TJ Davis
Washingtonspirit.com
The Washington Spirit has called the Maryland SoccerPlex located in Boyds, Maryland home since the club’s inception in December of 2012.
The SoccerPlex is a 24-field soccer complex founded by Maureen and John Hendricks, with Maureen Hendricks Field having a capacity of 5,000 seats. Construction on the facility began in January of 1999, bringing the largest and most comprehensive soccer facility in the DMV to Germantown.
All Spirit home games had been played at the Plex on the award-winning Maureen Hendricks Field until the Spirit made their debut at Audi Field in August of 2018. Additionally, the SoccerPlex has been the headquarters for all Spirit support and technical staff since NWSL play began at the venue in 2013.
The SoccerPlex has also been home to the next generation of women’s soccer as many Spirit Youth Training and Advanced Development Programs were hosted at the location.
In addition to being the home of the Washington Spirit, the esteemed SoccerPlex has hosted a US Olympic qualifier, MLS Open Cup matches, a CONCACAF Champions League match, the ACC Men’s Soccer Championships and other notable events during its history.
Spirit Majority Owner Steve Baldwin stated the SoccerPlex’s importance to the growth of the Spirit, saying, “Particularly refreshing in my interactions with the SoccerPlex was their alignment with our desire to see our players play on the biggest stage.” Baldwin continued, “Their support of what we are doing is essential to our future success.”
The Spirit will continue to train at the Maryland SoccerPlex through the 2020 season before moving their training, support and technical staff to Segra Field in 2021.