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Virginia Beach, VA What more could you ask for? Sun, surf, hospitable climate, and a soccer-specific venue. Virginia Beach, with a population of 439,889 people (2000 census), is the 34th largest city in the United States, a major tourist destination and the largest city in the U.S. without a major league professional sports franchise. It’s located in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News metro area, with over 1.7 million people, making it the 27th largest in the United States. Virginia Beach borders the Atlantic Ocean and is in the southeastern portion of Virginia. History Disputing what is popularly believed, Captain John Smith was not a part of the first landing party. Due to his being a part of many disturbances in the voyage across the ocean, he was placed under arrest and put in chains. However, the first permanent English colony was a little bit more inland along the James River, named Jamestown upon the orders of King James. Virginia Beach, despite abundant natural resources, was slow to grow. The area was also free, mostly, of Indians, and had an abundant wildlife, the most fertile soil in the Virginia Colony, numerous deep rivers and prime access to the sea’s resources. Virginia Beach’s first witch, Grace Sherwood, found to be a threat to Christianity, was tried in 1706 by dunking (it was called ducking then). That meant she was tied up and thrown in water. If she drowned, she was innocent–though dead–and if she could stay afloat until she freed herself–which, by the way, she did–she would be found guilty. As a result, she was jailed for eight years, though the softening hearts of her accusers freed her and she was allowed to live out her life. The first battle of the Revolutionary War in the Virginia colony took place in Virginia Beach on Nov. 16, 1775, and it was a small skirmish at that. One colonist was killed. A violent storm hit Virginia Beach on April 6, 1889, and one of the ships to survive it, the Benjamin F. Poole–from Providence, Rhode Island–has an interesting twist. The ship, en route to Baltimore to pick up a load of coal, got caught up in the storm and ended up in Virginia Beach–literally beached–so that people could walk around the ship on sand at low tide. The ship’s captain, Charlton, got married in July 1890, and then honeymooned on the ship the entire summer. Various attempts to float the ship failed, and the ship stayed there for 17 months before a 3-day Nor’easter hit and gave the ship enough tides to get afloat. Virginia Beach is also where it is believed that the longest-surviving brick home is located. General Information The Virginia Beach Visitor Information Center is located at 2100 Parks Avenue and open seven days a week (9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. after June 15 through Labor Day, closed at 5:00 p.m. the rest of the year). As you enter the resort area on Interstate 264 it will be on your left at the first traffic light (Parks Avenue). Weather Alcohol Public Transportation Medical Virginia Beach General Hospital Sentara Bayside Hospital There are family care clinics and minor emergency centers located throughout the city. For emergencies, dial 911. Also, dialysis and dental care are available. More Virginia is on Eastern Standard Time from November through March, and on Eastern Daylight Savings Time between April and October, five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Virginia Beach Soccer More info: [L=www.vabeach.com]http://www.vabeach.com[EL] [L=www.hamptonroadsmariners.com]Virginia Beach Mariners[EL] Home: Virginia Beach Sportsplex (Free parking) Directions: From the North: Take I-95 South (Just north of Richmond) to I-64 East into Norfolk-Virginia Beach. Take I-64 to I-264 East. From the South: Take I-95 North to 58 East. 58 East will eventually turn into I-64 West. Follow I-64 North to I-264 East. From I-264 East, follow I-264 East to the Independence Avenue Exit. Take Independence Avenue South. Follow Independence Avenue South and signs for the Virginia Beach Amphitheater. Make a left onto Princess Anne Road. Follow Princess Anne Road to Dam Neck Road. Make right onto Dam Neck Road and follow signs to the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. Team Background The team hasn’t been without their share of troubles, however. The team has gone through several different owners, with Mike Field being the latest to try and rescue the franchise in May 2002. But there have been two years since 1994 where there was no soccer on the beach. In 1997, the team went on hiatus as preparations for the new stadium took shape and the city jumped up to A-League status. The Mariners played their first A-League match on April 25, 1998 and moved into the Sportsplex on July 6, 1998. More notably, the region went without soccer in 2001. As the Hampton Roads Hurricanes in the team’s first season, the 1994 team made the playoffs with a 10-8 record. In the playoffs, the Hurricanes lost to Charleston 4-1 in the Atlantic Division semifinals. For