By Manuel Perez-Rivas
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 3, 1999; Page B04

Bethesda businessman John S. Hendricks said last night that he and his wife will give $1 million toward construction of the SoccerPlex, a soccer complex in Germantown, and that his company, Discovery Communications Inc., will contribute an additional $1 million.

Hendricks, sitting next to his wife, Maureen, made the pledge during a public hearing before the Montgomery County Council. The $19 million project, opposed by nearby residents concerned about its impact on their community, needs council approval.

The SoccerPlex is proposed as a partnership between Montgomery County and the private Maryland Soccer Foundation, which would operate the facility. Under the current proposal, which has been approved by the Planning Board, it would have 22 soccer fields run by the foundation and an indoor sports facility. Two additional outdoor soccer fields would be operated by the county.

County funds would pay for $8 million of the costs, and $11 million would come from private sources, including donations and players' fees. Officials at Discovery Communications have asked that the indoor sports building be named the Discovery Family Sports Center.

Hendricks also said that Abe Pollin, the owner of the Wizards basketball team and the Capitals hockey team, and A. James Clark, who heads Clark Enterprises, one of the nation's largest general contractors, will join him on a committee to raise corporate funds for the project.