W(h)ither...... Driller Stadium?

[Conan71]

The magic question becomes: what will it cost to get a team up and running?

Tulsa has had a strong soccer culture since the 1970's you'd think it would be a cinch.

[Gaspar]

The magic question becomes: what will it cost to get a team up and running?

Tulsa has had a strong soccer culture since the 1970's you'd think it would be a cinch.

Back in the 70's soccer had huge popularity because every child from about age 7 and up played.  My whole family played, and every friend I knew.  My mom even played.  We went to Rough Neck games whenever we could because it was exciting to see a sport you were involved in. 
When Charlie & Paula Mitchell moved in across the street from us, we thought we were in celebrity heaven.

By the time my little sister started in soccer (about 1977), something new had come along that sucked the kids right off the field.  Every day after school, there were fewer and fewer kids showing up at practice.  I stopped participating, and I remember why! 

The Atari 2600 hit the market.  No more trips to the arcade on the corner.  A $200 gift for the whole family.  Myself and my band of motley mop heads would gather in a dark living room after school, and be there until dinner, only to return after speed-eating a bowl of whatever.

After that day, I don't remember participating in the sport, going to a game or a single soccer reference.  Because most of the schools treated soccer as a non-scholastic sport, it slowly died, as did many other after school kids sports.  The incentive to go see soccer heroes on the field died with it.

That was my experience.

[RecycleMichael]

Both of my children have played competitive soccer. The sport is still huge here in Tulsa. We have been to tournaments with 200 teams from four or five states compete here in Tulsa.

In the Tulsa area, these are the club programs...Tulsa Soccer Club, Nationals Soccer, Blitz United, Extreme Soccer Club, the Texans, Westside Soccer Association, Highlanders Soccer, Hurricane Soccer, and other clubs in Claremore, Bartlesville, and every other small town. Each of these clubs have at least one boys and girls team with 12 to 17 players at every age between six and eighteen. Some of the clubs have four teams of girls or boys in one age group. Each of these players pay between $50 and $100 each month for coaching for two or three practices a week year-round.

Besides that, there are probably as many recreation teams playing in leagues organized by Blitz United or Tulsa Parks. There is an indoor facility in east Tulsa that has adult games most of the nights with some games starting after midnight.

We live in East Tulsa with the lots of hispanic kids in the schools. Every playground is filled with soccer players during recess and after school. Tomorrow at East Central High School there is an exhibition match between two professional Central American teams. There is also a tournament for 15 to 19 year old boys that has 15% of the top teams in America competing.

Soccer is huge in Tulsa.

[swake]

Back in the 70's soccer had huge popularity because every child from about age 7 and up played.  My whole family played, and every friend I knew.  My mom even played.  We went to Rough Neck games whenever we could because it was exciting to see a sport you were involved in. 
When Charlie & Paula Mitchell moved in across the street from us, we thought we were in celebrity heaven.

By the time my little sister started in soccer (about 1977), something new had come along that sucked the kids right off the field.  Every day after school, there were fewer and fewer kids showing up at practice.  I stopped participating, and I remember why! 

The Atari 2600 hit the market.  No more trips to the arcade on the corner.  A $200 gift for the whole family.  Myself and my band of motley mop heads would gather in a dark living room after school, and be there until dinner, only to return after speed-eating a bowl of whatever.

After that day, I don't remember participating in the sport, going to a game or a single soccer reference.  Because most of the schools treated soccer as a non-scholastic sport, it slowly died, as did many other after school kids sports.  The incentive to go see soccer heroes on the field died with it.

That was my experience.

Soccer is most certainly a school sponsored sport. It's not as popular a spectator sport at the high school level but it's just as competitive. And I don't think that any after school sports have died. My kids have played a number of rec sports since before they started school. I would say that most kids play sports of one kind or another, at least up until middle school.

My kids have played softball, baseball, cheer (football) and my son now plays on an academy level soccer team and I can tell you that soccer is by far the most popular youth sport in Tulsa. And it's not even close.  He's playing indoor winter league right now.

[Conan71]

... after school, there were fewer and fewer kids showing up at practice.  I stopped participating, and I remember why! 

The Atari 2600 hit the market.  No more trips to the arcade on the corner.  A $200 gift for the whole family.  Myself and my band of motley mop heads would gather in a dark living room after school, and be there until dinner, only to return after speed-eating a bowl of whatever.

After that day, I don't remember participating in the sport, going to a game or a single soccer reference.  Because most of the schools treated soccer as a non-scholastic sport, it slowly died, as did many other after school kids sports.  The incentive to go see soccer heroes on the field died with it.

That was my experience.

The Atari 2600 did that?  I thought it was the introduction of red haired sensemilla to the Tulsa area

[Gaspar]

The Atari 2600 did that?  I thought it was the introduction of red haired sensemilla to the Tulsa area

That just dropped my high scores on the 2600!

[Conan71]

That just dropped my high scores on the 2600!

I, uh, I mean one of my friends actually got more focused and my er, uh his scores went up.

[dbacks fan]

I, uh, I mean one of my friends actually got more focused and my er, uh his scores went up.

Nice attempt to backpeddle that one. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

I helped with the demolition of the old Driller's Stadium and got some good lumber and plumbing fixtures from the place.  Maybe I can score some of the new stadium when they tear it down.

This will probably go the way of the horse track at the fairgrounds.  Big build up.  Kick out the race cars.  Bring in horses.  Corruption by the powers that be that put the horse track out of business.  Ineffective use of the facility ever since.

Yeah, that sounds about like Tulsa County administration of the fairgrounds.  Oh, yeah, don't forget Bells!

[dbacks fan]

I see that the old stadium has gotten a lease for next year for major tournaments for kids baseball, and for no baseball events. Glad to see it getting used.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20101222_16_A5_CUTLIN463825&archive=yes