Spokane Valley, Seattle Sounders christen new soccer pitch at Balfour Park

Sep. 20—Spokane Valley completed the first phase of renovations to Balfour Park this summer and marked the occasion Thursday with assistance from an area 9-year-old and an MLS Cup champion.

Community members, local politicians and football fanatics flocked to the field to celebrate a new era for the park, after the city began envisioning turning the property into a robust greenspace with a wide slate of amenities more than a decade ago.

Construction began in 2023, and the work completed so far includes an events plaza, expanded parking, lighting, concrete pathways, a new restroom and the Veteran's Memorial unveiled earlier this year. It also includes extensive infrastructure improvements for water and electrical access for the food trucks that are expected to frequent community events at the park.

The newest feature, and the center of attention Thursday evening, was a bright green minipitch donated to the city by the Seattle Sounders FC, the club's charitable organization the RAVE Foundation and team sponsor Delta Airlines.

The coalition set out to build 26 free soccer fields across the state by the time the World Cup comes to North America in 2026, and with the last expected to open this fall, the team is doubling its efforts to build another 26 statewide. Spokane Valley's pitch at Balfour Park is No. 22 and the only one in Eastern Washington.

"It's really just an honor to have one of our Valley locations chosen to be a part of this," said Councilwoman Jessica Yaeger. "Exercise is really so important for our kids. It's somewhere for them to get outside and run their little legs off and have fun and just be kids."

Former Sounders player and current radio announcer Brad Evans emceed the event, and with assistance from Valley resident Elliot Adams, 9, opened the field to play. Elliot scored the ceremonial first goal on the pitch, after reciting an Elizabeth Steinglass poem all about soccer to the crowd of a couple hundred people.

"Win or lose, when the game is through, there's only one thing we want to do: we want to play soccer," Elliot said, reading verses of the poem. "We don't need a ref, a coach or a fan. With all of the friends that are new, there's only one plan."

The poem and the successful score elicited raucous applause from those watching.

Elliot said in an interview he was a little nervous about being front and center, but that he really enjoyed the experience. The team awarded him a minijersey for his assistance.

"It was awesome," Elliot said.

Elliot was not the only attendee to walk away with free swag. The city provided complimentary meals and snow cones from local vendors, while the crowds of children in attendance received Sounders shirts, soccer balls and books.

Children of all ages and abilities had the opportunity to put the pitch and grassy areas of the park to use after the opening ceremony, in dribbling, shooting and control drills led by Evans and the varsity girls soccer team from Freeman High School.

Spokane Valley Police Chief Dave Ellis, who also serves as the head coach for girls soccer at Freeman High School, said it was a great opportunity for the team to mentor the next soccer stars in their community, with the added benefit of meeting a former Sounder.

"They were all talking about it," Ellis said. "It's a great way for them to have fun and interact with kids. They remember when they were this age, and getting the chance to do it is pretty cool."

Ellis said he's enjoyed seeing interest in the game continue to grow in the region. New fields are popping up throughout the Inland Northwest, and Ellis is partial to the artificial turf that allows for more year-round play.

"You go to Seattle and they got 'em, and they play year-round," Ellis said. "It's hard; we're out here shoveling snow, you know? So to have artificial turf is great, and to have a surface like this, it's just another opportunity for kids to play that we didn't have in the past."

The minipitch consists of two small goals and a base of asphalt laid by the city, which was covered in a Sounders-themed acrylic material. It's eye-catching, and Mayor Pam Haley said that's one of the reasons she was excited to host an opening ceremony.

She said the field is visual evidence of the progress the city has made on the park expansion project while so much of the work, like the infrastructure improvements, goes unnoticed.

"How exciting is this?" Haley said.

City Manager John Hohman shared the mayor's sentiment, adding that more improvements are planned for phase two of the project, which will bring an amphitheater, a splash pad, a playground and sport courts to the 8-acre property.

"We really look forward to having a lot of fun right here on this soccer pitch," Hohman said.