SOCCER NEEDS ARE PROMOTED

A Cape Girardeau youth soccer league official Monday urged members of the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board not to overlook soccer field expansion in its Shawnee Park development plans.

The park board last month submitted a proposal to the city council asking that tourism fund dollars be spent on construction of a softball complex at Shawnee Park.

Barry Zerbe of the Cape Area Youth Soccer Association said the rapidly expanding soccer league is in desperate need of additional fields, particularly regulation-size "competitive" fields.

"We have come to have the reputation for having quality fields in Cape Girardeau," Zerbe said. "But we currently have only one regulation field and it gets no rest. We're in great need of full-sized fields.

"I'd put our fields up against anybody in the Midwest, but unless we give them rest, they're not going to hold up."

Zerbe said CAYSA hopes the city will construct two full-size and two three-quarter size soccer fields, in addition to a small soccer field adjacent to the present eight fields at the park.

"We fully back the softball and soccer complex proposal," he said. But Zerbe said that if the proposal isn't approved, he wanted the city and park board to work together to construct the additional soccer fields.

The council remanded the park board tourism fund recommendation, along with 27 others, to the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board for their consideration.

All of the proposals seek at least a portion of what's expected to be a multi-million dollar reserve in the tourism fund by the year 2004.

Zerbe said that since the soccer league was started in 1980, it's grown rapidly, particularly in the past six years. The league now has 900 to 1,000 youths who participate in the spring and 500 to 600 in the fall.

Zerbe said one of the dividends of the successful program has been the number of large, regional tournaments held in Cape Girardeau during the past few years. He said the tournaments are a boon to the local economy.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated that a tournament held here in September brought more than $250,000 in revenue, Zerbe said.

"We seem to have one tremendous location for soccer tournaments, and we have one tremendous facility," he said.

But Zerbe said that the lack of regulation fields forced the league to place three fields across town at the Southeast Missouri State University intramural fields on the corner of Sprigg and Bertling for the 63-team September tournament.

The tournament also sold out motels rooms in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Perryville, and Sikeston.

"We'd like to be able to accommodate 75 teams minimum for our tournaments, and I could easily see 100 teams," he said.

Zerbe said a 100-team tournament likely could bring $750,000 to the local economy. He also said state tournaments like the Show Me Games, if it is ever moved from Columbia, could be brought to Cape Girardeau should soccer facilities be expanded.

"We're looking to the future," Zerbe told the board. "We've been discussing this situation for years and we want to put it before you so that you know what we need."

Board chairman Jim Grebing said one of the obstacles to construction of additional soccer fields at Shawnee Park is the availability of accessible property. He said a footbridge would have to be constructed over a creek in the park for access to the new fields.

Zerbe said CAYSA already has set aside money for the footbridge, which could cost up to $68,000.

Grebing said the park board is aware of the soccer league's needs and will further consider the additional fields.

In other business Scott Williams, the city's recreation coordinator, reported on the 1991 recreation program and what's planned for next year.

Also, Dan Muser, director of the parks and recreation department, gave a report on the status of various parks capital improvements and repairs.

The board also re-appointed its officers. They include: Jim Grebing, chairman, Larry Essner, vice-chairman, and Jay Crosnoe, treasurer.