APOPKA, Fla. — Hundreds of Apopka youth soccer players will have to wait to begin their spring season – but not for as long as they thought.
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Hours before the Central Florida SC teams took to their fields for the first time Monday, the city sent the league a notice saying their fields would be closed for a month.
The delay came after parents and community members wrote to Parks and Recreation staff with concerns that the fields weren’t safe.
“This is the worst I’ve seen these fields in the eight years I’ve been here,” Rod Olsen told council members. “Ankle twisters, leg breakers.”
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City staff said those concerns contributed to the closure to give time for maintenance to happen and to let the grass rest.
However, the city didn’t offer the league the use of any other fields, saying flag football was about to begin, meaning more than 350 kids and teens wouldn’t have a space to practice until the beginning of March.
City staff and league representatives gathered at city hall Tuesday afternoon to hash out their differences and discuss the field’s condition.
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They agreed to walk the field on Monday after staff completed a week of caring and maintaining the grounds, which included spreading sand to level out any holes.
If coaches believe the field is safe to play on by then, practices will resume that afternoon.
“I think they’ve done a lot of work in the last three to four days, so we’re very pleased with what they’ve done so far,” Central Florida SC President Naji Khouri said.
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