IMMOKALEE, Fla. — For years, Manny Touron has been fighting for something simple: decent soccer fields for kids in Immokalee. The head coach of the Immokalee Soccer Cobras thought he'd finally get good news at a recent county meeting. Instead, he learned the promised sports complex won't be finished until May 2027.
"Once again, we get the short end of the stick," Touron said.
Click here to see Immokalee Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak to frustrated members of the community.
Touron said the middle field at the current complex is in such bad shape that he drives his competitive teams 30 minutes to Corkscrew for home games. And when the fields get shut down for repairs, it will leave nowhere for the community to go and play.
"Where does this community go to play? They should be able to come here and play. But if you go around, you'll see them playing in corners of this community. Come on man, to me, that's degrading," Touron said.
Collier County says the project was officially funded in June of 2024. The county admits communication has been a problem and says design changes for restrooms and storage areas caused delays. The project is now split into phases with the turf fields scheduled for completion in May 2027. Restrooms and structures for shade will follow in December 2027.
Leonel Velazques, a team parent, says the delays don't surprise him anymore.
"They really don't treat Immokalee the same as our neighbor down the road. We are in the same county," Velazques said.
Despite the setbacks, Touron says he remains determined.
"I'm not going to get defeated. I'm seeing this until the end, if this is the last thing I do in my life, I will see those fields built," Touron said.
To keep the community informed, the county promises to deliver monthly updates starting November 15 and says it's committed to better transparency.
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