D.C. United have today announced that construction has begun on their new training facility and performance center, which will become home to the first team, Loudoun United FC (the club’s United Soccer League affiliate), and the D.C. United Academy.
“The substantial investment in soccer infrastructure that we have made the last few years – building Audi Field, forming Loudoun United FC, increasing funding to our Academy, and now developing a new state-of-the-art training facility – demonstrates our commitment to contributing to the powerful growth of our sport in the DMV,” says Jason Levien, CEO and Co-Chairman of D.C. United. “We live in a hotbed for soccer talent, and this new performance center located in the heart of Loudoun County will allow us to harness the growth opportunity in the region and serve as a national center for best-in-class performance excellence.”
The facility will include a 40,000 square foot training center on a 30-acre complex, which features four full-size outdoor practice fields and an elite training center equipped with a weight room and recovery facilities for the club’s performance and medical staff. The Audi Performance Center, located inside the training facility, will have educational resources and tutorial resources available for Academy players, as well as a video room the club can utilize to review film from training sessions and previous matches. The facility is in close proximity to Segra Field, the 5,000-seat stadium which opened in August 2019 where Loudoun United FC, along with the Washington Spirit from the National Women’s Soccer League, and Old Glory Rugby DC, the area’s Major league Rugby club, play their home matches.
“This marks another #LoudounPossible day in our community as we begin construction on the performance center and training facility for the D.C. United organization,” says Buddy Rizer, ExecutiveDirector of Economic Development in Loudoun County. “We are proud that one of the sport’s best franchises has made this long-term commitment to Loudoun and we are thrilled to add them to our thriving business environment.”
The cohesion between the first team, Loudoun United, and the Academy and their 13 local affiliated clubs afforded to the club via the new training facility and performance center will further strengthen the Pathway-to-Pro program, which was founded by D.C. United in September 2018. The club projects over 130,000 attendees will visit the site located in Loudoun County annually, from camps and clinics, to practices, leagues, and tournaments. Notably, the training facility will also become home to the Washington Spirit.
The club estimates that the facility and performance center will be completed and ready for use by end of summer of this year.
