Heart of a Community

While it isn't baseball season yet, a recent annual report coming out of Charles County yielded some remarkable news about Regency Stadium, built by the Stadium Authority in 2008 as the home of the Blue Crabs.

While the ball team was an immediate success , we didn't realize just how much a part of the community the eyecatching, garnet-gabled facility has become.

Built as a partnership between the team's owners, Charles County, and the State of Maryland, the stadium was designed to be versitile venue for year-round use.   Nonetheless, we were surprised when we saw just how successful Regency has become in its three years.

In 2008, the year it opened, it hosted fewer than 100 outside events.  By 2009, that number was up to 250.  And in 2010, more than 350 activities took place there.  We don't know if that includes autocross rallies or marathon registrations (April 17, 2011,)  but the parking lots are an important feature of Regency.  They also provide staging for carpools and bus service for Washington on weekdays.

This June, Willie Nelson will be performing in Regency, bringing even more folks to Charles County.

Those of us in the sports facilities biz take heart whenever we hear about a project that so quickly becomes a part of the community fiber and quality of life. 

For those partners who stepped up to the plate to invest in Charles County, Regency Stadium was clearly a home run.

Soccer Shoutout to Southern Maryland

Terry and I attended the Crystal Palace vs. Crystal Palace friendly at the Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf last year.  It was impressive to see how many junior soccer-philes and their families appreciate the game and took advantage of the opportunity to see a member of the Premiere League barnstorming with their farm team in the colonies.

So it isn't surprising that the Blue Crabs are tapping into this enthusiasm again by holding a World Cup FanFest to watch the US take on England this Saturday.

The Fan Fest will include the live television broadcast of theWorld Cup match beginning at 2:30 p.m., special guest appearances by current and former pro soccer players, including A.J. DeLaGarza of the Los Angeles Galaxy, and specialty soccer memorabilia raffle.

(DeLaGarza, who is a Maryland native, played his college soccer at University of Maryland from 2005-2008.)

There will also be mini-clinics and skill challenges for younger players on the field, face painting, and more family activities.

The gates at Regency Furniture Stadium will open for this event at noon, and admission is $5.00. Children under five will be admitted free. All fans are encouraged to show their team spirit by wearing their favorite soccer jersey.

You can read more about the FanFest here

St. Charles Half Marathon Presented by Lennar

Even the drop in temperatures couldn’t stop the 500 or so runners from participating in the inaugural Saint Charles Half Marathon Sunday.

Runners braved the whipping winds to traverse the 13.2 mile course beginning at the gorgeous Regency Furniture Stadium, winding and twisting down Laplata Road, around Laurel Springs Regional Park, across Rosewick Road, through White Plains Regional Park, down Billingsley, through the stadium parking lot, past the Legends Club, under the picnic pavilion, around the back of the outfield, down the first baseline and sprinting through the timing plates at home plate.

After catching their breathes’ and grabbing a well deserved cup of water and hand full of food, the runners raved about the beautiful course and how happy and surprised they were when the courses’ terrain became gravel in part of one of the parks! Runners said their feet were delighted to have a switch to a slightly giving surface, if only for a small portion of the course.

To view the results head to the events webpage

Three Cheers for Charles!

Let's hear it for Charles County, who have parlayed two new sports facilities --Regency Furniture Stadium and the Indian Head Rail Trail -- into a splendid new event.

The first annual Saint Charles Half Marathon, part of the United States Running Association Half Marathon Running Series, was created in partnership with the Charles County Department of Economic Development and Tourism.

It will take place April 17 and 18, 2010, starting with a fun run for kids on the Indian Head Rail Trail at 9 a.m. Saturday.  The 13 mile Indian Head Rail Trail, extending from Indian Head to Rt. 301 in White Plains, was completed last fall.  It quickly become a favorite of fitness buffs, nature lovers, and artists who delight in the magnificent scenery it offers.

On Saturday, the packet pickup and runners' expo will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Regency Furniture Stadium, home of the Blue Crabs and  popular year round community facility since its opening in 2008.

The main event,  a 13.1 mile run, will start at 8 a.m Sunday. The 5K run will begin at 8:15 a.m.

The 2010 USRA series includes 18 cities in middle size to small markets, with the first stop in Columbia, S.C.  The attraction of Charles County, in addition to its new facilities and fast growth market, is its proximity to Washington DC and its enthusiastic running community which is supporting the challenge.

The Hughesville Running Club is providing volunteers and race directors.  They look forward to welcoming regional runners for a trip through rural agricultural Maryland.  The locals are eager to show off their beautiful countryside, and entertain visitors at a post race party and festival at the finish line.

Kudos for Charles County's Department of Economic Development and Tourism for partnering with this national tour, giving Maryland the opportunity to show more people what we have to offer.

Autocross Appeal

It’s the Google effect -- every time I learn something about one sport or facility here in Maryland, it leads to something I knew nothing about. Thus, my visit to Regency Stadium opened my eyes to yet another popular Maryland pastime.

This revelation came after I stopped in to see Phil Hutson, project manager at Regency, to tell him how impressed I was with the finished product. We chatted for a moment about the versatility of the stadium and the multitude of uses it provides the community.

“They race down there, too,” he mentioned casually.

With what, bumper boats? I revved up my favorite search engine for answers. That’s when I learned about the popularity of autocross in Maryland.

So what’s autocross? Simply stated (Wiki version,) it is a precision driving race against the clock. It tests the driver’s skill and reflexes as he/she maneuvers the vehicle on cone marked, asphalt slalom course.

Substitute pot holes, rail tracks, disoriented pedestrians and stalled vehicles, and autocross sounds a lot like my evening commute up Howard Street. There must be more to it. Turns out, there is.

Autocross meets, (sometimes called rallies) are organized by clubs. In Maryland, there are quite a few autocross clubs, and each has a home course. Regency is the tarmac of choice for the Autocrossers. However, it isn’t the only minor league stadium with a motor sports constituency. The Bowie Baysox share their asphalt with Capital Driving Club and for at least two seasons, Ripken did too. Even FedEx stadium hosts regional autocross meets.

Autocross meets don’t seem to be spectator oriented, although the competitors usually bring friends along to watch. It is an activity with a strong element of camaraderie bound with appreciation for driver skill and vehicle performance. Also a lot of socializing and general bonhomie.

One of the oldest auto clubs in the region is National Road Autosports. They sponsor an annual series of events at the Cumberland Airport. I planned a mountain journey for the Summer Sizzler next week when I made an embarrassing discovery.

It seems Cumberland Airport is actually in West Virginia. Oops. When the region broke from the Commonwealth of Virginia during the Civil War, Maryland could have annexed Mineral County in the confusion . Unfortunately, they didn’t, and the little bend in the river called Wiley Ford has both a nice airport and a West Virginia address. Fortunately, the club also has an August event on our side of the Potomac called the Polish Mountain Hill Climb. That rally takes place on a public road which SHA (bless them) closes for the race. It’s just outside of Flintstone, so maybe I can make a Rocky Gap weekend out of it. Stay tuned.