An Okotoks mother is looking forward to the day a fieldhouse is built in the Aldersyde area because it will mean she will get some shut-eye on the weekends.
Karen Dykman is one of several indoor soccer parents who are currently getting up well before the crack of dawn to drive their children to games in the far reaches of Calgary.
“We had a 7 a.m. soccer game before Christmas up in Bearspaw (deep northeast Calgary),” said Dyckman. “We have to be there at 6:30 a.m. for warm-up, so we have to be up at quarter-to-five, on the road by 5:30.”
The MD of Foothills and the Town of Okotoks unveiled the location for a $20 million fieldhouse just across Highway 7 southeast of Okotoks on Jan. 7. The fieldhouse is a joint partnership between the MD of Foothills and the Town of Okotoks and each will pay $10 million to complete the project. The municipalities are also asking the user groups to fundraise up to $1 million to help furnish the facility.
Okotoks Minor Soccer Association (OMSA) executive director Jean Cote said the fieldhouse will mean big things for soccer in the foothills.
At present the Okotoks Minor Soccer Association has approximately 300 youths who are playing indoor soccer for Okotoks teams but must play all their games in Calgary.
“For those players it means an opportunity to play their home games, at the very minimum, here,” Cote said. “At the moment, there can be a lot of strain on parents to get their kids at a 7 a.m. game in Calgary. It’s a huge commitment.”
In addition to the 300 youths playing indoor soccer for Okotoks teams there are 180 youths and 100 adults whom the Okotoks association has released so they can play at an elite indoor soccer level for Calgary teams. He said some of those players may return to community-level soccer when the fieldhouse is built.
Cote said if the facility were here today, there would be plenty of soccer being played there.
“Realistically, we could take four fields from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday for practices,” he said. “No question time-wise the utilization rate would be high.”
Cote stressed everything is still in the preliminary stages. A business plan, scheduling and other issues have to be addressed. However, for now, he’s got a bigger smile than Pele after winning the World Cup.
“Absolutely, it will be a big benefit so soccer in Okotoks,” he said.
Cote added with 3,400 youth playing outdoor soccer in the foothills, the potential to increase the indoor soccer numbers with four new fields is high.
Dave Bown, president of the Okotoks Recreation Co-ed Association (ORCA), which plays indoor soccer on Tuesday nights primarily at Big Rock School said it is unlikely the association would be able to play at the fieldhouse due to the large number of teams within the OMSA, but said it will still provide opportunities for ORCA.
“It might open up other gyms for us because other soccer teams will be practicing at the fieldhouse,” he said. “It could provide us opportunities for growth.”
At present ORCA has room for 16 players on Tuesday nights and there is a waiting list.
Okotoks Mayor Bill Robertson said the fieldhouse has not yet gone to tender, but he expects construction to start in the spring with the facility to be completed in the fall of 2013 or possibly earlier.
Tentative plans are for the fieldhouse to have four indoor fields to facilitate both soccer and lacrosse. Two of those fields would have an all-purpose surface for basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis and other activities.
Clint Bymak, president of the Okotoks Mustangs Lacrosse Association sid the facility is much needed for the organization.
ve things for us,” Bymak said. “It will allow our sport to grow immensely.”
At present, Bymak is busy trying to organize winter camps for the upcoming lacrosse season which starts in the spring.
They will have to be held in Calgary.
“We have the winter camps and then we try to get the A teams tryouts in mid February to get us ready for the season,” Bymak said.
He said parents or the older players will have to drive to these tryouts and camps. He hopes the fieldhouse in the future will alleviate those issues.
MD Reeve Larry Spilak stressed the facility isn’t restricted to lacrosse and soccer. He said badminton, volleyball and tennis are just a few of the sports which can be played at the fieldhouse.
He said for example, tennis in the winter, is extremely popular in Calgary and he predicts indoor courts would be popular feature at the facility. A running track is also proposed for the project.
Of the $20 million for the fieldhouse, $4 million has already been spent, $2 million each the acquisition for the land and for servicing and preparation, During the presentation on Jan. 7, Okotoks community services manager Susan Laurin said the project would be built up until the $16 million is spent.
She said for example, if the money was gone after building three indoor fields, construction would stop and the fourth one may be built at a later date.
Spilak urged the users groups, the OMSA, Okotoks Mustangs Lacrosse Association, the tennis club and others to form a fundraising committee as was done for the proposed Heritage Heights Arena.
He added by the community taking ownership of the project, it is more appealing to the provincial government when it is handing out grants. OMSA has agreed to spearhead the fundraising committee.
The town of Okotoks and the MD of Foothills have asked user groups to raise a minimum of $1 million for the project for fixtures, furnishings and equipment.
