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TULSA, Oklahoma \u2014 The Tulsa Soccer Club is asking the community to help improve its facilities.<\/p>\n
The West Side Alliance (WSA) football club’s 17- and 18-year-old teams won the national title late last year. But the team is training in poor lighting. Coaches say better lighting will help the athletes and the community that uses the facility.<\/p>\n
The team won last month’s Super Y League final, but with the lights out, they spend a lot of time training in the dark.<\/p>\n
17-year-old Eric Villaobos said: “It’s comfortable during the day, but not so comfortable at night.<\/p>\n
17-year-old Brian Boyles said, “Even if you can’t see the barley, you can see the real character coming out of training.<\/p>\n
“It’s blocking what we can actually do, how we can improve ourselves, etc.,” said 17-year-old Christian Ojeda.<\/p>\n
Four of the 11 fields at the West Bank Sports Complex are lit up. At the moment there are mobile, diesel-powered lights in the unlit field.<\/p>\n
Roger Bush is the Executive Director of WSA. He said the situation was less than ideal.<\/p>\n
“It’s not the best. What we want, as you know above, is for kids to be able to see the soccer ball, track the soccer ball, each other, teammates, so it’s safe, but not ideal. I can’t say,” Bush said.<\/p>\n
As they can see, Bush said a lot has to be done before practice begins.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey fuel the light kart, fuel the light kart, hook up the battery, start it, and make sure it\u2019s configured for the field the right way. do that for the light cart, because the lights need to be opposite each other so you can’t just hit the light from one side…and they know it works I hope,’ he said.<\/p>\n
When the lights go out, you have to jump start and get going.<\/p>\n
Bush said more could be done to help more children in the community with better institutions.<\/p>\n
“I think it’s very important for the children who participate, and for the perspective that if we have better facilities, we can reach more children,” he said.<\/p>\n
They are raising money to get new lights.<\/p>\n
Players, on the other hand, are still grateful for everything they have and hope that playing in the dark will make them even better.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes it’s very difficult, but like I said, you have to keep practicing to be the best you can be,” said 18-year-old Abraham Maravilla.<\/p>\n
“You never know what you’ll get, but that’s what gets the best out of us,” Boyles said.<\/p>\n
“It’s like playing in the dark, it’s just a hindrance for us. We would do better if there were lights on this field,” said Ojeda.<\/p>\n
Cash says it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a new light. If you would like to donate, please click here.<\/p>\n
\u00a92023 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n<\/div>\n