Community Soccer Celebration

Thurs., April 17, 2014 

6 pm to 9 pm 

Weber State Marquardt Fieldhouse 

Weber County Sports Complex 

(just west of the Dee Event Center) 

$3 Kids | $5 Adults | $15 Family 

Buy tickets at the door

Join the community celebration sponsored by Ogden Community Soccer Complex, REAL Salt Lake, Weber State University Athletics and Women’s Soccer Team, Ogden School District, Ogden School Foundation, and Ogden City to help support and celebrate the Ogden Community Soccer Complex and Healthy Living for children and families.

Community Partner Spotlight - Weber-Morgan Health Department

The Ogden Community Soccer Complex spotlights its community partner, The Weber Morgan-Health Department for its support and generous donation of $5,000. Brian Bennion, new director of Weber-Morgan Health shares in the vision of the complex with the complex committee.    "We feel a facility to encourage physical activity, healthy lifestyles and a tobacco free attitude among our community parallels the goals of public health. A complex of this nature will continue to provide healthy opportunities to youth in Weber County for years to come," Bennion said of the complex. The department likes the idea of a new complex because of the limited number of existing fields in Weber County.    "Sports lead to healthy lifestyles by instilling confidence to make better decisions which promote success in staying tobacco free. Statistics in Weber County show that 7% of school-aged children use tobacco and 20% use electronic cigarettes regularly. We believe that physical activity and community engagement are protective factors in preventing tobacco use," Bennion added. The Weber-Morgan Health Department and the Weber-Morgan Board of Health strongly support this state-of-the-art complex. Thank you Weber-Morgan Health Department and the Weber-Morgan Board of Health for your generous donation and full support of this great project!

Donor Spotlight - Storm Bowling

The Ogden Community Soccer Complex would like to spotlight Storm Products Incorporated, "Storm Bowling" for its generous donation of $5,000 to the soccer complex. Co-owner Barb Chrisman said she was glad to make the donation because she saw the impact soccer made in her children's lives. "I remember when my children played AYSO. They really loved it. They loved to run and the freedom they felt," Barb said. She likes the idea of giving more kids in the community an opportunity to play. "With football a lot of time you have to be big and with soccer it's not like that," she added. She said she hopes good things come from the project.             Thanks again to Barb and Bill Chrisman, owners of Storm Bowling for making a difference in our great community!

Ogden School District Letter of Support

Boys & Girls Clubs of Weber-Davis Letter of Support

January 8, 2014

To Whom It May Concern:

I am honored to write a letter of endorsement for the Ogden Community Soccer Complex.  As director of a youth centered organization in the Ogden community, I see this complex as a vital resource for youth and families here.

Soccer playing fields are few and far between in Ogden and those that are available are packed every day of the week during soccer season.  Having a high quality soccer complex, including a turf field that can be utilized not only for high school soccer, but also for many other community soccer programs would have a positive impact. 

Many other communities enjoy a soccer complex for its youth to utilize and now is the time for Ogden to enter that realm.  There are a large number of economically disadvantaged youth in our community who would benefit from the chance of playing soccer at a high quality complex.  For many youth in our area, soccer is one of the main reasons they stay in school.  It gives them motivation to not only attend school regularly so they can play for their junior high or high school teams, but it motivates them to earn higher grades to stay on their teams.  It also creates a sense of belonging for youth that is so crucial.

The generous donation of land by the Ogden School District provides the perfect opportunity to make the dream of a great complex a reality for these youth that love to play soccer so much.  The location of the complex at 1950 Monroe Boulevard is also is also a good fit for the youth demographic in Ogden.  It is centrally located to serve all of the community and there is more land to expand to make more fields when the time is right.  The location of the complex is close enough to downtown Ogden and the Ogden River Project that it will provide yet one more piece of the puzzle to make the Ogden community continue to thrive. 

The Ogden community supports its teams.  Attend any soccer game ranging from AYSO to high school and the sidelines are packed with passionate fans who love the game and love watching their loved ones play.  This community would not only fully support a beautiful complex, but would embrace it!  Please help give our community the chance to enjoy a beautiful complex to watch this many faceted game called soccer.  I ask you to make a favorable decision regarding this application for RAMP Funds.

Sincerely,

Judy Kasten Bell, Executive Director

127 24^th Street, Suite 3, Ogden, Utah  84401

Donor Spotlight: American Nutrition

The OCSC Committee would like to thank and honor our donors for their substantial contributions to make the Ogden Community Soccer.

American Nutrition CEO Bill Behnken said his company contributed to the soccer complex because they love Ogden and enjoy seeing it grow and improve. "On a personal level, my wife and I have enjoyed being soccer parents for the last 10 years and would love to see the sport continue to grow in the Ogden community," Behnken said. "American Nutrition has called Ogden its home and corporate headquarters since 1972 and we look forward to staying involved with our community," he added. 

