Sports Backers Stadium - A Richmond Gem
Sports Backers Stadium is many things to many people – but most of all, it’s one of the brightest spots in RVA’s sports tourism efforts.
By: Jackie Stoneburner
Update as of July 19, 2022 – Sports Backers Stadium is no longer open to the public. The facility is managed by VCU Athletics and more information can be found by visiting their website.
Sports Backers Stadium is a lot of things to a lot of people – more than 85,000 people that visit the facility each year. It’s a home field to the Virginia Commonwealth University soccer teams. It’s an international caliber track. It’s a meeting place for the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team. It’s an office. It’s where locals come to train on Sunday mornings. It’s a host venue for district, regional, and state championships. It is part of the HDL Athletic Village. It’s a bright spot in Richmond’s sports tourism efforts.
Not only is Sports Backers Stadium a gem for those that use it, but it also provides tremendous benefits to the community. Its central location makes it easily accessible from the north, south, east, and west. It is also within walking distance of two Richmond college campuses: VCU and Virginia Union. The 3,250-seat facility is home to Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Union University’s track and field teams, as well as VCU’s men’s and women’s soccer teams.
“We’re very fortunate to have such a well-maintained facility as part of the HDL Athletic Village,” said Ed McLaughlin, Virginia Commonwealth University Athletic Director. “Sports Backers Stadium is a cornerstone of our future athletic complex, and we look forward to adding additional facilities that are also within walking distance of our campus.”
VCU coaches speak highly of the stadium and believe it brings a lot of value to their programs. “There are several soccer facilities that have a lot of the great looks on the outside, but the surface is beat up or vice versa,” said VCU Women’s Soccer Co-Head Coach Tim Sahaydak. “Sports Backers brings both together with a fantastic playing surface and great looks on the outside with the grandstand and press box. We hope to continue to build it into a stellar soccer environment.”
VCU Head Track & Field Coach Jon Riley said, “With the recent resurfacing, it is one of the best track facilities in the surrounding area. It’s already hosted many prominent meets, and a lot of big names have competed there. It is a good, fast track. It helps in recruiting a lot because so many of the high school athletes are familiar with it from competing there.”
High school athletes are likely familiar with Sports Backers Stadium because it has been the host venue for the Virginia High School League and Virginia Independent Schools state championships, as well as for various district and regional meets.
“Having the ability to have some of our events at Sports Backers Stadium is a plus for us in that it is a centrally located, excellently maintained facility,” said Dick Kemper, executive director of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association. “It allows us to get maximum participation from our school communities at our state events. If I could do it, I would have every event we have in the Richmond area.”
Sports Backers Stadium has been the host site for the Virginia Independent Schools state championships for both track and field as well as boys’ and girls’ soccer since the stadium opened in 1999.
The stadium’s resume also includes the USA Track & Field Junior National Championships, the CAA Track & Field Championships, four NCAA tournament soccer games, and other annual community events like the Southern Track Classic.
The local community has also come to know and love Sports Backers Stadium, especially over the last eleven years. It is home to the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team, a team of more than 1,200 individuals that meet every Saturday or Sunday for 23 weeks to prepare for the Anthem Richmond Marathon in November.
Don Garber, head coach of the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team, said the stadium is “the place where so many people have seen their dreams of running a marathon become a reality.” He boasted that it is “the ideal staging location” for the training team.
“It may be the only place that is located on the marathon route, has the parking needed for 1,200 runners to train, and has the facilities to support the training,” Garber added.
The track at Sports Backers Stadium is also open to the public on Sunday mornings from 8:00 a.m. until noon. (see note above)
Although Sports Backers Stadium is only 13 years old, it has become a sports landmark in Richmond. People from all walks of life use the stadium for a variety of reasons, but they all tend to share the same positive sentiments.
“Sports Backers Stadium is like a home away from home,” said Megan Schultz, Sports Backers employee. “It provides a fun environment that fits nicely with the work we do. It’s great to be able to have walking meetings around the track, catch a baseball game at the Diamond, and bob our heads to pregame soccer jams.”