Soccer fields have been scarce for Lenoir County’s fastest growing club sport, but the county’s recreation department has developed a solution.
With the idea surfacing 14 years ago, the construction of the Kinston/Lenoir County Recreation Park and Soccer Complex will begin operations this fall. The area off N.C. 11 and Old Asphalt Road will hold six soccer fields, creating more playing time for the public who currently shares two fields with more than 2,000 Parks and Recreation soccer youth.
“We have a large Hispanic population that loves to play soccer, and we always have to kick them off (the field) … because of recreation things,” said Galen Treble, a program supervisor for Parks and Recreation soccer. “Anytime we have recreation and league games — anybody — they have to leave. We will be able to coexist at the same time.”
He said the Parks and Recreation Department hosts soccer leagues twice a year and the ballooning interest from over 15 years is beginning to level.
The two soccer fields at Barnet Park on Sandy Clay Road will be converted into baseball and softball fields so the area can become a complete baseball and softball complex. The switch will allow more youth tournaments, according to Kinston/Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Director Bill Ellis.
After the city donated land destroyed by Hurricane Floyd in 1999, Ellis said his department designated the land for a soccer complex. They didn’t get a trust fund grant of $300,000, so the county put $100,000 into the Parks and Recreation fund over the course of three years to match what was requested.
Parks and Recreation will stretch the $300,000 as far as possible, Ellis said, before officials ask for more donations and host fundraisers for the complex.
“This has been in the works since 1999,” Ellis said. “It didn’t get funded until probably about 2009. This fall, we hope to go out there and start working on the construction of the soccer complex.”
He said there was a high interest in a sole soccer facility, extracted from multiple surveys over the years. Telephone, Internet and registration surveys were used for Parks and Recreation employees to craft a plan for public interest.
“(People) want facilities in their area,” Ellis said. “They’re not interested in regional parks, and they like the neighborhood parks in their area. The soccer complex came up high on the survey, the water park came up high on the survey, so we’ve done most of the things.”
The Lions Water Adventure Park, manned by Parks and Recreation employees, has boosted tourism in the county since opening on Memorial Day. The department is planning to expand the park for the winter months by potentially adding a wave pool and more slides.
“The other thing that we’re getting more and more interest in is trails,” Ellis said. “What we’re really wanting to do is a greenway system of trails where you can bike and walk.”
He said the hard-land path would extend from Pearson Park to the Woodmen Community Center along the Neuse River. While no blueprints have been drafted for the trail, the soccer complex is expected to be operational in the next two years.
“We take it athletics and the Woodmen Center really play a large part in what brings people to Lenoir County,” Ellis said.
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Jessika.Morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.
Kinston/Lenoir County Recreation Park and Soccer Complex
N.C. 11 and Old Asphalt Road
Parks and Recreation Soccer Info:
The Spring/Fall Soccer program is for youth ages 4-13 and is currently played at Barnet Park and various county facilities.
Under 6: Ages 4-5
Under 8: Ages 6-7
Under 10: Ages 8-9
Under 12: Ages 10-11
Under 14: Ages 12-13
Fall Soccer
Registration: August
Games: September-November
Pink Hill Soccer: (6U, 8U, 10U, 12U)
Registration: September
Games: September-November at Pink Hill
Moss Hill Soccer: (6U, 8U, 10U, 12U)
Registration: September
Games: September-November at Moss Hill
Spring Soccer at Barnet Park
Registration: February
Games: March-April
Source: Kinstonrec.com