YMCA Builds Indoor Soccer Field

LAKEWOOD – Adult and youth soccer leagues are now being formed at the Lakewood Family YMCA and will be using the permanent indoor soccer field now under construction at the facility.

The Lakewood YMCA, formerly the Chautauqua Health and Racquet Club, is a branch of the Jamestown YMCA.

The new soccer field will run lengthwise on what used to be the Nautilus room and a tennis court, said Tom Anderson, manager.

The Nautilus equipment is still available, but has been moved to accommodate the 11,000-square-foot playing field. The field will be carpeted and surrounded by a permanent eight-foot-wall.

Spectators will be able to watch the games from the balcony overlooking the field.

“Right now, we’re forming leagues for it,” Anderson said. “We’ll have adult power leagues for advanced players, a co-ed recreational league, a youth league for 11-to-15-year-olds and an all-girl league for 11-to-15-year-olds.”

The first games will be played during the second week of January, he said.

Anyone interested in signing up for one of the leagues may do so at either the jamestown or Lakewood YMCA.

But the new field will not be used solely for soccer.

“This is going to be a multi-purpose field,” Anderson said, “We’ll be moving our Jamestown YMCA gymnastics team to this facility and they will use the field to set up their equipment. The field will also be used for dodgeball, kickball, touch football and a lot of Youth Department games.”

Target date for completion of the field is January 7.