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Jeff Olsen

Finding creative ways to express faith at Easter

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Instead of having thousands of members arriving for Easter services at Idlewild Baptist Church, in Lutz, Senior Pastor Ken Whitten expects they’ll be tuning in instead.

The church’s 15,000 members will be able to watch on Vimeo, Facebook or Idlewild.org the services, which will be presented in English and American Sign Language, and translated into Spanish.

First United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes will be livestreaming its Easter service. Many churches are using different approaches this year in light of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. (B.C. Manion)

Those presenting the service will be social distancing, Whitten said.

“We’ll be 6 feet apart. From the praise band to the camera people and myself, there’s never any more than 10 people,” he said.

COVID-19 has presented unique challenges, the pastor said.

“In all of my life, I’ve never ever experienced anything like this. We’ve had hurricanes, where we’ve missed two Sundays, but this will be our fourth Sunday doing online church,” Whitten said.

Being unable to connect in person is difficult for people, Whitten said.

“God made us for relationships, and God made us to want to be together.

“So, there’s something inside of us — I think an ache — inside the whole world right now,” he said.

Legally, the church could hold its large gatherings, because despite a Stay-at-Home order issued by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, religious assemblies are deemed an essential service.

“We might by law be able to congregate,” Whitten said. “Here’s the question, ‘Is that even the right thing to do?

Jesus said the two greatest commandments are “to love the lord thy God with all thy heart, mind and strength” and “to love your neighbor as yourself.

“I don’t think you can fulfill that second commandment and be a vector of infection, and bring a disease to people you are saying that you love,” Whitten said.

“The reason we’re not meeting is because we’re trying to do our part.

“Keep in mind, the church is not the only one who has been asked to stand down. We have no sports. We have no NASCAR.

“It doesn’t matter, no matter what you are normally used to, (it) is not there.

Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church created a more personal touch for its online services, by asking parishioners to submit photos of themselves, so the officiants can look at them, while saying the Mass. (Courtesy of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church)

“There’s no Master’s. March Madness didn’t happen. It became March sadness, didn’t it,” Whitten said.

COVID-19 has created a medical and economic crisis.

In the midst of that, Whitten said, “I think the message we need to give people right now is this: Live one day at a time, with trust, trusting that God’s got this. That he hasn’t taken his eye off us. He knows what tomorrow brings.

“The best thing we can do is to continue to put our trust in him and continue to be an encouragement to the people around us that need that trust,” Whitten said.

Others using technology to share Easter services include NorthPointe Church, 19862 Amanda Park Drive; Bay Hope Church, at 17030 Lakeshore Road; St. Timothy Catholic Church, at 17512 Lakeshore Road; and, First Baptist Church of Lutz, 18116 U.S. 41, all in Lutz.

Land O’ Lakes churches using that approach include Land O’ Lakes United Methodist Church, at 6209 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., and Harvester Community Church, 2432 Collier Parkway.

Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, 2348 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, will be using technology, too, but to make it more personal, the church has placed enlarged photographs of church members on chairs within the church.

Meanwhile, Myrtle Lake Baptist Church, at 2018 Reigler Road in Land O’Lakes, will be having Drive-In Church on  April 12 at 10:30 a.m.

Members of Grace Community Church will be celebrating together, while staying apart, in drive-in church services on Easter. (Courtesy of Grace Community Church)

“You will simply drive into our parking lot and tune in on an FM channel (which will be displayed on our slide truck) and worship with us from the comfort of your own car.  We will celebrate communion together with commercially purchased, prepackaged, individual communion elements and collect our offering in free-standing receptacles as you exit the parking lot,” the church’s website says.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the county, Grace Community Church also will be having  drive-in services.

Normally, members would arrive in their Easter finery, celebrate their faith together and pose afterwards for family portraits, said Pastor Jeff Olsen.

