- November 28, 2024
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BY WAYNE GRANT | STAFF WRITER
The Leisure Services Advisory Board started the new year by unanimously electing Doug Wigley as its chairman and Tim Moore as its vice chairman, and then it got to work. The first item of business: futsal, an indoor, fast-paced style of soccer, and what it could do for the children of Ormond Beach.
The group also approved sending out a request for proposals to provide canoe, kayak and paddle board rentals at Central Park.
Nestor Ferreiro, who has coached for the Ormond Beach Soccer Club and at schools in the area, as well as in his native Argentina, said that futsal is played by 25 million people worldwide and is well-known as a way to build soccer skills. The game emphasizes dribbling, passing, trapping, etc. and is played in two 25-minute periods with the clock stopping when the ball goes out of bounds.
A futsal court is similar in size to a basketball court.
“All of the soccer superstars started with indoor soccer,” Ferreiro said.
Ferreiro said most young people in this area quit soccer after age 12 or 13 because they aren’t taught the basic skills adequately. He believes that futsal is a way to develop the sport, and he has seen several students get college scholarships.
“Florida is 15 to 20 years behind the nation in soccer,” he said. In the north, he added, kids play indoor soccer in the winter and develop their skills.
Ferreiro’s proposal is for the city to build a one-acre size building with four courts where futsal could be played. He said if he got 100 kids paying $50 per week, that would bring in enough money to pay a mortgage.
It wouldn't be a problem getting kids to join, either, he says, based on his experience running futsal programs for the YMCA.
“I could get 50 kids like that,” he said, snapping his fingers.
He then presented plans for a $1.3 million building, which would be multipurpose with places for children to do homework, facilities for a sports doctor and a gym that parents could use while their children played.
Instead of approving the plan and sending it off to the Ormond Beach City Commission, the board offered Ferrerio suggestions, such as getting private sponsors to pledge as least half the cost.
“If you get private donations, the city might go for it,” Wigley said.
Doug Thomas, who represents Zone 3 on the board, said he is in favor of the project if Ferreiro gets private support and if “all the children of Ormond Beach” benefit.
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “I hope it comes to fruition.”
Soccer coach and board member Tim Moore agreed that futsal is a great sport for developing players.
Board members also discussed trying out the sport in existing facilities or building a smaller building than proposed. Some board members agreed that a new building might be feasible if it could be used for multiple sports.
No action was taken.
Row, row, row your kayak
In other action, the board approved sending out a request for proposals for a private canoe, kayak and paddle board concession at Central Park. By the end of March, all the lakes will be connected, allowing small crafts to travel from lake to lake through culverts.
The proposal will go before the City Commission in late February, according to Leisure Services Director Robert Carolin.
The original plan for the interconnected lakes was that a learning center would be constructed and a private contractor would offer rentals.
“This is one piece of that puzzle,” Carolin said. “It’s a total transformation of Central Park. The 10-foot walkways that connect the lakes, the raised walkways that go over the causeways, the new benches: It’s an entirely different environment.”
