September 9, 2003

Statement to the Salt Lake City Council

My name is Paul Burke, and I am a resident of Salt Lake City. I am also the president of the Utah Youth Soccer Association, the largest soccer organization in the state. We represent more than 30,000 young people and their families across the state, including more than 5,000 in Salt Lake City.

This evening I rise to encourage this Council to authorize the bond election for the proposed Regional Sports Complex. This facility will serve our citizenry, promote economic development, and maintain open green space within urban Salt Lake City. Perhaps most importantly, this will be a place of unity for our community. Soccer and other sports bridge every divide in our city. Our game is played by boys and girls, children and adults, and people from every neighborhood. Today the fields of our city serve as its melting pot.

Our city needs more soccer fields. The biggest challenge that our organization faces in its mission to serve Salt Lake City's youth is an acute shortage of fields. In the last decade, the number of children in our programs has grown dramatically, but the number of fields in Salt Lake has not kept pace, and perhaps has even diminished.

The Regional Sports Complex will address this critical need of our children and our community. The proposed facility will not only serve our recreational needs, but it will also attract economic activity to this valley. The complex will attract sports teams from across the Intermountain West for tournament competitions. We look forward to the day when the nearby hotels and restaurants are filled with soccer players and families.

Tonight I hope this Council will take a critical step towards the realization of this vision. This Council should seize the chance to build a legacy for generations of city residents.