WASHINGTON聽鈥� From youth soccer to adult matches, most soccer games in Montgomery County, Maryland, are held聽at the 24 soccer fields at the , in Germantown.
With close to 400 games each weekend, scheduling is a tough task, but Mother Nature has made this season especially difficult for the staff at the facility.
鈥淭his has been a terrible season,鈥� said Trish Heffelfinger, executive director of the SoccerPlex.
She said this season has seen 229 games canceled and rescheduled due to weekend rain.
鈥淲hen we get bad weather and we have to reschedule a game, it鈥檚 a painful experience for everyone,鈥� said Heffelfinger.
Nicole Adam, of Olney, says schedule changes are not only disappointing for players聽such as聽her son, but for聽parents who already have packed schedules.
鈥淏eing a working mother, the rescheduling is always very difficult, trying to move schedules around,鈥� Adam said.
She added that聽any canceled games this weekend could adversely affect聽players, who depend on their time on the field to better their ranking in the league.
As the facility prepares for tournaments that will be held聽soon after the season鈥檚 conclusion, the threat of rain this weekend has Heffelfinger concerned.聽 With the soccer season in Week 7聽of 8, any canceled games from this point on will not be able to be made up.
Heffelfinger says rainfall hasn’t affected聽a season this much since聽2003, when close to 10 inches of rain fell. And聽this year’s cooler temperatures keep the fields聽soggy for longer periods.
鈥淩ight now we are not getting any drying at all,鈥� Heffelfinger said.
Usually, fields are mowed three times a week in preparation for the weekend, but mowers had to be kept off the fields several days this season so they wouldn鈥檛 damage the grounds.
This weekend, Heffelfinger said, her staff is keeping a close eye on the forecast, and won鈥檛 cancel a game until groundskeepers say they must call off play.
