For years, soccer players in Evansville have played in the rain, mud, and cold weather. Now, they don’t have to.
The CMTC Soccer Center, an indoor facility located at 2200 Lynch Road just east of U.S. 41, opened Feb. 1. It gives young and passionate soccer players in the Evansville area the opportunity to play and train throughout the year.
The facility contains two turf fields as well as a second-level viewing deck to watch games and practices. There is also a kickwall for technical training. This three-sided wall allows players to perfect their foot skills on their own without another player having to kick the ball back to them.
“The vision was to create a place where kids or adults could play soccer any time they wanted to,” says Steve McCullough. “We want to provide the soccer player the chance to play pickup (soccer) like you find pickup basketball games.”
McCullough owns the facility with Robert Bennett and Four S Properties LLC. McCullough and Bennett had dreamt of the facility for three to four years before it became a reality.
“We literally started putting turf down the Monday after Thanksgiving of 2012,” says Robert Bennett. “We’ve come this far in six months and we have other things up on the drawing board right now.”
The CMTC soccer center offers many different programs for boys and girls of several different age groups. Both indoor fields are available for any team to rent. The facility has personal training. Players are able to enhance their speed, agility, strength, and conditioning. The center offers group training and camps.
Evansville Soccer Club provides men’s and women’s coaches. For men, there are two from the University of Evansville, three from the University of Southern Indiana, and Fred Schmalz, a former UE coach and UE Hall of Fame recipient. For women, there is one USI coach.
“We have 30-40 people playing every night of the week now,” McCullough adds. “We hope we create an environment where they want to come here all the time, throughout the year.
Rates for teams and individuals vary, as do the facility’s hours, McCullough says. For more information, call 812-434-2210 or visit the CMTC Facebook page.
