Players concerned over soccer tournament's new locale

Posted at: 11/02/2009 10:02 PM | Updated at: 11/03/2009 7:12 AM
By: Jeff Maher, Eyewitness News 4; Charlie Pabst, KOB.com

For the first time, the state soccer tournament finals are being held at the new APS Soccer Complex on Albuquerque's Westside.

The finals are just days away, but already some of the players and coaches are saying it was a mistake to move the tournament there from Bernalillo.

Some of the high school soccer players and coaches don't think the new complex can handle the estimated 8,000 people that are expected to attend the tournament.

APS officials say they shouldn't be so quick to judge.

For years, the state soccer tournament has been held in Bernalillo. It's a place most St. Pius High School players and coaches of the girls varsity soccer team seem to prefer.

"I think I can speak for everyone, most everyone on our team, we've grown up playing soccer at the Bernalillo complex so we're kind of used to that," St. Pius Senior Christy Barela said Monday.

This year, the tournament is at the new APS Soccer Complex, but some are concerned there isn't enough parking or seating for spectators.

St. Pius Senior Amanda Graham said, "With Bernalillo, the championship fields, fields 7 and 8, there's huge hills and the Westside doesn't have that."

St. Pius Coach David Sullivan said the Albuquerque metro tournament had major issues.

"During the metro tournament, parking was atrocious," Sullivan said. "If they've got some additional parking, it may help it out quite a bit. I don't know yet."

APS officials say they have added more parking since the metro tournament— and more seating.

They've increased the number of bleachers from eight to 44.

The fields have also been widened— and will be widened even more after this soccer season wraps up.

"I don't think they've seen it since we've done a lot of the work, so I would hope that they go out and enjoy the venue and let's hear what they have to say after the tournament is over, because we're going to do everything we can to make it a great tournament," APS Chief Operations Officer Brad Winter said.

The New Mexico Athletics Association made the call to move the tournament from Bernalillo to Albuquerque.

They say by doing that, it's going to save them more than $30,000, and they also think the facility will be safer for the kids and parents.

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