Acting as the governing body of soccer in the United States Virgin Islands, the US Virgin Islands Soccer Association (USVISA) was founded in 1987 while becoming affiliated with CONCACAF in the same year. With headquarters in Christiansted on the picturesque island of St. Croix, the association eventually joined the ranks of FIFA, the official governing body of soccer worldwide, in 1998.
After participating in a successful FIFA-sanctioned project in Barbados, key stakeholders from the USVISA and FIFA once again contacted our team to begin the process of designing and installing some new bleacher seating in the Caribbean.
Similar in nature to the grandstands that were installed in Barbados, the USVISA was interested in two banks of grandstand bleachers to accommodate spectators at their home pitch known as Bethlehem Soccer Complex, which also serves as the head office of the USVISA.
Similar to what we experienced with the great folks in Barbados, this project was months in the making. Working with international organizations such as FIFA as well as stakeholders in the Caribbean can be a challenge logistically, but not one our team is inexperienced with. Having worked internationally with clients across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Europe, our exposure to the international market is truly what separates us from the rest and allows us the ability to be involved in wonderful projects just like this one.
Once the plans were approved by all involved and the seating structures manufactured, our logistics department quickly got to work on ensuring a timely and safe delivery of all materials needed for the pending installation.
With confirmation of the shipment(s) to be received on St. Croix, we assembled our experienced design team who, was once again lucky enough to spend some of the winter months in the sunny Caribbean, doing what we love most.
Within a couple of weeks on-site, the two structures were erected by our team, one of which was completely accessible and featured a custom ramp and seating areas. Additionally, our team designed and installed a stand-alone customized elevated press platform for video and audio recording of all events on the new pitch.
In total, the Bethlehem Soccer Complex can now safely accommodate up to 1200 spectators on their new bleacher systems, each measuring 100 feet in length.
We would once again like to thank all who were involved including the dynamic team at FIFA as well as the President of the USVISA, Hillaren Frederick and his team for a smooth process the whole way through. We appreciate the hospitality of the great people of the US Virgin Islands and like many, hope to return one day soon to enjoy everything their island nation has to offer.