticking and the time to act is now to ensure our local athletes have a place to play, learn, and grow. This is true not only for those who play soccer, but for all our local turf athletes. For more information on the complex, as well as how to get involved and how to support the project, visit www.illinoisfirejuniors.com.

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