Freedom's Venue

So on the WPS website it shows that the Washington Freedom's facility will be the Maryland Sportsplex (says it holds 3,200 people) Anyone know what happened to RFK stadium? Ohh how i loved it there during the WUSA days!

If Maryland sportsplex is the venue and only holds 3,200 people then i think we have a problem! Im sure as the WPS grows there will be more and more fans coming to support.

Anyone know the exact details?

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Permalink Reply by Betsy on January 22, 2009 at 6:08pm: Tha Maryland Sportsplex is an IDEAL venue for this fledging team/league. As fans know, RFK was a ridiculous venue to have women's soccer in. Most games had maybe 20-25% filled. The overhead to support a venue like RFK is what sank the league. Other venues were equally cavernous. Finally, someone got smart with the new league and insisted on games being played at smaller venues. Also, if you remember from high school economics, supply and demand. When games sell out, more people will want to buy tickets, therefore making the games a hot commodity. Pretty soon, if the games are packed and sell out, then we'll be having to look for a larger venue. What a predicament to be in? Right?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Betsy on January 22, 2009 at 6:17pm: Hey Supermokh
Get a driver's license, a car, a job that will pay for gas, and stop complaining about things that you have control over. When did it become the responsiblity of the WPS, the Freedom, or any sports team, to provide transportation to and from games! Get real folks. Some of us are driving 3 hours from Richmond! We can't take the metro, or any public transportation to get there - but we're not whining!
Take the metro and go to the men's games at RFK!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by miri on March 2, 2009 at 5:36am: I prefer RFK also. The Sportsplex is too far away, never been there. I do hope the Freedom will help some of its fans to get up to the stadium!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by miri on March 2, 2009 at 5:44am: Betsy said:
Hey Supermokh
Get a driver's license, a car, a job that will pay for gas, and stop complaining about things that you have control over. When did it become the responsiblity of the WPS, the Freedom, or any sports team, to provide transportation to and from games! Get real folks. Some of us are driving 3 hours from Richmond! We can't take the metro, or any public transportation to get there - but we're not whining! Take the metro and go to the men's games at RFK!

I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it'll be hard to get to the games. And you may be coming from Richmond.....I'm coming from FARTHER south! It'll be too hard for me to travel to every game, I won't want to drive home after the games, will probably have to get a hotel. And that costs money. I do take the metro to RFK for DCU, I'm not knocking the metro, it's a great thing.

Sorry if us fans are making you mad. We just want to get to the games and support the Freedom.

Why aren't we called Maryland Freedom anyways? Can't we show some love for DC? ;); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by GRiZZ on March 27, 2009 at 6:19am: miri said:
Why aren't we called Maryland Freedom anyways? Can't we show some love for DC? ;)

Huh?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dan K on March 31, 2009 at 9:00am: miri said:
Betsy said:
Hey Supermokh
Get a driver's license, a car, a job that will pay for gas, and stop complaining about things that you have control over. When did it become the responsiblity of the WPS, the Freedom, or any sports team, to provide transportation to and from games! Get real folks. Some of us are driving 3 hours from Richmond! We can't take the metro, or any public transportation to get there - but we're not whining! Take the metro and go to the men's games at RFK!

I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it'll be hard to get to the games. And you may be coming from Richmond.....I'm coming from FARTHER south! It'll be too hard for me to travel to every game, I won't want to drive home after the games, will probably have to get a hotel. And that costs money. I do take the metro to RFK for DCU, I'm not knocking the metro, it's a great thing.

Sorry if us fans are making you mad. We just want to get to the games and support the Freedom.

Why aren't we called Maryland Freedom anyways? Can't we show some love for DC? ;)

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you Betsy. Since you do not live anywhere near DC you have no idea what kind of place DC is. I'm not trying to come off rude but comments like "Get a driver's license, a car, a job that will pay for gas, and stop complaining about things that you have control over." are not going to win any frends. Frankly comments like that really make me mad! DC is a very mass transit friendly city, many people do not own cars for the fact they can take Metro everywhere. I do feel that when The Freedom choose to play their home games in Germantown they forgot about a large portion of the fans who do not have cars and can not get to the games. This is why Kevin started the "No fan left behind" program, thank you Kevin! The Freedom has not even began to address the issue. Basicly telling those fans, if you can not make it oh well. If you look at DC United look at how many fans take Metro to the games, granted RFK is next to a Metro stop, but still a huge part of the fans base take mass transit.
What it comes down to is The Freedom gave up on those fans who ride Matro and do not have a vehicle. Not everyone can go get a car to go see the games. The Freedom knew this would be an issue and they have ignored the problem. While I have a vehicle and can drive to the games, I feel for those who do not. The soccerplex is a great place, but just to far from DC to try and field a team from DC.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dan K on March 31, 2009 at 12:51pm: What's wrong with The Freedom renting a charter bus and then charging people say $5 to ride. You do this at one game as a trial thing and see if people respond well to this idea. You pick them up at the Shady Grove Metro stop say an hour before kick off and return them 30 minutes after the match. The Freedom want to say "recent Federal Law that was passed that prohibits using public transportation as shuttles to venues" but if The Freedom chartered a bus, them there is no problem, you are not using public transportation, but you are using private transportstion. See there are ways to get around the laws that were passed, I just think The Freedom don't want to look at any of them. I hope I'm wrong.

