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Parents, coaches urge Union County to address Meeks Park crowding, field safety and UFA soccer rules
Summary
Multiple parents and coaches told commissioners Meeks Park is overcrowded (an estimated ~400 youth on busy nights), parking is inadequate and rec soccer faces challenges after UFA's academy requirements; speakers urged grants, lighting, safety nets and a focused community conversation about long-term facilities planning.
Dozens of parents, coaches and residents used the public-comment portion of the meeting to press the county on long-standing recreation needs, with extensive testimony about soccer fields, parking, safety and county support for youth sports.
A resident who has coached for decades told the commission Meeks Park is overcrowded and described an urgent safety concern: "There's 400 kids on any given evening in the bottom part of that park... They're parking along the side of the roads. We're gonna have a child run over," the speaker said, urging the county to begin a conversation about long-term expansion. Coach Sabrina Jackson asked the county to pursue grants and partnerships and recommended short-term countermeasures such as safety nets, bleacher repairs and lighting. "These programs are not simply extracurricular activities. They are investments in our children and our families," Jackson said.
Courtney Griffin and Richard Smith added that the county is losing players to out-of-county academy programs and that referee shortages strain local play. Griffin emphasized the economic and development impacts when players leave for academy leagues. Smith, who helped build fields in 1998, praised recent improvements but urged better referee education and maintenance planning.
Staff told the meeting they are working on field repairs, that lightning detectors and sirens had been installed at Elon and Caldwell fields, and that some field maintenance and closing for safety work is scheduled (Elon Soccer Fields closure for maintenance beginning June 1, as previously announced). Susan Stockton said the county has no current contractual agreement with UFA and expected to have more information after follow-up meetings.
