W.A. Foster Center gives indoor soccer league sure footing
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on April 20, 2017 10:13 AM
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
David Trejo takes a shot for Los Osos during the six-on-six indoor soccer league match Wednesday night.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Caleb George dribbles the ball while playing for Pillage F.C. at the W.A. Foster Center Wednesday.
The W.A. Foster Recreation Center has added a new indoor soccer league that is already drawing close to 85 players.
The soccer league started April 12 and continues every Wednesday night, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and so far includes nearly a dozen teams, said Alyssa Bradshaw, recreation center assistant.
"We had a great turnout, a lot of interest," Bradshaw said. "I was very surprised."
Participant sign ups took place on April 12 and Wednesday night, in an effort to get the teams assembled and the competitions started. Moving forward, the teams will compete, playing at least two games per night, until the top teams reach the quarter-final and semi-final levels.
The championship game is planned during the last night of the league, on May 3. The championship team will receive a large trophy, and every league participant will receive a gray Goldsboro Parks and Recreation Indoor Soccer League T-shirt.
Each player is paying a one-time-fee of $10, and the league is open to men and women. The games are taking place on the full basketball court inside the gymnasium.
"We had a lot of people ask about indoor soccer because the weather is so unpredictable," Bradshaw said. "We are just trying to meet the needs of the community."
The indoor soccer league is a first at the W.A. Foster Recreation Center, at 1012 S. John St. The center also offered a popular two-day basketball tournament in February.
"Our indoor soccer is a very popular sport," said Gladys McClary, W.A. Foster Recreation Center leader. "Many people in our community are completely unaware of how much children and adults love to play soccer. On the first night of the soccer league, we had 11 teams to sign up, and we are looking forward to expanding the program for the adults and the children."
The new W.A. Foster Center has continued to see an increase in participation in daily activities and events since the facility opened a year ago.
"Since we have moved from Leslie Street to John Street, our numbers have increased dramatically simply because of the space," McClary said.
The center's college basketball court allows two events to take place at the same time, she said. The center is used by school physical education classes, with as many as 30 children, homeschooled children, military personnel and adult basketball players. Classroom activities are also available and include lectures, arts and crafts, dance, aerobics and Zumba.
"We have worked hard to create a more diverse environment because we want the people in our community to know that we are here to serve everyone," McClary said.