But, this year, they’ll drive to the church 7107 Boyette Road in Wesley Chapel, and they’ll stay in their cars — for either the Sunrise service at 7:15 a.m., or the 10:30 a.m. gathering.

Instead of spending a couple of minutes at the beginning of the service greeting each other personally, they’ll take out their cellphones to text or call other members who are there; or reach out to church members who couldn’t make it to the service.

Jessie Koschman and her family, left to right, Jessie, Kaylei, Christopher and Greg, pose for a selfie inside their car. This will be a new twist on a traditional Easter family portrait at Grace Community Church in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Jessie Koschman)

Then, at the conclusion, instead of posing for family portraits, they’ll whip out their cellphones and take family selfies.

Even though the service could be livestreamed, Olsen said he prefers having the congregation there — even if they need to stay in their cars.

“It seems like there’s more that can be done when we’re in a common space,” the pastor said, noting the church has already tried out this model and it seems to be working well.

Olsen said the central message of the sermon he plans to deliver will be something like this: “Because the grave is empty and Jesus is alive, we have living hope — even when things seem hopeless.”

Others are adapting services, as well.

AdventHealth Zephyrhills will have its 35th annual Easter Sunrise Service online, instead of on the hospital’s lawn.

The service will be streamed online on Easter Sunday, April 12 from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., and will be available for replay on the hospital’s Facebook page, according to a hospital news release.

Pastor Dennis Harmeson, of Awake Wesleyan Church, will deliver this year’s sermon and Darling Giordani will provide a musical selection.

The shift to online breaks an East Pasco tradition that dates back for more than three decades.

It was done, according to the hospital, “out of an abundance of caution to protect the safety and well-being of the community due to the spread of COVID-19.

“AdventHealth is committed to caring for the community – body, mind and spirit, as we live out our mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ,” a release says.

At St. Joseph Catholic Church, at 38710 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills, videos of Holy Week and Easter services, featuring the Rev. Allan Tupa, will be available on the church’s website.

On that website, the pastor told parishioners, “Your safety and health are my primary concerns as we confront the sobering and unsettling realities of this pandemic.”

He added: “This severe moment that is unfolding throughout the world enables us to see the profound truth underlying the season of Lent: Life is fragile, and our flesh is weak. Yet scripture assures us in Psalm 46 that God is ‘an ever-present help in time of distress.”

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, at 7333 Adventist Church, at 7333 Dairy Road in Zephyrhills, will continue to hold online-only services through April 30.

Published April 08, 2020

Wesley Chapel church aims to extend God’s grace to others

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If there’s one thing that Jeff Olsen, pastor of Grace Community Church, knows for certain it’s this — the church that he leads is physical proof that God is “able to do exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all that we ask or imagine.”

Indeed, that’s part of a Bible verse that Olsen said summarizes the church’s entire quest to build a permanent home at 7107 Boyette Road in Wesley Chapel.

Jeff Olsen, pastor of Grace Community Church, said the building project has been blessed abundantly. He estimates that volunteers completed 50 percent of the labor, saving the church between $500,000 and $600,000. (B.C. Manion)

“This project was beyond us. It took more resources, more help, more finances than we could do on our own. But, we’re doing it because we want to reach beyond ourself to others — a church that’s for others,” Olsen said.

The church moved into its new home in July, but is hosting its grand opening celebration on Sept. 9, with services planned at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., a free barbecue lunch at noon and a pizza night for its teen ministry starting at 6 p.m.

Olsen describes the church as a contemporary church, with some traditional elements.

“We’re a Good News church, not just good advice. The good news is that God loves you,” Olsen said, and that’s the central message of its ministry.

Building the 7,760-square-foot church required an army of volunteers, and, Olsen said, adding that by God’s grace, they showed up.

The property was acquired in 2014, the plans were done in 2015, the site preparations were completed in 2016. The ground-breaking service was on July 1, 2017.

“In most churches, a traditional groundbreaking is some gold shovels, a couple of pictures and everyone walks away. That was not this project,” Olsen said.

