• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
    • Featured Video
    • Foodie Friday
    • Monthly ReCap
  • Online E-Editions
    • This Week’s E-Editions
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

       

Click to join our weekly e-newsletter

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
    • Reasons To Smile
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Sponsored Content
    • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits
  • Public Notices
    • Browse Notices
    • Place Notices

Oscar Cooler Sports Complex expansion awaits approval

June 22, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Project brings new fields and sports to area

By Kyle LoJacono

A $3.9 million expansion of the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex means more fields, fresh facilities and extra room for even more Lutz, Odessa and Land O’ Lakes athletes.
The project is nearly complete and a grand opening will happen in time for the fall sports season after the complex passes final inspections.
“It will bring more recreation and athletic options for people in north Hillsborough County,” said John Brill, spokesman for Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation. “We’ve been working to expand the park for a few years now and it will be approved soon.”
The project adds 33 acres of land to the complex, located along W. Lutz-Lake Fern Road and Crooked Lane in Lutz. The expansion was originally planned for completion in April, but no sports programs were scheduled to use the new facilities until later this summer.
The project is adding more parking spots, a playground, more concession stands and restrooms, more football fields and also soccer fields for the first time.
“Really that area of north Hillsborough hasn’t ever had a soccer program,” said department director Mark Thornton. “People had to travel to New Tampa, Town ‘N’ Country or Pasco County to play competitive soccer. Now they will have fields near home and that’ll help soccer thrive in the area.”

Several new fields were added to Oscar Cooler Sports Complex. (Photo by Kyle LoJacono)

There will be one soccer field for games and three practice fields for soccer and football at the complex. FC Tampa Rangers will be the competitive soccer program run out of the complex beginning later this summer.
The Rangers are part of the FC Tampa Soccer Club, the oldest youth soccer program in Tampa, according to club organizer and Lutz resident Mike Connell. The Rangers will have developmental programs for younger children and competitive seasons for older players.
“The new fields will be great for the area,” Connell said. “Kids have been waiting for competitive soccer in Lutz and Odessa for years and now they will have it.”
The new soccer program will play in the Florida Youth Soccer Association against such area clubs as Wesley Chapel Soccer Club and the Fusion Futbol Club in New Tampa.
“The real goal is to build soccer here in north Hillsborough County,” Connell said. “For me I’d like to think the kids will eventually bring success to our local high schools, which are Steinbrenner, Freedom, Gaither and Wharton here in Hillsborough.”
For more information on the Rangers, visit www.fctampalutz.com.
The expansion will also make the park one of the game sites for Tampa Bay Youth Football League (TBYFL), a Hillsborough youth football and cheerleading organization.
The Lutz Chiefs, which joined the 16-team TBYFL this year after spending nearly 30 years in the Pasco Police Athletic League, will play home games at the complex with such area teams as the South Pasco Steelers, Thonotosassa Giants and Carrollwood Cardinals.
Lutz Little League baseball and Lutz Leaguerettes softball also call the complex home. A future project will add another baseball field to the park, reconfigure another and add additional parking. Those improvements are scheduled for completion by the start of the next spring sports season.
“Oscar Cooler park is a great place for softball and baseball,” said Frank Zambito, coach of softball team 2 Hot 2 Handle. “The new fields and everything else they are adding will just make it that much better.”
For information on Lutz Leaguerettes, visit www.lutzleaguerettes.com.
Zambito’s team just won the pigtails division, for 10 and 13-years-old girls, last season. Girls in Lutz Leaguerettes are mostly from Lutz, Odessa and Land O’ Lakes.
The facility’s new lighting system is designed to prevent the surrounding neighborhoods from being disturbed during night events. Large trees were also kept in place to act as a sound barrier.

People do not have to join a league to enjoy Oscar Cooler Sports Complex. Seen are Lutz residents Trey Howell (right) and Jason Allen at the park. (File photo)

“We want to be good neighbors,” Brill said.
Brill said there are no plans to expand either Nye Park or the Lake Park, both located in Lutz.
The Oscar Cooler Sports Complex dates back to 1975 when the facility had just three fields for baseball only. Before then the area was mainly orange groves. Cooler, a Lutz resident, worked with county officials and local volunteers to get the initial park built.

Expanded Oscar Cooler Sports Complex
Cost: $3.9 million
New facilities: one soccer game field, one football game field, soccer/football practice fields, parking spaces, playgroup, restrooms, concession stands, two maintenance buildings
New programs: FC Tampa Rangers soccer club, Tampa Bay Youth Football League teams

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Reddit
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Sponsored Content

WAVE Wellness Center — Tampa Bay’s Most Advanced Upper Cervical Spinal Care

September 5, 2023 By Mary Rathman

Tampa Bay welcomes WAVE Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art spinal care clinic founded by Dr. Ryan LaChance. WAVE … [Read More...] about WAVE Wellness Center — Tampa Bay’s Most Advanced Upper Cervical Spinal Care

Only a Few Homes Remain — It’s Your Final Chance to Build Your Home in Del Webb Bexley

August 29, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Time is running out on your chance to live at Del Webb Bexley. We’ve built the ideal active adult community to suit your … [Read More...] about Only a Few Homes Remain — It’s Your Final Chance to Build Your Home in Del Webb Bexley

More Posts from this Category

What’s Happening

10/03/2023 – Drawing Workshop

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host a Drawing Workshop: Exquisite Corpse, on Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., as part of its Museum + Art Series. Participants can learn about the exquisite corpse drawing method and create a drawing inspired by surrealist artists. Registration is required; call 727-815-7126. To learn more, visit MOMA.org/collection/terms/exquisite-corpse. … [Read More...] about 10/03/2023 – Drawing Workshop

10/03/2023 – Halloween Games/Crafts

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host Teen Halloween Games and Crafts on Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m., for ages 13 to 17. Supplies will be provided. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 10/03/2023 – Halloween Games/Crafts

10/03/2023 – Library Book Sale

The Friends of the Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host a porch book sale on Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon, featuring all genres of books including novels, nonfiction, biographies, sewing, cooking, self-help, and more. The porch sale takes place every Tuesday. Call 813-929-1214 for information. … [Read More...] about 10/03/2023 – Library Book Sale

10/04/2023 – Garden Club Field Trip

The Orange Blossom Garden Club will visit Cindy’s Secret Place on Oct. 4. Guests should meet at the Lutz Community Center, across from the Lutz Library, at 9:30 a.m., to carpool north. RSVP by Oct. 1 to Lee Brown at . … [Read More...] about 10/04/2023 – Garden Club Field Trip

10/04/2023 – Harry Potter Club

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host a Harry Potter Club on the first Wednesday of every month at 3 p.m., for wizards, witches and muggles in grades five to eight. The next meeting is Oct. 4. Fans can gather to create replicas of popular items from the series, while discussing the books and movies. Participants do not have to read the books. Register online at bit.ly/PCLSEvents. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 10/04/2023 – Harry Potter Club

10/04/2023 – Houseplant Discussion

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host a master gardener discussion about houseplants on Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. Registration is required. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 10/04/2023 – Houseplant Discussion

More of What's Happening

Archives

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Copyright © 2023 Community News Publications Inc.

   
%d bloggers like this: