SPACE FOR FOOTWORK; BURBANK TO GET FIRST SOCCER FIELD.Byline: Mary Lou Aurelio Daily News Staff Writer Baseball may still be America's national pastime, but in Burbank, when they yell ``Play ball'' fans are more likely to see fancy footwork than hear the crack of a bat. In a city where more school-age youngsters are signed up for soccer than for baseball, there are 15 baseball and softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' fields, but not one official soccer field, said Mary Alvord, Burbank Parks and Recreation director. Come fall, that will change. Burbank's 1,500 elementary through high school students who belong to the nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. American Youth Soccer Organization will finally have a dedicated playing field at Providencia Elementary School elementary school: see school. via $400,000 in city and local grants. Goals and permanent lighting will be installed on the school's grassy grass·y adj. grass·i·er, grass·i·est 1. Covered with or abounding in grass. 2. Resembling or suggestive of grass, as in color or odor. Adj. 1. field and restrooms will be redone re·done v. Past participle of redo. . The playground will be renovated as well. The new field should be ready by fall. At lunchtime Thursday, Providencia fourth-graders were thrilled to hear that part of their playground will become the city's official soccer field. ``I knew there was a God,'' said Norair Oganesyan, 9. ``That's pretty neat, 'cause lots of kids in this school like to play soccer,'' said Joseph Huggins, 9. Until the new field is ready, the AYSO AYSO American Youth Soccer Organization AYSO All Your Saturdays Occupied AYSO Alabama Youth Soccer Organization AYSO Albuquerque Youth Soccer Organization (Albuquerque, New Mexico) league will hold its games at Luther Burbank Middle School Luther Burbank Middle School can refer to:
The field is large and open, but it's not dedicated for soccer, so there's no goals and there's no parking, Alvord said. In an already-established city, she said, it's difficult to find free, unused spaces for soccer fields. While there are the 13 baseball and softball fields at city parks and two more at John Burroughs and Burbank high schools Burbank High School may refer to:
``It's a challenge. It's tough when you're already kind of locked in, but you're not going to take away ball fields,'' Alvord said. ``That's not even an issue. We would be tarred and feathered feath·ered adj. 1. Covered, provided, or adorned with feathers. 2. Having feathering, as an animal's coat. 3. Moving swiftly: feathered feet. 4. in this town.'' But interest in soccer has been growing steadily in the community for the past 10 years, park officials said. In the beginning, it was due to the influx of emigrants from countries where soccer is popular, but once soccer was introduced, children of all backgrounds really took to it, Alvord said. ``It's been growing 10 percent to 15 percent a year, and we don't have the potential to accommodate the interest,'' she said. ``I don't think we're going to see that change. The kids just like it. It's a very active sport and meets a lot of physical fitness needs.'' Providencia Principal Susie Andrews agreed, adding that soccer teaches children to work together as a team. ``In soccer, one star by themselves cannot do it. It has to be done collaboratively. It's really a team sport,'' Andrews said. ``Our kids love to play soccer. They play it every day at lunch and recess.'' On the field at Providencia, soccer indeed was a favored sport. ``More people play soccer than baseball in this school,'' said Jossimar Gonzalez, 10. But Jimmy May, 9, wondered whether the new field also could have a baseball diamond added. Leo Leo, in astronomy Leo [Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Diaz, 9, objected. ``What if you get hit in the head with a baseball?'' Diaz asked. ``If you get hit with a baseball, it hurts more.'' CAPTION(S): photo PHOTO Third-graders at Providencia Elementary enjoy a chance for soccer time in Burbank, where the sport is more popular than baseball. John McCoy/Daily News |
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