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Travel soccer and flag football may be coming to Margate.
During the July 1 meeting, the commission agreed to hold a workshop to discuss options for more competitive travel soccer for Margate and to issue a request for proposals for companies that could develop and manage a youth soccer program and other sports.
The Fort Lauderdale Football Club issued an unsolicited proposal to develop, operate, and manage a youth soccer and multi-sport community programming platform, serving as the city’s sole provider of competitive youth soccer. It would also support the city’s existing recreational programs on Margate-owned fields, according to the proposal sent to the city.
Tommy Smith, founder and chairman of the Football Club, gave a presentation to the commission and said his organization could provide more opportunities for young people seeking serious soccer training and competition. He also promised to develop a flag football program that could lead to college athletic scholarships.
Mayor Antonio Arserio spoke in favor of bringing in an outside company to develop the city’s sports program and to offer more opportunities for the city’s young athletes.
Smith said the city’s recreational fields and parks are foundational community assets that, with the right operating partner, can become a nationally connected, professionally administered youth sports program serving every Margate resident regardless of age, skill level, or financial circumstance.
The program would deliver professional-grade services at no cost to the city’s general fund. There would be a fully staffed, professionally administered, competitive youth soccer program serving Margate children ages 5-19, with the Football Club serving as the city’s sole provider of such programming, according to Smith.
The program would include flag football and lacrosse, with an annual commitment of up to $100,000 for scholarships and youth financial aid, including full scholarships for all Margate children enrolled in the Free and Reduced Lunch program to participate in the competitive program, according to Smith.
The agreement would include a minimum annual field fund of $100,000 dedicated to the maintenance, improvement, and development of Margate’s soccer fields and recreational facilities, funded entirely by the Football Club. It will maintain the natural grass facilities at Oriole Park, according to Smith.
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David Volz
David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.
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