Thank you Bill Behnken and American Nutrition for your generous donation and for helping this project move forward!

Letter of Endorsement: OHS Soccer Players

Letter of Endorsement: Skylar Stam

To Whom It May Concern,
            My name is Skylar Stam, I am a graduate of Ogden High School and a current student of Weber State University. I played soccer all 4 years at Ogden and continued on to play on Weber State's Women's Soccer team where we were the winners of the NCAA Big Sky Championships in `09. As a child I remember traveling to the Weber State field sitting on the hill and watching the college girls play wishing that one day I could be like them and play on a field like that. I am the first child in my family that has attended college and I know without a doubt that debt is owed to soccer as well as the coaches that met me along the way.

My time at Ogden High not only shaped me as a player but even more so as a person. Every great friendship I have made was created on the field, every practice held a deeper meaning, and each game seemed to be a test of character. My coach built a program centered on respect, hard work and sportsmanship. Respect yourself; respect me, your teammate, your parents, your opponents and the officials. Every opportunity whether it was on the field or off was a chance to work hard at becoming a better player, person or student. "Do not cut corners!" To this day his voice rings out in my head, whether I am out for a jog and that short cut is teasing me or I am finishing a paper for school. "Every class, everyday day, on time!" That short sentence could be recited by hundreds of current or graduated students that have come through this program and had the opportunity to have been coached by Sterling Castle. Many who have that short sentence to thank for without it and this soccer program they would not have walked across that stage at the end of their senior year.

I personally have seen soccer save lives, rescue friends and fellow soccer players from definite sorrow in their lives; not because these people are bad people merely because they have bad or unlucky circumstances. I can personally attest to soccer keeping me on what some say is the straight and narrow. I learned everything good from soccer and all taught by my coach. My senior year I was expected to be a leader, for it was only me and one other senior. I for the first time in my life had a group of 30 other people who were looking to me to do and say the right things. I never truly understood what I was capable of until I had this opportunity and I learned things I will never forget and that will follow me in life forever. They say good things take time; I believe that Ogden and the community have waited long enough. It is time to put the Ogden on the map as a place to create and showcase athletes, people, and a community that we are proud of. A place that all kids like myself will go to and hope to one day be able to play on; that perhaps that one hope and dream will pull them through high school and college as it did for me.

This field will be a real feather in our cap and I believe that the time is now; we can change lives and build an image that people cannot wait to be a part of.  A place to bring our community together as one and share an idea of respect and love for the game as well as each other. We have an opportunity to create something that Ogden has never had. Soccer will only continue to grow and grow, why not give Ogden and Weber County a place to call our own? A soccer specific complex; some may see only that but for those who look a little deeper so much more will be created. A classroom, a safe haven, a place that holds neither judgments nor expectations; place that allows a young child to become something great or perhaps to see what it takes to become or achieve greatness. We all believe in something, someone, or the idea of what could be. I believe that this project holds every opportunity we allow it to.

                                                                                    Thank You,

                                                                                               

Skylar Stam 

Letter of Endorsement: Jesus Garcia

To Whom it may concern:

I am writing a letter of endorsement for the Ogden Community Soccer Complex. I have had the opportunity to play all four years of high school soccer at Ogden High.  It was one of the best experiences of my life.  I want the Youth in my area to be able to have the same experiences I had if not more.

I have had the chance to play soccer in the Ogden area since I was young, it has taught me sportsmanship, to set goals and achieve them, respect, leadership and how to work with others as a team.  I have continued on with my passion for soccer as an Assistant Coach at Ogden High School for the past three years, I want to be able to take what I have learned and the experience I had and pass it on to the youth in the area.  Having the chance to play high school soccer at Ogden High really helped me through school, it got me involved with other kids, helped with my grades, and attendance. 

Having a new Soccer Complex in the community would help the youth in the area because, there are not very many places to play soccer in Ogden and I know from personal experience our playing field now is down to dirt and because of the conditions of the field it can be hard to play on at times.  Home games is where we want our youth to be able to feel proud and the support of the community when they come watch.  Ogden has a large support system for soccer that would love to support the complex.

Coaching at the School I played for is an awesome opportunity, and would love to see it grow.  I want to help the program in any way that I can.  Thanks for reading my letter, please help us to continue to support soccer in Ogden's great community. 

Sincerely,

Jesus Garcia 

AYSO: Ogden Soccer Complex a Win-Win for the City of Ogden

AYSO, the nation's largest youth soccer organization recently came out in support of the new soccer complex initiative in Ogden stating that a complex of this kind not only benefits our kids but also the city.

"Playing at a high quality venue will not only give our kids a sense of pride, an sense of belonging to a larger community, but will give the city of Ogden the pride we all know is there," says AYSO Region 351 Regional Commissioner, Robin McCaul.

Read the complete letter below.