Sioux Center is adding green space and fields to help provide for recreation for all ages.
Work is underway to convert about 7 acres of the former county fairground space to multiple softball and soccer fields for youth and adult games. When complete, this area will offer two regulation high school softball fields and options for either two U-12 soccer fields or one U-18 soccer field.
“We’re getting back to the number of ball diamonds we previously had so we can continue to serve rec. softball and baseball and community use,” said Parks Director Lee Van Meeteren. “And the additional soccer fields help fit the needs of our growing community. We continue to see increased excitement for soccer in the community from all ages.”
This year, the youth soccer recreation program served about 630 youth, and the adult program has 14 teams, with about 210 players involved. In the youth softball recreation program for grades kindergarten through 4th grade, about 235 youth are participating, and the adult slow-pitch recreation program has seven teams this year.
Van Meeteren said, along with rec programs, the ball diamonds will be used by summer leagues as well as school ball games, meeting regulation size for baseball games through 6th grade and softball games through high school.
“My hope is that we may be able to host more softball tournaments with these additional fields,” Van Meeteren said. “It also just provides more flexibility to schedule games.”
Earthwork is taking place this summer on the land, which is just northeast of the 7th St. NE and 13th Ave NE intersection. The plan also calls for a gravel parking area with about 200 spots for players and fans. Van Meeteren said the plan is to seed these fields this August so it can be ready for use potentially by the end of May 2025 for softball and by mid-summer 2025 for soccer.