the season, they scored 32 goals and allowed 28 United States Interregional Soccer League. In 1995, with the team under new ownership, it was elevated to Division III, and became the Mariners. That year, the team posted a 13-7 and just barely missed the playoffs. Darren Eales scored 24 goals and added 4 assists in 19 matches. In 1996, under first-year (and current) head coach Shawn McDonald, the team made the run for the title in what perhaps was the most successful season for the team. The team finished 13-5 in the USISL Select League regular season standings, and made it as far as the Select Six national championship before losing twice to Minnesota (3-2) and Long Island (3-2). with 22-9 overall record, competing in the Eastern Conference’s South Atlantic Division. Hampton Roads captured the South Atlantic Division crown and advanced all the way to the Select Six National Championships. Matthew Olsen was third in the league with an 0.86 goals-against average in 17 matches. In 1998, the team went on to a 17-13 record that year qualifying for the playoffs and the U.S. Open Cup. In 1999, the Mariners finished 15-13. After starting out 4-9, the team went 11-4 in the last half of the season, but it wasn’t quite good enough to make the playoffs. But in 2000, they rebounded and made the playoffs for the fourth time going 14-12-2. Richmond eliminated the Mariners with a 2-1 win in the conference quarterfinal. Ownership problems forced the team to disband for the 2001 season. A new ownership group managed to get soccer back to the city in 2002. Financial difficulties stemming from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center nearly brought the franchise down once again. Many players, and head coach Shawn McDonald, threatened to leave, but the USL stepped in and a new owner, Mike Field, came soon after. Gary Brooks led the 6-19-3 outfit with five goals and three assists. Field, with the signing of veteran forward Roy Lassiter, is signaling to the city he is serious about spending what it takes to put a competitive product on the field. History Tickets: Season tickets, $29 each; Family Fun 4 Pack, $100. Single game, $6 (available at gate or Soccer Plus in the Lynnhaven North shopping center). Charge by phone: (757) 430-3500 Home: Landstown High School, 2001 Concert Drive, Virginia Beach, Virginia (Free parking). Directions: Landstown High School is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia on the corner of Princess Anne Road and Concert Drive. It is located across the street from the Old Domion University/Norfolk State University Higher Education Center and adjacent to Princess Anne Park. From the Oceanfront: Take 264W to the Lynnhaven Parkway South exit; Turn left onto Princess Anne Road; Turn right onto Concert Drive; Turn right into the entrance of campus From Chesapeake on I 64: Take the Indian River Road Exit (Regent University/CBN exit); When Indian River Road splits, bear left following Ferrell Parkway; Ferrell Parkway (stay in left lane) merges with Princess Anne Road; Turn right on Concert Drive; Turn right into the entrance of campus From Portsmouth: From Norfolk or the Peninsula: Team Background A consistent playoff performer, the Piranhas, in their ninth season, made it to the 1998 W-2 League championship game in Miami Beach, Florida before losing to the Ft. Collins Force, 2-1. In 2000, the Piranhas went from a W-2 League team to a W-1 League team and finished 7-6-1 (2nd place) in the league’s South Division, scoring 32 goals and giving up 21. Merce Akide (9 goals, 1 assist) and Angela Hucles (6 goals, 7 assists) were among the league’s top scorers. The Piranhas’ Marcia Laumann won the Archie Moylan Courage Award. In 2001, the Piranhas (10-2-2, 2nd place, Eastern Conference) made it to the W-1 League’s final four before losing in the semifinal to the expansion Vancouver Breakers. A third place game between the Piranhas and Maryland Pride was washed out because of a torrential thunderstorm. Kelly Golebiowski had seven goals and four assists in just six games, putting her fourth in the league and was rewarded with rookie of the year honors. Kathy Hoverman was third in the league with a 0.81 goals-against average. Last season, the Piranhas finished third in the Central Conference’s Atlantic Division with a 8-5-1 record. Golebiowski was eighth in scoring with 10 goals and six assists. Hoverman was named goalkeeper of the year and received a callup to the WUSA’s Washington Freedom. After defeating Northern Virginia and Kansas City in the playoffs, the Piranhas lost to Charlotte in a bid to go to the W-League final four. The Piranhas, have been a stepping-stone for many U.S. and international players. Piranhas’ alumni currently include players on the United States, Australian, Canadian, and Nigerian national team rosters, and 5 of the 8 WUSA clubs. The latest to move from the Piranhas to the WUSA include Christie Welsh (New York Power) and Kelly Golebiowski (Washington Freedom). [L=www.sandsoccer.com]North American Sand Soccer Championships[EL] The city has hosted the North American Sand Soccer Championships since 1994, which in 2002 had grown to over 550 teams and 6,000 players in all age groups, skill levels and many nationalities. