Uncommon Commonwealth

Arlington takes SI Sportstown honor for Virginia

By Andrew Schulman

To be successful in this day and age, local recreation departments need some cooperation from local groups and a dash of creativity.

Providing for a community as diverse and tightly packed as Arlington County, Va., however, requires near-endless amounts of both. Luckily for its residents, the Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources is up to the task, which is why the county has been named the Sports Illustrated Sportstown for Virginia.

With its population of nearly 200,000 concentrated in a space of just 25.8 square miles -– Arlington County is the nation’s 13th most densely populated area -- finding enough space to accommodate the many groups that organize indoor and outdoor sports is certainly a challenge. Especially since Arlington’s residents seem to have an insatiable hunger for sports.

“If we build it, they will come; that’s the motto around here,” said Janis Wood, Sports Division Chief of the County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources. “We’re always looking at upgrading our current facilities and adding new ones, because we know the demand is there.”

That’s where the creativity and cooperation come in. Already equipped with a full complement of parks, fields, courts, trails and indoor recreation centers, Arlington County has come up with some innovative ways to maximize its facilities and make the most of the venues that are still on the drawing board.

First, the Department embraced technology and has installed or plans to install third-generation synthetic grass and “dark sky lighting” at several of its fields and courts –- allowing them to be used into the colder months, and into the night, without increasing maintenance costs. It’s also planning to build a multipurpose activity center, or “MAC,” allowing popular outdoor sports, such as soccer, to be played indoors during the winter months and giving county citizens the opportunity to play those sports year-round.

These are just a few of the many creative solutions that are possible because the Department has developed great relationships with a host of local groups -- from the County Board, which oversees the Department’s budget, to the NHL’s Washington Capitals, who are currently building a $20 million, two-story practice facility that will double as a community ice rink. The Department staff realizes that teamwork is as important to success off the field as it is on.

Said Wood, “Our citizens demand high-quality sports programs and facilities, and the ongoing work of our affiliated organizations helps make Arlington a sports town that we can all be proud of.”

Now Arlington’s residents can also be proud of something else: their county’s newest title, Sports Illustrated Sportstown.