DUBUQUE SOCCER COMPLEX

DUBUQUE SOCCER COMPLEX. After nearly a decade grooming and scores of high school games during fall and spring leagues, the Dubuque Soccer Complex played host to its first major state sanctioned tournament July 21-23, 2000. The "Dubuque Blowout 2000" planned on fifty teams from as far away as Kansas City, Chicago, and the Quad Cities and eighteen from Dubuque. Considered the key to holding the tournament was a recently completed pavilion in the center of the complex to provide restrooms and a concession stand. (1)

In 1995 the first of seven or possibly eight fields were nearly ready for early summer use. Located on property owned by the DUBUQUE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT near the intersection of John F. Kennedy Road and the NORTHWEST ARTERIAL, the future Complex was started in 1993. The non-profit Dubuque Soccer Alliance with volunteer help began work on five fields during the fall of that year. By 1995 three fields were nearly completed with another to be ready by the fall and a sixth by the spring of 1996. The remaining area was planned for two or three smaller fields and practice space. (2)

All the work was financed through donations of time and money from businesses and local soccer community. The school district later sold the land to the Alliance. Still planned in 1993 were the concession stand, maintenance building, utility connections for electricity and water, and paving a 260-car parking lot. The expected cost of the project was $750,000. (3)

Completion of several fields led first to area team competition. WAHLERT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL won the championship of the Mississippi Valley Conference's Mississippi Division tournament in May, 1995. (4) Pete Campbell was credited for introducing youth soccer in Galena, Illinois and Dubuque. A member of the Dubuque Steamers Soccer Club for more than fifteen years, he organized the annual Steamers tournament several times. When he died unexpected of cancer, the Steamers renamed their annual event the Pete Campbell Memorial Tournament. The proceeds from the 1995 tournament were given to the Pete Campbell Memorial Fund to be used to construct soccer fields in Galena. (5) Colleges were using the fields by 1998.

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Source:

1. Leitner, Jim,"Complex Ready for Big Event," Telegraph Herald, July 22, 2000, p. 15

2. "Soccer Complex Nearly Ready," Telegraph Herald, January 11, 1995, p. 11

3. Ibid.

4. Leitner, Jim, "Wahlert Girls Win MVC Divisional Soccer Title," Telegraph Herald, May 28, 1995, p. 29

5. Piper, Andy, "Soccer Enthusiasts Celebrate Successful Campbell Tournament," Telegraph Herald, August 21, 1995, p. 6