Volunteers from Carpenters for Christ help to build Grace Community Church in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Grace Community Church)

“We dug all of the footers on groundbreaking day. We had dozens of volunteers over the Fourth of July weekend. One of the church members had an excavator. Others brought shovels,” he said.

It took about 50 volunteers about six weeks to complete the footers, rebar and concrete forms, the pastor said.

Over the course of the entire project, about 250 volunteers pitched in, doing everything they were allowed and able to do, the pastor said.

He estimated that the volunteers completed about 50 percent of the labor on the project, saving the church between $500,000 and $600,000.

“We didn’t do mechanical, electrical, plumbing or even erection of the steel structure,” Olsen said.

Besides a core group of church volunteers, other helpers came from far and wide.

Crews from Carpenters for Christ, based in Auburn, Alabama, showed up twice to help.

Other groups of volunteers came from Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

A group of pastors helped. Boy Scout Troop 177 helped. And, a volunteer crew chief came down from Connecticut to provide guidance to volunteers from early January through late March, Olsen said.

“So many people did so much,” Olsen said.

Robert Whorley used an excavator to help dig footers.

“Just when we’d done all we thought we were able to do, somebody else would come, (and) somebody else was able to come – until it was finished.

“It was exciting. It was tiring. It was wonderful to see that God could do something beyond what we asked or imagined. What a joy to be part of something like that,” Olsen said.

The church building features a foyer that can be used for small gatherings, a sanctuary that can accommodate 200, a preschool classroom, the pastor’s office and other rooms.

Olsen’s wife, Heather, oversees the preschool that began operations in August.

“When I think of Grace Community, I think of a community of people who come from diverse backgrounds, but are committed to building a better community by God’s grace.

“We are not here trying to convince anybody that our church is more amazing than anybody else’s in town,” Olsen said.

“We’ve seen an amazing God do something amazing things, and we believe he can do that in their lives.

“There’s a tendency, right now in churches, on sermons that are success-based and that are good advice.

“We are a Good News church. We declare the historical Christian faith, God’s love. The gospel is central. Grace is what we are about.

“You can come here weary or broken and find help or find hope, find people who care,” Olsen said.

As the church moves forward, it intends to look for ways to extend God’s grace to others, through a variety of programs at the church and through outreach ministries.

And, while the church celebrates its grand opening, it also has plenty of space to accommodate future growth.

When that might happen isn’t yet clear, Olsen said.

That’s a matter of “God’s timing,” the pastor said.

Grace Community Church grand opening
When: Sept. 9, with services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., followed by a free barbecue lunch at noon. The Walk Student Ministries, for teenagers, will kick off its fall season with a pizza party from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: 7107 Boyette Road, Wesley Chapel
Info: Visit ExploreGrace.com, or call (813) 994-9363.

Published September 5, 2018

Church uses prayer to help find a building place

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Grace Community of Wesley Chapel has completed its master site plan and a conceptual floor plan for the first phase of its main church campus, but it must raise additional funds before commencing construction.

The proposed 7,760-square-foot building will seat up to 200 worshippers, and will be constructed on a site of about 20 acres on Boyette Road, just south of Wesley Chapel District Park, said Pastor Jeff Olsen.

The property was acquired by the church in April 2014.

Pastor Jeff Olsen said Grace Community of Wesley Chapel prayed over several sites before finding the place where it will build its permanent home. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Pastor Jeff Olsen said Grace Community of Wesley Chapel prayed over several sites before finding the place where it will build its permanent home.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The church also will provide ample room for a full children’s program on Sunday mornings, and will host a Christian preschool and other programs during the week.

Dykes-Johnson Architects, of Brandon, designed the structure, which features a large cross in the middle of a glass entryway that will lead into the main gathering area.

Future phases have been planned, so the church will be able to grow along with the community surrounding it, Olsen said.

There will be space for fellowship events, outreach ministries, and recreation.