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event, taking place June 6-8, 2003. Pro Beach Soccer’s U.S. National Finals is a part of the championships, which is being altered to allow international teams to compete in this part of the competition. The A-League’s Virginia Beach Mariners are a presenting sponsor of this year’s competition and MLS’s D.C. United and the W-League’s Hampton Roads Piranhas are among the contributing sponsors. It even includes a military division, and the local military helps to set up the facilities for the tournament. It takes place near the Virginia Beach Boardwalk between 1st and 14th Streets. The games are free and open to the public. The tournament drew nearly 20,000 spectators in 2002. It’s played on 25-35 yard or 30-40 yard grids, 5-on-5 and with limited dribbling. Brackets are seeded for all levels of play, from beginner to pro, youth to adult, and international teams compete as well. Uniforms are anything goes. The Hampton Roads Soccer Council and its four member clubs are the hosts of the tournament. In the past, the tournament has been televised internationally by the cable Outdoor Life Network and in 2002, D.C. United sponsored a youth soccer clinic. Under an innovative and unique arrangement, the Colorado Rush Soccer Club and Virginia Rush Soccer Club have affiliated in an interstate soccer club program and will collaborate through an exchange of personnel and ideas to build an elite, competitive soccer club on the east coast. Most recently, the Virginia Rush acquired the services of former WUSA coach Jay Hoffman, who comes to southeast Virginia to serve as the Virginia Rush’s director of coaching, Virginia Academy Division. Hoffman, whose coaching experience dates back to the NASL, will also serve as technical advisor to the Rush affiliate W-League team, the Hampton Roads Piranhas. The Colorado Rush views its unique affiliation with the Virginia Rush Soccer Club as an opportunity, specifically, to apply a successful soccer philosophy outside of its original boundaries and to develop an overarching club-cooperative system on a national level. Both feel it’s the first step in the creation of a national-level club association to serve as a minor league system for MLS, WUSA or Europe. They feel the arrangement will offer more opportunities for sponsorship support and provide the framework for a national coaches’ development network. In 2003, the Virginia Rush Soccer Club will field three competitive Super Y-League girls' teams at the U14, U15, and U16 age brackets. The Virginia Rush Piranhas will participate in the South-Atlantic division in 2003, which will consist of the following teams: Atlanta Fire, Atlanta Silverbacks, Greenville So. Carolina, CASL of Raleigh NC, Charlotte, NC Soccer Club, Charleston, South Carolina, Battery, Carolina Dynamo, Triangle FC of Durham/Chapel Hill, and Williamsburg Soccer Club. Virginia Beach Sportsplex The Virginia Beach Sportsplex, which opened in 1998, is said to be the first soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. The city of Virginia Beach owns the facility, as well as the adjacent Hampton Roads Soccer Complex, which hosts 19 multi-sport fields. The lower deck seats 3,600 people, while the upper deck seats another 2,400. The open concourse on the lower level allows unobstructed match viewing even at the concession stands. The majority of seats have armchairs with seatbacks. Berm seating brings the capacity of the stadium to 10,000. In addition, disabled access is enabled with ramps and elevators to the seats, and there is club level seating. Access to parking is off Landstowne Road and in the mostly gravel lot is free for all Sportsplex events. The field, resodded this past offseason, is 120 yards by 75 yards, suitable for international matches. The Sportsplex not only serves as home for the Mariners, it has served as a home for, among other things: Hampton Roads Piranhas of the W-League The Sportsplex will welcome the Division II men’s and women’s national championships from December 5-7, 2003. Sportsplex Guidelines: http://www.vbgov.com/dept/cvd/pdf/spxpolicyguidelines.pdf Area Attractions Adults -$9.50
Accommodations [L=www.laquinta.com]La Quinta Inn[EL] ($78+), located six miles south of the Sportsplex. [L=www.angiescottage.com/youth-hostel.htm]Angie's Guest Cottage and Hostel[EL] ($10.50-$13 +tax), 11 miles north of the Sportsplex Bars Most of the sports bars in the region seem to cater to other sports besides soccer, so check with the establishment to see if soccer matches are on the TV menu at the various watering holes in the city. Here are a couple of listings of sports bars in Virginia Beach area: Getting To Virginia Beach Flying in, you’ll arrive at [L=www.norfolkairport.com]Norfolk International Airport[EL], served by the following air carriers: Driving Some alternatives include: Getting Away |