Soccer leagues shoot for alliance with city of Schertz

By Edmond Ortiz
Staff Writer

NE Herald

Two growing soccer organizations want to provide more recreational opportunities for area youngsters by developing a formal collaboration with the city of Schertz.

The audience for the April 8 City Council meeting was mostly a sea of solid color jerseys as players and coaches with the Lions Futball Club and the Soccer Association for Youth of San Antonio voiced their support for such an alliance.

Members of both organizations wish to use the Dietz Creek/Live Oak Road drainage ditch area nearby land for the development of a new soccer complex. SAYSAT and Lions FC representatives said their organizations, serving increasing populations, are growing and are in need of more operational space.

SAYSAT has 1,664 players, including 994 in Cibolo, Schertz and Universal City. Lions FC has 442 players, 141 of those in the tri-city area. Four fields at Soccer International (formerly Pepsi Soccer TX) currently accommodate both groups.

“One of our challenges is that we’re growing so fast that facilities in the Metrocom just haven’t kept up with expansion. Or that we’re not having enough fields open on weekends or that there are fields that have mostly portable toilets instead of permanent bathroom facilities,” said Abe Parazo, Lions FC president.

“Another challenge is lack of the parking,” said SAYSAT President Ed Quini. “We’re just looking for another environment to better serve the kids and the community.”

Parazo and Quini said the partnership — tentatively called the Schertz Youth Soccer Alliance — and the city of Schertz could jointly develop the new soccer complex for recreational leagues, recreational plus leagues, and select teams that want to expand their league opportunities for play.

Parazo and Quini also said the alliance would help provide more fields, accommodating especially area players who are turned away due to a lack of available practice space and playing fields.

The city, with SYSA’s help, could build 12 fields in a site where the city is already planning to construct a park and multi-purpose events facility.

Soccer group representatives added the alliance would function under a board of directors, involving designates from the participating entities. Parazo and Quini also said they would like for SYSA and the city to enter a contract similar to the one that exists between the city and Buffalo Valley Youth Association.

Such a pact, Parazo and Quini said, would include field maintenance, a matched capital development improvement program, liability insurance and volunteer assistance. In addition, SYSA would pledge to provide scholarship funding, player development programs, referee development, training programs and free coaching clinics.