The Fond du Lac Soccer Association (FLDSA) is pleased to announce they are the recipients of a $50,000 Impact Grant from the Fond du Lac Area Foundation.

With over 1,700 players annually ranging from 3 years old up to adults, soccer is one of the most popular sports in Fond du Lac. The Fond du Lac Soccer Complex is comprised of 53 acres with 30 soccer fields that are home to over 2,000 games each year.

As a nonprofit, and without funding from the City or County of Fond du Lac, or the School District, the volunteer-led Fond du Lac Soccer Club relies on revenue from its programs, donations, and grants to maintain the Fond du Lac Soccer Complex and all its programs.

Each year, the Fond du Lac Soccer Association continues to invest in the soccer complex to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all its players, parents, volunteers, and spectators. With this grant from the Fond du Lac Foundation, the Soccer Association will continue those efforts by adding new permanent field lights that will allow our youth soccer players to train and play games later in the evening, especially in the autumn months when the sun sets early in the day.

“Each fall as the sun sets earlier and earlier, it is a struggle for many of our youth teams to train effectively, to have late kick-off games, or to execute programs at times that allow parents to get their children to the soccer complex after work” states Chad Collett, President of the Fond du Lac Soccer Association.  “With these new field lights, we will be able to provide a well-lit safe atmosphere for the youth players in the Fond du Lac community to continue playing soccer, even after the sun sets. The Fond du Lac Foundation is going to make a lot of soccer players and families very happy this year – we have already heard a lot of positive feedback for this project.”

Collett adds, “Additionally, we are happy to be able to partner with a local company, Wisconsin Lighting Lab (WiLL) for this project to keep these funds within the Fond du Lac Community and ensure that the new lights are both energy efficient and neighborhood friendly.”

The new field light enhancement is part of an overall “Safe Places to Play” initiative from the Fond du Lac Soccer Association. Over the past several years, the club has repaired grass surface playing areas that have been damaged from wear and tear and the elements, replaced all field signs that had sharp edges with safer material, installed field drainage, updated overgrown landscaping areas, maintained the mile long walking path, expanded the concession stand and added new night security lights to the pavilion and restrooms areas, just to name a few.

“While this grant from the Fond du Lac Foundation allows us to start the project, we are still looking for donors to help us complete the funding for it as well as help us achieve our goal to bring a turf soccer field to the Fond du Lac Soccer Complex that will allow all age groups the ability to play soccer safely regardless of the elements.” Collett concludes.

About Fond du Lac Soccer Association:

The Fond du Lac Soccer Association (FDLSA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit youth organization governed by an elected Board of Directors. The FDLSA offers soccer opportunities for both the youth of our community as well as adults, creating an environment where the whole family can become involved. The Fond du Lac Soccer Association annually has youth soccer programs for over 1,500 boys and girls ages 3 to 18 with approximately 120 recreation and 15 select/travel club teams and over 200 adult league players.

Club Contact:

Chad R Collett
President
Fond du Lac Soccer Association
president@fondysoccer.com
920.539.6059