July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 15

BSmall-Sided Soccer Rejuvenates Park Space
y Alexandra Reynolds
I
n March, Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation and Soccer 5
USA unveiled a new small-sided soccer complex at John Prince Park
in Lake Worth, Florida. Built on the site of an underutilized softball
field, the facility will host an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 games per
year, according to Soccer 5 USA President Scott Georgeson. Six small-sided
soccer fields - four for seven versus seven play and two for five versus five
play - make up the complex. Small-sided soccer games are played with
fewer players on smaller fields, which gives players more opportunities to
touch the ball. The small-sided soccer fields require less space than regulation
soccer fields, fostering simultaneous play within the space.
After researching sports trends,
Palm Beach County worked with
Soccer 5 USA to replace one of
its softball fields and transform the
area into an active, lively play space.
" I think there's been somewhat of a
shift in the culture and the popularity
of the sport where soccer's kind
of skyrocketed... " says Georgeson.
The small-sided soccer complex also
has created employment opportunities.
" Ultimately, what we've done
is we've transformed a loss-making,
underutilized space in the park and
turned it into a profit-generating asset
for the park at zero cost to the
county, " says Georgeson.
Less Maintenance, More Play
The complex's synthetic
turf
fields hold up to repeated use and
challenging weather conditions.
" [W]e've seen that the public has really
been attracted to that consistency
of play that the areas provide... "
says Georgeson. Synthetic or artificial
turf lends durability, resilience
and ease of maintenance, as it does
not require irrigation, pesticides or
mowing. " The main requirements
for an artificial field are a drag brush
or sweeping as needed, and that's
on an infrequent basis, usually every
month or two months...and [the]
maintenance of the rubber infill and
high-use spots in the field... " he says.
Georgeson estimates that the synthetic
turf used on the small-sided
soccer fields at John Prince Park will
have a lifespan of 12 to 14 years.
Soccer players of all ages and
abilities enjoy high-quality, consistent
play experiences at the new
small-sided soccer complex, which
already has hosted more than 5,000
games since opening, according to
Georgeson. He adds, " [W]ith the
small-sided soccer that we offer,
the fact that we can include so
many more fields compared to that
of a...regulation-size soccer field,
we're just able to facilitate so much
more play for the local community,
and that's what our goal is. "
Alexandra Reynolds is Associate Editor
of Parks & Recreation magazine.
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