BENTONVILLE — The city entered into a partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Lightning Soccer Club earlier this month in an attempt to grow recreational soccer in the city.
The goal is to expand recreational soccer from 1,300 to 2,000 players within three years while ensuring everyone who wants to play has the opportunity, said Chad Guentz, president of the Lightning.
David Wright, director of the Bentonville Parks and Recreation Department, and Guentz said the partnership is a win-win for the newly formed Parks and Recreation soccer league and the established league the Lightning oversees.
The two programs will work together to promote each other through their websites and various events.
The Lightning will promote preferred hotels inside Bentonville when it hosts soccer tournaments. The Lightning typically host two regional soccer tournaments a year, Guentz said.
“This can have a huge economic impact,” Wright said. “When we are putting heads in beds, we want them inside our ZIP code.”
The Lightning also will place a cap on its recreational soccer program. Parents who try to register their children for the Lightning after the cap is reached will be referred to the city’s soccer program, Guentz said.
There is no limit on how many children will be allowed to play in the city soccer program, Wright said. Players who enroll in the city’s league also will benefit from specialized training sessions with the Lightning.
Lightning teams will be able to practice at Memorial Park on weekdays and will be able to host regional tournaments at the park, Guentz said.
Being allowed to play tournaments at Memorial Park gives the Lightning “an overall sense of community and a way to be part of Bentonville,” Guentz said.
Both men emphasized the leagues are not competing with each other.
“The real winner here is the children of our community,” Wright said.
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At A Glance
Soccer Registration
Registration for Bentonville’s recreational soccer program and for the Northwest Arkansas Lighting Soccer Club ends Saturday.
Those interested in playing for the Lightning should visit www.nwalightning.org.
Those interested in signing up to play in the city recreational league should call 479-464-7275.
Source: Staff Report