North OKC Soccer Complex Upgrades To Bring Tourist Revenue, Opportunities For Youth

Major changes underway at C.B. Cameron Park will generate tourist revenue and opportunities for local youth soccer players, sources told News 9 on Monday. 

The project-- funded by the 2017 G.O. Bond, MAPS 4, and private donations-- will hopefully bring national-level youth soccer tournaments to Oklahoma City, said Brian Gordon, the Administrator of Oklahoma Energy Football Club. 

"The more competitive level tournaments that we can attract, the more visibility those kids get; the more opportunities they get,” he suggested, adding that C.B. Cameron Park has been around since the 1970s. 

"This facility has been really great to us for many, many years, but we've really kind of gotten to the point where we've grown to the limit of the facility." 

Oklahoma City's central location makes it a logical choice for hosting major soccer tournaments, and now that an updated soccer complex is underway, Gordan said it will bring new revenue to the city and create opportunities for players. 

North Oklahoma City Soccer Club, which is behind the project, broke it into 3 phases. 

The first phase, funded by the 2017 G.O. Bond and completed in September, created five new soccer fields, concession stands and restrooms. 

"And then the second phase is going to be the MAPS project, which will start this year,” said Danielle Cowart, Fundraising Specialist for North OKC Soccer Club. “They're going to build 10 fields and a 7,000 sq. foot building in the middle." 

The third and final phase will cost $2.5 million and add five new fields to the complex. 

"To have sanctioned soccer tournaments, you have to have certain requirements and one of those requirements is having the amount of fields that we need, which is 20 fields and a turf field,” Cowart explained. 

The new and improved soccer complex will benefit parents, players, and the local economy, she added. 

“It's going to give those kids that can't afford to travel with their families-- they can play tournaments here. It's going to give the city economic growth like crazy from having all of those families coming in from other states,” Cowart continued. “And it allows our kids to compete on a level so that if they want to advance, they can.” 

The North OKC Soccer Club is around $1.5 million away from its final fundraising goal. 

To donate to the project, click here.