Guelph/Eramosa considers including lights to Drexler Soccer Fields at Rockmosa Park

BRUCEDALE – Sporting brilliant jerseys, muddy cleats, and soccer socks pulled up over shin guards, athletes of all ages repeatedly fill the fields at Rockmosa Park, one among two houses of the Rockwood Soccer Membership. 

Whereas the gamers dribble and move the ball down the pitch, dad and mom and grandparents sit on the sidelines, socializing and cheering on their workforce.

However as soon as the solar begins to set the fields shortly clear, as with out lights the video games can’t go on.

Putting in lights on the Drexler Soccer Fields would lengthen the fields’ usable hours and allow Rockwood FC to host weekend soccer tournaments at Rockmosa Park. 

At a Guelph/Eramosa assembly on Aug. 14, council voted unanimously to look into the price of including lights to the principle discipline and probably a number of the six others on the positioning.

“Let me simply say off the highest, they’re expensive,” mentioned Mayor Chris White. 

“However whenever you’ve received nighttime restrictions … there’s much less use of the fields. And my goal is to get as a lot good use of these fields as attainable.”

Rockwood FC president Stephen Pullen mentioned lights on the Drexler Soccer Fields “can be enormously useful” to the membership. 

With lights, they might run weekend tournaments, which usually run Friday to Sunday with six to 12 groups taking part in video games all through the times and into the evenings.

“Even when we (solely) received lights on the principle discipline, it opens up the doorway for us to advertise tournaments, convey different golf equipment in (and) convey completely different age teams in,” Pullen mentioned.  

Rockwood FC pays the township $70,000 yearly for its 561 gamers to make use of the Drexler Soccer Fields and the Marden Park Soccer Subject. 

The Drexler fields are a part of the Rockmosa Park growth that passed off over the previous few years, with Drexler Development donating $250,000 to the growth. 

White mentioned causes for the growth included strain from Rockwood FC and a need to construct the local people and enhance the downtown financial system. 

“Having individuals stay locally to play soccer” boosts the financial system by rising the variety of individuals shopping for ice cream, or one thing on the ironmongery store, or stopping in on the LCBO, White mentioned. 

Internet hosting tournaments would amplify this financial enhance, Pullen and White agree. 

Collaborating gamers would journey to Rockwood with their households, and “when their recreation is over, they may go downtown … and they’re going to spend some cash, they may get one thing to eat, after which they may return for recreation two,” Pullen mentioned. 

Rockwood FC would promote and promote the tournaments, rising publicity for the township, he added. 

White mentioned lights would increase the potential of Rockmosa Park in different methods too, permitting for night tobogganing and bettering occasions like Get together within the Park. 

“To me it appears a disgrace to construct this facility and never absolutely put it to use as a lot as we are able to,” White mentioned. 

Rockwood FC may very well be extra aptly named the Guelph/Eramosa Soccer Membership, White mentioned, as most of the gamers are from rural elements of the township, not simply Rockwood. 

“You’re getting good use of the Marden services,” he added. “And I’m comfortable they’re on the market.”

White mentioned the geography of Guelph/Eramosa makes it arduous to return collectively as a township, however Rockwood FC is “a type of issues the place you truly see cross-pollination” between Rockwood and the agricultural areas. 

“I believe that’s essential,” he added

Rockwood FC, a not-for-profit group managed by a volunteer board of administrators, has been round for the reason that early Seventies. 

The membership has over 100 volunteers, together with college students incomes highschool volunteer hours, 5 employees members, and 10 paid summer time scholar positions. 

“As volunteers, it’s robust. It appears to be like straightforward as you’re watching from the skin, however to have that sort of dedication (takes loads),” mentioned White. “This stuff are pretty much as good because the individuals doing them.”

Pullen has been volunteering with the membership since he moved to Rockwood 12 years in the past and his daughter Kim Pullen-Ripley “roped” him in, Pullen informed council..

Kim Pullen-Ripley spoke to council too, and mentioned she has volunteered with Rockwood FC for 17 years, beginning as a convenor for the “little under-threes once they used to run over at Valentino Park.” 

The membership is financed by soccer registration charges, “which we attempt to preserve as little as attainable in order that it’s reasonably priced to everyone locally,” Pullen-Ripley mentioned.   

“Soccer – it’s good for everyone,” mentioned White, including it’s enjoyable for all ages and is comparatively cheap.