Plans call for a community park that would serve as a place not only for the church’s congregation, but also would be available for neighborhood use.

The building project’s theme is “Reaching Beyond Ourselves,” which reflects the desire to extend God’s love beyond the church walls and to make a difference in the local community, Olsen said.

The project is expected to cost about $1.2 million, in addition to the $430,000 the church already paid to secure the land.

The congregation currently meets at Wesley Chapel Elementary School, 30243 Wells Road, so its new home will be close by.

Its worship service includes traditional and contemporary Christian music, a Biblical message, and an interactive children’s program it calls “Grace Harbor” for children, from 3 months old to age 11.

Finding the site for the church was no simple feat, said Olsen, who has led Grace Community since its inception in April 2006.

Grace Community initially met at Kids R Kids preschool in Meadow Pointe, then moved to Wiregrass Ranch High School and now meets at Wesley Chapel Elementary.

“The hardest thing in a growing area, believe it or not, is finding places to meet,” Olsen said. “We asked 25 different places if we could meet,” he said, including restaurants, clubhouses and schools.

Although meeting in a temporary space has served the church, there was a desire to find a permanent home.

“Portable church — you know, setting up, taking down — is a great way to connect with people. You focus on ministry, outreach, community, in the early years. But over time, it creates some fatigue and some limits for growth,” Olsen said.

“So, we felt in order to set up something that was healthy and fruitful for the future, that we would look for a property.

“Boy, was that hard,” Olsen said.

The church began by praying for a new place to call home.

“We virtually canvassed every available plot,” the pastor said. “We had a 20-point checklist.

“This is what we want.: Ingress and egress. All utilities. No flood zones. High and dry. Clear and ready to build.

“This was the only one (site). We had looked for years and never found even five good acres on a paved road in Wesley Chapel.

“We held a prayer tour, where we went and prayed at various locations within the community, asking God, if he wanted our ministry to focus in a particular area that we would find a location.

“We prayed for property near the PHSC (Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch) property, if God wanted us to do college ministry.

“We prayed for property in Meadow Pointe, if God wanted us to do residential. We prayed for property on (State Road) 54, where there would be kind of the business (focus). I was involved in the chamber of commerce.

“And then we prayed for property up in the Wells Road and Boyette, where there were schools and a park,” Olsen said.

“That was the door that God opened. We prayed over a broad group of properties, and it was where we were meant to be,” Olsen said.

“We prayed. God provided a contract. We need to get it in cash. On our last day, we received $41,000, on the last day before we had to opt out,” Olsen said.

The building committee has cleared old agricultural fences and made the property usable.

“We’ve had prayer meetings. We’ve had some sports activities out there,” Olsen said.

The church hopes to raise $850,000 by Jan. 6, which is Epiphany, in order to have the first phase of the church ready for use by next fall.

“If we don’t have the money, we wait. If we have the money, we move forward.

“God is preparing a place for us, and he’s also preparing us for the place,” Olsen said.

For more information, call Pastor Jeff Olsen at (813) 994-9363, or visit ExploreGrace.com.

Published October 7, 2015

Pasco merges county departments

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Pasco County will merge its parks and recreation department and its environmental lands program and create a new division – the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department.

The Pasco Commission approved the merger at its May 5 meeting.

Pasco County is preparing to implement a 10-year master plan to improve existing parks and add new ones. The plan was crafted with public input. (File Photo)
Pasco County is preparing to implement a 10-year master plan to improve existing parks and add new ones. The plan was crafted with public input.
(File Photo)

The restructuring comes as the county prepares to implement a master plan for county parks. The focus is on improving efficiency, better customer service and keeping up with the growth from new development.

“It all comes down to funding really,” said Cathy Pearson, assistant county administrator for public services.

The restructured department would have three managers for natural resources, fiscal and support services, and parks and recreation, who would report to a director of parks, recreation and natural resources.

