By Adam Pagnucco.
The use of artificial turf fields by county agencies has long been controversial, with opponents pointing to health and safety concerns and supporters discussing durability and playability. For samples of opposing opinions, check out these guest posts by former Council Member Hans Riemer (in favor) and MCCPTA Health and Wellness Committee Vice Chair Hannah Donart (against). The issue came up at a recent county council meeting, when 6 of 11 members voted to advance MCPS’s capital proposal on turf fields. That won’t be the final word as this issue will continue to arise in future budgets.
Now a large coalition including many leaders of sports organizations and current and former elected officials has formed to advocate for turf fields. The coalition calls itself Equal Play Montgomery and has sent a letter to the county council that is reprinted below.
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“EQUAL PLAY MONTGOMERY COUNTY”
April 24, 2026
Montgomery County Council 100 Maryland Avenue Rockville, MD 20850
Dear Council President and Members of the Council,
On behalf of the undersigned organizations, community leaders, parents, coaches, students, and residents from across Montgomery County, we write to express our strong appreciation to the six Councilmembers who voted to restore funding for high-access athletic fields in the Montgomery County Public Schools capital budget.
We are the leaders and organizers who are building leagues and teams, interacting with players and families, permitting fields, coaching and mentoring, providing out-of-school time programming, and scheduling and canceling practices and games due to field availability.
We are especially grateful now to Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Dawn Luedtke (who made and seconded the motion to fully fund fields), Council president Natali Fani-González, and Councilmembers Shebra Evans, Sidney Katz, and Laurie-Anne Sayles for their leadership in supporting fields investment. Their 6-5 vote was decisive. We also appreciate the comments
from the president of the Board of Education, Grace Rivera-Oven, that students are requesting turf fields.
By rejecting the Committee recommendation and fully funding the construction project request, the Council will provide opportunities that are essential to physical health, mental well-being, and overall development through:
- Daily physical education for students
- After-school athletics and team participation
- Community recreation, league competition, and youth programming
- Expanded opportunities for girls’ sports and adaptive athletics
At schools across Montgomery County, including particularly in the near term Poolesville, Magruder, Springbrook, and Watkins Mill, this investment will ensure that students have reliable, safe, and equitable access to spaces where they can be active, participate, and thrive.
We also appreciate MCPS’ continued attention to safety and modernization, including their now-complete transition to organic infill materials as well as their heat management policies. This balanced approach reflects a thoughtful and responsible path forward.
Our organizing is just beginning. We look forward to working with all our elected officials to prioritize these critical investments as we educate and engage our constituency in the coming years.
We invite the community to join our efforts by contacting us at equalplaymoco@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Youth Sports & Athletic Organization Leaders
- Matt Libber — Executive Director, Maryland SoccerPlex / Maryland Soccer Foundation
- Matt Breslin — Executive Director, Bethesda Lacrosse Association
- Joseph Hooks — Founder and Director, 480 Club (Montgomery Village / Gaithersburg)
- Howard Kohn — Takoma Park Sports
- Jean Kurtz — Executive Director, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Baseball
- David Schneider — Director of Operations, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Baseball
- Gus Delgado — Executive Director, Montgomery Soccer, Inc.
- Wendy Calhoun — Director of Administration, Montgomery Soccer, Inc.
- Brad Scott — Executive Director, Olney Boys & Girls Club
- Adam Weber — Board of Directors, Fields Coordinator, Montgomery County Little League
- Tony Korson — President, Koa Sports League, Inc.
- Laurie Lane — Executive Director, Potomac Soccer Association
- Robert Turner — Program Director, Silver Spring Saints Youth Football and Cheer
- Pete Lim — President, Rockville Baseball and Softball Association
- Greg Smith — Executive Director, Maryland State Youth Soccer Association
- Muhammad Arif Wali — President and Founder, International Sports Org (ISO) / Youth Cricket Academy
- Chris Kelley — President, Terps Youth Sports Organization
- Justin Reid — Executive Director, Sandy Spring Soccer Club
- Julian McElveen — President, UNITY Youth Development Corporation
- Walter Moyer — Director of Operations, UNITY Youth Development Corporation
- Dennis Castaneda — Commissioner, Clarksburg Youth Football
- Renzo Bejarano — Executive Director, Juventus Academy DC Metro Soccer
- Alison Khrizman — Director of Operations, Juventus Academy DC Metro Soccer
- Fernando Cuneo — Founder, Maryland Fusion Soccer
- Mark Tropea — Chairman, Maplewood Football
- John Nalls — Director/CFO, Maplewood Football
- Tom O’Keefe — Director, Coaching, Maplewood Football
- Sal Colangelo — General Manager / Head Coach, Bethesda Big Train Baseball
- James Hardin — Damascus Cougars Youth Football
- Reggie Howard — Germantown Ducks Youth Football
- Doug Remer — Youth Sports Development Provider
- Manny Woldamanuel — Founder and Director, Top Rank Soccer Academy
- Ramsey Freeman — Administrator, Top Rank Soccer Academy
- Agbegnigan Amouzou (Coach Fofo) — Head Coach, Elite Soccer Youth Development Academy (ESYDA) in the East County
- Stephanie Ayala — Director of Operations, ESYDA
- Jhan Sandoval — Director of Coaching, ESYDA
- Sunday Oluwafemi — Senior Head Coach, ESYDA
- Otto Gonzalez — Senior soccer league organizer
- Dave Modi — Senior soccer league organizer
Community Leadership
- Tom Cove — Chair, Montgomery County Sports Advisory Committee
- Michael Ricci — Chair, Countywide Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
- Duncan Mullis — Director of Recreation and Parks, Montgomery Village Foundation
- Trish Heffelfinger — Former Executive Director, Maryland SoccerPlex / Maryland Soccer Foundation; Montgomery County Sports Advisory Committee; Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame
- Christopher Wajda — Montgomery County Sports Advisory Committee
- Amalia Lopez — Montgomery County Sports Advisory Committee
- Hans Riemer — At-Large Member, Montgomery County Council (2010–2022)
- Mark Pharaoh — Recreation program advocate
- Jim Brown — President, Town of Poolesville Commissioners
- Edward Reed — Vice President, Town of Poolesville Commissioners
- Sarah Paksima — Poolesville Town Commissioner
- Alan Hobbs — Poolesville Town Commissioner
- Bryan Bupp — Poolesville Town Commissioner
- Ronald L. Sosna — Board Member, Poolesville High School Booster Club
- Karen C. Salovich — Board Member, Poolesville High School Booster Club