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Dyersburg Soccer Plex Up And Running With Nine Fields For Soccer Fun
By Jason Peevyhouse
A long road came to a successful end on Sept. 9, 2023 as the Dyersburg Soccer Plex celebrated its ribbon-cutting to officially open Dyersburg’s first soccer-only facility.
On that cool late-summer Saturday, two dozen youth soccer teams which comprised the 2023 league roster helped celebrate the first season of the the new partnership with youth soccer between the City of Dyersburg and the YMCA of Dyer County to sponsor the local youth program.
BRIANNA ROSER
Dyersburg Activity Center Director Patrick Holden, who leads the youth soccer program, shared how this new partnership came to life over the past few months, of which he was a contributing factor.
“It really wasn’t that difficult,” Holden explained. “Once we got Randy Butler and the YMCA on board, we talked about it and worked through some times. We felt it was the best option for the kids in the community. We thought it was the best way to grow youth soccer – not only in Dyersburg and Dyer County but regionally as well.”
Before the Soccer Plex was completed, the youth leagues were hosted at the YMCA and at Dyersburg High School. Holden also explained the benefit of moving the youth soccer program to the new soccer plex.
“We have nine fields at the soccer complex,” Holden added. “Obviously, with nine fields we have room for growth. As you know, soccer is a growing sport in the United States. We felt we had the room to grow youth soccer in our area by moving it to the new facility.”
This past season – the first under the banner of the City of Dyersburg-YMCA of Dyer County partnership – began after the opening ceremony and ribbon cutting and ran through September and October with seven Saturdays of soccer on the docket.
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