“We’re going through the budget now,” Pearson said. “It’s been a challenge.”

The parks department has struggled since 2009 through lean times with budget cuts and job layoffs. To fill in financial gaps, the county began charging user fees four years ago at 11 of its parks, including $2 parking fees. Youth league teams, co-sponsored by the county, including the Central Pasco Soccer Club, the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association and the Dade City Little League, also have been charged fees.

Some commissioners would like to see an end to the parking and athletic participation fees.

“We’re taxing things that we’re trying to encourage,” said Commissioner Jack Mariano.

But losing revenues means more tough budget decisions.

Parks and recreation employees have done a “tremendous” job keeping up with services, but Pearson said, “We’re really struggling. Hopefully we’ll come up with some creative ideas.”

Revenues since 2009 have increased from about $840,000 to about $1.5 million currently. But the department’s overall budget in that same time dropped from about $10 million to about $8.9 million.

The loss of parking and athletic fees would mean about $440,000 in lost revenues, Pearson said.

During public comment at the May 5 meeting, Jeff Olsen of the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association made a plea for commissioners to restore the parks and recreation’s budget to a level more in line with budgets prior to the recession.

“A lot of money has been siphoned away from some important needs,” Olsen said.

A job description for the newly created position of natural resources manager will be advertised in the next week or so.

Along with the reorganization, Rick Buckman, the county’s current parks and recreation director, will take on a new role as park supervisor for Moon Lake Park, Robert Strickland and Robert Rees Memorial parks.

He also will provide support during the transition, said Pearson, adding that finding a natural resources manager could take months.

Another newly created position of program coordinator will not be filled until the manager is on board and can decide if the position is needed, Pearson said.

The county has budgeted $160,700 for salaries and benefits for the two positions. The manager’s salary would be in the range of $70,000 to $85,000.

The decision to step away from the director’s job was one that Buckman made on his own, said Pearson.

“It was a surprise to me,” she said.

Buckman’s new job as parks supervisor became available as the result of another employee’s retirement.

“Rick Buckman has been a tremendous asset for the county, building a tremendous team, ” said Land O’ Lakes resident Sandy Graves.

Chairman Ted Schrader also had praise for Buckman.

“I think we all realize the work Mr. Buckman has done through trying times,” he said. “You never complained. You managed to get your job done.”

Published May 13, 2015

Wesley Chapel soccer team wins state title

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Wesley Chapel Soccer Club has always had hard-working, athletic players who enjoy the game and strive to improve. But even with a variety of teams ranging in age from U9 to U18, they’ve never had a state champion.

That is, until now.

Natalie Gonzalez gets past the defense in Wesley Chapel's 4-2 semifinal win. They won the state President's Cup, with a 3-0 victory in the final. (Courtesy of Alex Vilutini)
Natalie Gonzalez gets past the defense in Wesley Chapel’s 4-2 semifinal win. They won the state President’s Cup, with a 3-0 victory in the final.
(Courtesy of Alex Vilutini)

The U15 Girls White Team captured the Region C title — also a first for the club — to participate in the four-team state tournament for the President’s Cup earlier this month. The Flames then got past the Florida Blast (4-2) and Creeks Krush (3-0) in convincing fashion to earn the cup in Auburndale, marking the club’s first state championship since it began more than a decade ago.

“The whole team was thrilled. They were filled with excitement,” said assistant coach Jeff Olsen.

The team was able to execute its team philosophies on its way to the President’s Cup. They utilized a “strike first” mentality, scoring within the first few minutes of both the semifinal and final. But after that they preach a defensive mindset, calling on every player, regardless of position, to be on guard when the other team has the ball. The end result is a quick-strike offense and a challenging defense that was too much for their opponents in the tournament.

They also have a specific plan when it comes to fouls: Don’t do it. Even when the other team plays an overly aggressive style, Olsen said, the players know that the proper response isn’t retaliation. It’s determination.

