Photos courtesy of Kevin King. – KtE

Local youth gathered this past weekend on the Goodyear Park Soccer Complex to get in some work on the fundamentals before the spring soccer season starts, courtesy of the Cedartown Recreation Department, YMCA Rome’s Arsenal soccer program and local volunteers pitching in to help organize and run the event.

The event brought in 45 youth from ages 6 to 9, and another 21 kids from 10 to 13 years old wanting to increase their knowledge of the game during an event that spanned more than three hours and was separated to help keep social distancing during the session a priorty.

It is the latest soccer being played after a shortened fall schedule, and more soccer is coming with spring signups underway and continuing through February 11. Learn more at cedartownrec.org.

That’s not the only good news for the park. City Manager Edward Guzman shared news during the city commission’s regular sessions that Cedartown is keeping their fingers crossed that the city’s request for grant money will get through the final decision process by the Federal government for expansion at the soccer complex.

A press release from the city provided additional details. Here’s the full release below:

 The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced that the City of Cedartown has been selected to receive a $345,000 grant for continued renovations at the Goodyear Soccer Complex. These renovations consist of constructing three soccer fields (two youth sized, one regulation sized), lighting for existing and new fields, and adding a much-needed parking lot.

The grant will be funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant program.

Cedartown is one of 26 local municipalities/counties that were selected to move forward in the approval process to receive approximately $8.4 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant program. These funds will be used for the acquisition, development and renovation of outdoor recreation areas all across the state.

“This is outstanding news for the City of Cedartown,” said Cedartown City Commission Chair Andrew Carter. “Providing additional outdoor recreational opportunities and continuing to build on our existing facilities is a priority for the City. Our rec soccer program has already benefitted from the use of the current fields and facilities at Goodyear, and we are excited to continue to develop this community asset with the assistance of this generous grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.”

The selected applicants will be invited to submit formal application proposals which will be presented to the National Park Service for final approval. Grantees are required to match the grant award on a dollar-for-dollar ratio making a $17.8 million total impact on Georgia’s parks and outdoor recreation areas.

“Heading outdoors is a long-held tradition and great pastime for Georgians. Whether you are 3 or 93, the great outdoors provides limitless opportunities for mental and physical wellness, enjoying time with loved ones while safely socially distanced, or just unplugging from our busy lives.” said Mark Williams, Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources. “LWCF is a great tool for our state and local communities who understand the irreplaceable impact of outdoor recreation.”

LWCF has existed since 1965 with the intent on creating a partnership between the federal, state, and local governments. Grants help support communities to create close to home recreation areas by acquiring and developing park land as well as renovating local parks and outdoor recreation areas. 

Georgia DNR conducts biannual grant application cycles for the LWCF grants. While maneuvering through a health crisis and realizing the importance of outdoor recreation, cities and counties all over the state submitted 76 proposals requesting $19.2 million.

Of the seventy-six, 27 were selected. The complete list of the 27 projects is below. For more information about LWCF and these grants, visit www.gadnr.org/lwcf.