Washington Freedom Soccer Club said:
We understand the SoccerPlex can be hard to get to. We are trying to figure something out regarding Metro and such but the big problem is with the recent Federal Law that was passed that prohibits using public transportation as shuttles to venues.

The Post (among others) ran stories on transportation regarding Redskins games at the beginning of the season and with Metro buses no longer available, the cost of hiring shuttles jumped from $6/person to $20. That is a huge cost.

We understand the problem and are working on ways to get around it but chances are we won't have anything for a while. Sorry I can't give you anything more substantial right now.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Berly16 on April 13, 2009 at 4:05pm: Allthough the Soccerplex is a nice little family venue, I do miss the convenience of RFK. Much closer, right on a metro stop, etc...and more importantly every seat had a back rest :) Until DC gets some $$ and approves plans for a stadium, I think we'll have to stick with the Soccerplex for a while. It doesnt hinder me from going to the games but for others I can see it being inconvenient. Oh well, atleast we have a league again. Im sure they are watching every penny right now and once they see that the league is here to stay them im sure they will focus more on transportation issues.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by PigtownIrish on April 14, 2009 at 7:51am: The problen with hiring a private charter bus is that it won't cost 5$ a ride, it will cost $20 because a private bus is that much more expensive than a public bus. This stupid law is ruining transportation opportunities for the Freedom and the Redskins. I'm not sure what the alleged rationale is behind it, but I doubt it's any good.

What we need is a real soccer stadium for both the United and the Freedom. Either in DC, or Baltimore, or somewhere in between where public transportation actually goes. Until that day comes, I've noticed that some teams are playing in college stadiums, like Santa Clara. Is the stadium at UMCP feasible?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Washington Freedom Soccer Club on April 14, 2009 at 8:25am: If chartering a private bus cost only $5 a person, we would do it. However, like the previous poster said, it is $20 per person and doesn't appear to be a feasible solution at this point. We do have the taxi service where if you ride with three others it ends up being $7 one way but it is $28 one way to ride alone.

We really are looking for alternatives, the problem is we haven't found many that actually do the fans a favor at this point.

Dan K said:
What's wrong with The Freedom renting a charter bus and then charging people say $5 to ride. You do this at one game as a trial thing and see if people respond well to this idea. You pick them up at the Shady Grove Metro stop say an hour before kick off and return them 30 minutes after the match. The Freedom want to say "recent Federal Law that was passed that prohibits using public transportation as shuttles to venues" but if The Freedom chartered a bus, them there is no problem, you are not using public transportation, but you are using private transportstion. See there are ways to get around the laws that were passed, I just think The Freedom don't want to look at any of them. I hope I'm wrong.
Washington Freedom Soccer Club said:
We understand the SoccerPlex can be hard to get to. We are trying to figure something out regarding Metro and such but the big problem is with the recent Federal Law that was passed that prohibits using public transportation as shuttles to venues.

The Post (among others) ran stories on transportation regarding Redskins games at the beginning of the season and with Metro buses no longer available, the cost of hiring shuttles jumped from $6/person to $20. That is a huge cost.

We understand the problem and are working on ways to get around it but chances are we won't have anything for a while. Sorry I can't give you anything more substantial right now.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by vickie smith on May 6, 2009 at 8:55am: LOL people are a riot! I personally think the Soccer complex rocks! yes if and when more and more people start come yes HOPEFULLY they will have to redo or relocate but right now, I think they have an amazing field it isn't "way out of the way" LOL as someone who doesn't live "in" DC I find the complex very easy to get in and out of who could ever say that about DC? Unless you always wanted to ride metro (which as one of the many who come in from BFE don't do) and/or walk some of DC's ummm.....shall we say more "colorful, exciting" neighborhoods I drive. Since I also usually have kids in tow. RFK wasn't very inviting. and It really was too big for what they needed. I think they made a very wise choice. It is family friendly it isn't closer to Baltimore or fredricksburg LOL. The complex is no farther away from DC then FEDEX field is LOL and they didn't have to build it. and it's a very family friendly place. which scores points with me.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lauren on January 2, 2010 at 1:42pm: I attended home games both at the SoccerPlex as well as at RFK for the double header when the Freedom played the Athletica and I have to say that attending a game at the SoccerPlex hands down was more enjoyable. RFK was sadly empty for the women's game, and promptly filled up when the men played. The SoccerPlex is small enough that it can contain an electric environment but big enough to support the amount of fans that the Freedom currently has. While it was slightly inconvenient to get to, it was well worth the efforts of getting up there. Yes, RFK is easier to get to, but I was so much more thrilled with the SoccerPlex. It's the perfect size for the Freedom's fan base right now

What I would like to see are more electric fans...; ▶ Reply to This