Woodinville Indoor Soccer Center: Basic But Beautiful

It’s spartan, cold as an icebox, and lies at the end of perhaps the worst road in town. But the is one of my daughter’s favorite places on the planet.

Why? Because it’s home to one of her very favorite activities – indoor soccer. If you’re not familiar with the sport, think hockey, with a soccer ball. It’s fast-paced, physical and, to the surprise of many, high-scoring. I have seen more than one anti-soccer snob converted after watching a single game.

Played on a scaled-down turf field surrounded by walls the players bounce the ball off of, indoor soccer is not a new sport. “[It] has been going on for at least 40 years,” says WISC president Jon Hagen. The Woodinville facility has been in operation since 1984, when previous owners Steve and Sherry Halas converted a construction shed – one that didn’t have any walls – for the purpose.

Hagen began working at the facility as a referee in 1991 and bought the business in 2002. He and manager Scott Gordon currently run indoor soccer leagues for all ages, from U-9s (8-year-olds) to an “open division” for adults. In addition, Scott’s Soccer Tots rents the facility, as do the Washington Stealth, who operate lacrosse clinics and games there.

According to Hagen, “indoor soccer has kind of dropped off” in recent years with the growing availability of outdoor, lighted turf fields in the area. Still, WISC is a hopping place. The youth leagues are the largest, says Hagen, with up to 150 teams playing in any given eight-week long session. At the height of the season – which for indoor soccer is winter – the field is in use 12 hours a day.

“There are people out there who don’t like to play outdoors in the rain,” laughs Hagen. He hopes that as the prices for renting the outdoor turf fields increase, demand for indoor will grow again. “It’s fun,” says Gordon, adding that the faster-paced indoor game can help players improve their outdoor game. “Here, everybody is going to touch the ball,” explains Hagen.

Many of WISC’s youngest customers come to the facility through Scott Hall’s popular Soccer Tots and Hot Shots programs. Hall has been introducing the next generation of local soccer players to the game since 1991 through his classes for 4- to 12-year-olds. When his classes are full – as they usually are – he teaches up to 400 children a week. “I’ve never advertised in 20 years,” he says.

“[Hall has] the unique ability to bring himself down to the level of the kids,” says Hagen. He and Gordon have seen a number of players start with Scott’s Soccer Tots and play at WISC through the adult leagues. Hall has his “very first second generation student” this fall – the child of one of his program’s alumni is in one of his Tots classes. “Pretty cool,” he says.

Lacrosse, too, is bringing new life to WISC, says Hagen. “[It’s] the up-and-coming sport,” he notes. The local professional team, the Washington Stealth, is using the facility for clinics and “box lacrosse,” an indoor version of the game. Elementary, junior high school and high school players are all participating.

“I’m blown away by how enthusiastic they are, says Gordon.” Hagen admits that neither he nor Gordon know anything about the sport. “We’re learning,” he adds.

In addition to owning and operating WISC, Hagen works for the King County Sheriff’s Office, patrolling a graveyard shift in Sammamish. “I chase a lot of teenage kids around,” he laughs. He was inspired to go into law enforcement several years ago, after WISC patrons suffered a number of car prowls at the facility. “I wanted to be part of the solution,” he says.

Hagen acknowledges that the WISC facility, which he leases, is less-than-luxurious. “It’s an old building,” he says. And yes, it gets pretty cold for the spectators in the winter. But, he notes, the temperature appeals to the players and he keeps the lobby heated. In fact, he says, “in the wintertime the heat bill gets kind of spendy.”

Still, he has only raised his prices once since buying the business and says that participation and access are more important to him than profit.

“Everybody likes to make money,” he says, but adds, “I want to keep this place going.”