“We play harder and smarter, but we like to play clean, too,” Olsen said. “We focus on the game.”

That focus allows them to concentrate on scoring and playing sound defense when an opponent might be struggling with a yellow card, which signals a warning, or even a red card, which signals an ejection.

Carrie Greene, a midfielder and team captain, agrees.

“We understand that if we play to the best of our abilities, the rough play won’t matter,” she said.

Playing their best comes easier because the players know each other so well, Greene said. Many have played together for years in the competitive system, as well as the recreational one. That familiarity allows them to predict each other’s movements and play better as a team. As a result, they can set the tone of the game and face challenges with confidence.

The Flames now face a couple of new challenges.

They’ll travel to Lafayette, Louisiana, to represent Florida and to compete in the Region III President’s Cup in June.

And, they have to find a way to pay for it.

The team has less than six weeks to raise around $20,000 for travel, lodging and expenses for 17 players and two coaches.

They plan to reach out to individuals and businesses, as well as host fundraisers, to meet their goal.

Since goals — especially those on the field — seem to come naturally to the team, it is looking forward to its out-of-state competition in June.

Claiming the state regional title, and then the state’s President’s Cup, has already taught players the value of staying focused and playing as a team.

It’s also brought notoriety to the Wesley Chapel Soccer Club, proving that the philosophy of good sportsmanship and enthusiastic-but-clean play can bring results on the scoreboard, too.

“It shows that hard work, dedication, and loyalty to your club and your community pays off in the end,” Olsen said.

The club will have competitive tryouts at the end of May.

For information about the Wesley Chapel Soccer Club, visit WCAASports.org. To help with the U15 team’s fundraising efforts, visit their donation page at gofundme.com.

Published April 22, 2015

County moves forward with artificial turf fields at park

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Players and spectators who frequent Wesley Chapel District Park off Boyette Road already find the accommodations too crowded. And that has one county commissioner questioning why Pasco is more focused on attracting tourists to the field than trying to help service the demand there.

It’s going to take a little more time to see more fields at places like the Wesley Chapel District Park as county tourism officials push for an artificial turf field. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
It’s going to take a little more time to see more fields at places like the Wesley Chapel District Park as county tourism officials push for an artificial turf field. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The county had sought bids to build two artificial turf fields at the park, only to get one bid that was $499,000 over what Pasco was willing to spend. Having such fields would attract out-of-town tournaments and teams, something Pasco won’t be able to do with grass fields, said Ed Caum with Pasco’s office of tourist development.

“I cannot market grass fields,” Caum told the commission at a recent meeting. “We have had field problems out there before for overuse.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano, who represents west Pasco, disagrees, however. He said those who use the park are frustrated, because they are butting heads with other teams that want to play out there.

“They would rather have five grass fields than two artificial fields,” Mariano said.

The lone bid came from QGS Development Inc., of Lithia, at just under $2.2 million. That was nearly $500,000 over the budget the county set.

Instead of giving up on the artificial turf fields, however, county administrator Michele Baker said she’s ready to just send the request for bids out again with tighter specifications.

“We think that turf fields are the way to go for tourism opportunities,” Baker said.

Yet, Pasco is struggling to meet the demand placed on the fields. In August, eight soccer teams and 120 players transplanted to parks in Zephyrhills. And it could be permanent.

“It places a burden on the families,” Jeff Olsen, a soccer coach whose daughter travels to Zephyrhills, told The Laker/Lutz News earlier this month. “There’s lost time as a family. There’s lost time for homework. There’s an extra rush on the evening schedule and extra costs for gas. So there’s a burden there.”

Wesley Chapel isn’t alone, however, said Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who represents the area. And at some point, the county is going to have to stop building more fields.

“We are never going to be able to give everybody every field they want,” Mulieri said. “Go to Land O’ Lakes, go to the community center, everybody is overbooked. There has got to be a time when the board says this is what we can do, and that is it.”

