IMMOKALEE, Fla. — A few months ago, people packed the soccer fields at the Immokalee Sports Complex, but, now, the field is patchy, roughly green and full of sand in no condition for a game.
The three soccer fields are the only public ones in the area.
"It's a much needed asset for the community," Collier County Commissioner Bill McDaniel said.
Commissioner McDaniel heard the community's concerns about the fields back in February. Find more information from then, here.
Last week, McDaniel and the commissioners approved a $4 million project to bring two turf fields to the park, so the Immokalee Soccer Pit, who calls the fields home, can play year round and not a few months at a time.
Coach Manny Touron said it's a literal game changer.
"Ecstatic that something is finally going to come to fruition after many years of waiting," Touron said.
Immokalee Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades met Coach Touron in February when he expressed his frustration with the fields condition.
He described the feeling finding out the good news, "A cloud that was over our head, it's now blue skies."
Commissioner McDaniel said he planned this goal years back and knows it's long overdue.
He thought turf fields would be the best option for the community and the county's budget.
Coach Touron said this gives the 500 players in his league a new future.
"When this happens, we are not going to be behind anybody. We are going to be able to practice. We are going to be able to get ready for league play," he said.
He hopes one day they can even host a tournament in Immokalee.
McDaniel said the turf fields will last up to ten years, and the county plans to install bathrooms next to the fields.
"If you don't provide a place for your kids to play, they're going to play somewhere else, and often times, idle minds end up in the wrong decision making process, so this is about the children of Immokalee."
A timeline has not been set yet for when construction for the turf fields will start.
