Florida: Miami-Dade Parks opens new soccer fields.

In response to a high demand for youth soccer playing fields in their community, Miami-Dade Park and Recreation recently opened four new soccer facilities: Kendall Soccer Park, Three Lakes Park, Kendall Indian Hammocks Park and the Amelia Earhart Park Soccer Complex.

The rapidly expanding Kendall community now has its own "field of dreams" for grooming future Mia Hamm's and David Beckham's. The new Kendall Soccer Park opened in late September to soccer enthusiasts, Florida State Senator Javier D. Souto and Miami-Dade Parks officials. The 37 acre-site includes two lighted soccer fields, and a 2,825-square-foot field center with a concession, restrooms and meeting space. The $1.5 million project was funded through the Quality Neighborhoods Improvement Program (QNIP) and state impact fees. Future plans for this site include three additional soccer fields and lighting for all the fields.

"This park is destined to become an integral part of this community," says Souto who helped secure funds to complete the first phase of the project. "It not only fulfills a widespread demand for soccer fields, but presents an opportunity to showcase all of the great youth soccer programs and players that continue to flourish among us."

Miami-Dade Parks began considering a soccer complex in Kendall after Senator Souto to learned of the growing number of youth soccer clubs and the lack of space to play. The senator then approached Miami-Dade "Water and Sewer Department Director William Brandt about securing a piece of property, which they had on the market at the time, to use as the park site.

The soccer complex will be used to host local league competitions, as well as regional and state tournaments. The Kendall Soccer Park is also slated to participate in the Olympic Development Trials where national and state coaches hold tryouts.

"We also plan on inviting world-class soccer coaches and players from countries like Africa and Brazil, who have won the World Cup, to teach clinics at this facility," says Souto, who also chairs Miami-Dade County's Recreational, Cultural and Arts Committee. "We hope this will inspire all of our young athletes to follow their dreams."

Another Kendall area soccer facility was opened in early November. Three Lakes Park sits on 15 acres and has two lighted soccer fields, a parking lot and a perimeter walkway. Funded with $1.4 million in impact fees and $367,000 from the Quality Neighborhood Improvement Program, this project also includes the creation of a new entry road to the park and an irrigation system to maintain the Bermuda grass fields. The Miami Strike Force and its more than 300 youth, ages 8 to 18, will use the site.

On December 6, 2003, Miami-Dade's inaugural Copa Latina Qualifier kicked off the opening for the new soccer complex at Amelia Earhart Park in Hialeah. Famed Copa Latina promoter and former Ft. Lauderdale Striker Tom Mulroy joined Miami-Dade Commissioner Natacha Seijas and the Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Department for the ceremony.

"This complex is something that our community will be proud of for many years to come," said Seijas. "Soccer will join the many amenities that this beautiful park has to offer from sailing to picnicking to mountain biking and much more."

The Amelia Earhart Park soccer complex, the largest soccer facility for Miami-Dade County, opened with four lighted soccer fields, a 590-space lighted parking lot and a 6,072-square-ibot field center with a concession, restrooms and office space. Soccer fans attended the ceremony to watch the Copa Latina Qualifier, a 32-team, single-elimination soccer competition offering South Florida adult players and teams a chance to win their way into the amateur event, Copa Latina. The festivities included an Olympic-style parade of teams with more than 1,000 participants. Special guests included international soccer star Nene Cubillas of Peru and

Lou Confessore, the vice president of the South Florida region of the Florida Youth Soccer Association.

Later that month, Souto dedicated a third soccer facility in Kendall, which will be home to the South Kendall Soccer Club--an independent non-profit organization with more than 500 youth participants. "This is a wonderful multi-use community site," says Paul Picquet, vice president of the South Kendall Soccer Club. "Our organization works with the Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Department in hosting Florida Youth Soccer Association regional cup play on alternate venues," he says. "Now that we have our own fields, we are looking at hosting these soccer tournaments at this site."

Miami-Dade Parks currently has 24 existing ball fields. Twenty of which were built in the last three years. Currently there are 15 fields in the design phase that are funded for construction. An additional 22 fields are planned for development as funding becomes available.

For more information about Miami-Dade Parks, visit its Web site, www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/parks.