The Fields Are NOT Free

One of the biggest misunderstandings in local soccer, especially on the adult side, is the idea that somehow all of this just happens by itself. It doesn’t.

The fields are not free.

That might sound obvious, but based on how many conversations I have had over the past year or so, it clearly needs saying again and again.

• Practice fields cost money.

• League fees cost money.

• Insurance costs money.

• Equipment costs money.

• Referees cost money.

• Kits cost money.

• Streaming games costs money.

• Photos cost money.

• Running a soccer club costs money.

None of it is free.

And yet, there is still this strange attitude from some players that they should not have to pay anything to be part of it. That somehow they should be able to train, play in leagues, wear kits, show up when they feel like it, and let someone else figure out the rest. That is not how this works.

For a lot of players, I think this shift feels uncomfortable because when they were younger, someone else covered the cost. When you played recreation soccer, travel soccer, or youth club soccer, your parents paid. Maybe you never saw the bill, maybe you never thought about the fields, the refs, the league registration, or the equipment. It was just there.

The games happened, the practices happened, the uniforms showed up, and the assumption was that soccer just worked.

Now that many of those same players are adults, suddenly the idea of paying for themselves feels different. For some, it even feels unfair.

Honestly, that is hard to understand.

Because the reality is simple: the cost didn’t disappear just because you got older. If anything, it got higher. Adult teams still need:

• Practice fields

• League registration

• Insurance coverage

• Game officials

• Balls, bibs, cones, and training equipment

• Uniforms and replacement kits

• Administration and club systems

• Media, streaming, and promotion

The only real difference now is that instead of parents paying, you are expected to pay your own way.

That should not be controversial. That should be normal.

At Summit Valley United, we have worked hard to build something real. We started from very little and have grown into a club with adult teams, and now a youth academy that is helping lay the foundation for the future. That growth did not happen because things were free. It happened because time, effort, money, and commitment were invested into trying to build something that could last.

And still, one of the biggest challenges is not coaching, not recruiting, not even finding leagues. It is getting players to understand that if they want these soccer opportunites locally in this area, they need to chip in.....for now.

The fields are not free.

That phrase matters because it represents more than just field rental. It represents the entire reality of trying to build soccer locally. If we want better opportunities, better training, better competition, and better pathways for players in our area, then everyone has to play a part.

That means businesses should sponsor. Families should support. Communities should back local clubs. And players, especially adult players, need to understand that paying their share is part of being involved.

If we want to keep pushing soccer forward in this area, then the burden cannot keep falling on the same few people over and over again. It has to become shared. That is how clubs grow. That is how pathways are built. That is how the game becomes more sustainable for everyone.

The truth is, I would love for it to cost players less. I would love for sponsorships and donations to cover more. I would love for one day the cost not to be such a barrier. But until we get there, pretending that everything should just be free helps no one.

Because again:

The fields are not free.