In the end, Mariano joined the other commissioners in rejecting the sole bid and sending out for new bids to build an artificial turf field.

At the same time, Baker said the county will begin talks with one of the primary users of the field, the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association, to work out a cooperative agreement covering the new fields once they are built.

However, construction would not begin until next spring at the earliest.

Overcrowding creates challenges at Wesley Chapel District Park

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When Wesley Chapel District Park opened in 2007, the county hoped that residents would use the 140-plus acres for a variety of activities.

And they have. Football, baseball, softball, basketball, lacrosse, cheerleading and soccer draw thousands of participants each year. The park has become a magnet for local youth sports, and that’s considered a good thing.

Only now it might be too much of a good thing. Overcrowding is creating a difficult situation for concurrent activities, but a few fields also need repair, and that means even less space for everyone.

Repair work at Wesley Chapel District Park has gone on longer than expected, with the commute to Zephyrhills creating concerns about attracting new players to the various recreational sports there.
Repair work at Wesley Chapel District Park has gone on longer than expected, with the commute to Zephyrhills creating concerns about attracting new players to the various recreational sports there.

As a result, some participants have been pushed out of the area altogether until the repair work is done: Eight soccer teams and 120 players now have their practices and games at the Samuel W. Pasco Recreation Complex in Zephyrhills. That extra 20-mile round trip can be a challenge to participating families, despite the fact that they paid a convenience fee to park at the Wesley Chapel Park.

Jeff Olsen, a soccer coach whose daughter now plays in Zephyrhills, says the situation is anything but convenient.

“It places a burden on the families. There’s lost time as a family, there’s lost time for homework,” he said. “There’s an extra rush on the evening schedule and extra costs for gas. So there’s a burden there.”

The teams started their season on Aug. 1 and estimated they’d be displaced for about six weeks. But more than two months later, there’s still no timetable for return.

Aside from the inconvenience, playing outside Wesley Chapel can impact the area’s reputation regarding youth soccer. Gil Gonzalez, a coach who also leads public relations efforts for the Wesley Chapel Soccer Club, says local parents want their children to play locally. If their first taste of local youth sports is a lot of inconvenience, it affects their impression of the organization.

“I think the biggest impact, in my opinion, is for newer parents, who don’t have the background in terms of understanding that this is really a temporary issue,” he said. “But if we have new parents and new players, I think it creates a negative experience for them.”

If word of mouth is negative as a result of those experiences, families might start considering competing programs for their children. If not resolved, those issues could affect recruiting and the program’s ability to grow.

The displaced teams aren’t the only ones dealing with issues related to overcrowding, Gonzalez said. The players and teams who are still at the park have to contend with their own problems.

Scheduling can be a challenge, with some teams dealing with later practices. The games themselves also are affected: Gonzalez said that matches are so close together that parents cheering at one game might have to duck incoming soccer balls from a nearby contest.

Throw in some long walks due to crowded parking lots, and it’s a situation everyone hopes is resolved quickly.

Unfortunately, predicting how and when the county will provide a satisfactory resolution is a bit more difficult. Interest and participation in youth sports has increased since the park opened, while related budgets have decreased. According to the Wesley Chapel Soccer Club, the county has decreased park and recreational spending by more than 28 percent since 2006.

Still, Gonzalez — whose daughter also now practices in Zephyrhills — is hopeful that there will be both short-term solutions (resodded fields at Wesley Chapel District Park) and long-term solutions (more space) on the horizon, whenever that may be.

“I think what will happen is there will be continued discussions for the county to acquire additional property near the district park to expand it as well,” he said.

If there’s a silver lining, it might be that player interest in soccer hasn’t really waned as a result of the extra challenges. Olsen said that even those who have to play in Zephyrhills still enjoy the sport and the competition.

“Do they mind? They like to play,” Olsen said. “But nobody wants to take a 30-minute drive out there when the rains start coming down, then take a 30-minute drive home.”