Futsal - Indoor Soccer League

Make a trip to Manna Christian Missionaries, pick up a dozen or so kids and their parents and drive them to the Bonita Springs Recreational Center.

Give the kids a soccer ball, get a volunteer coach to teach them to play soccer and call it a summer indoor soccer league.

Although bringing the kids is easy, Juan Romero is working for a larger goal — to garner enough community support to keep the kids coming back throughout the summer.

“These kids’ families don’t have $120 to pay for summer camp,” said Romero, who is heading the effort to start the league and establish it. “I want to give them something to keep them out of trouble and off the streets in their neighborhoods.

Romero, 46, of Bonita Springs, is the director of the Indoor Soccer League that was started after he spent time with youngsters and realized that the summer was the hardest time to keep them busy.

“School is out, and I wanted to get him involved in an activity and my friends invited me, so I came,” said Laurie Heintz, a parent from south Fort Myers who is planning to sponsor a team.
Heintz’s son, Jackson, 11, played soccer for the first time indoors and picked it up quickly.

Although the league has about 20 children participating, Romero is looking for more to join and has created the Manna Christian Warriors as the first team in the league.

“We want to get more kids and get a team from Naples, Pueblo Bonita, Bonita Springs or anywhere else,” Romero said.

He is working with the city of Bonita Springs to extend the amount of time kids can spend at the center, but summer camps and other activities are booking up the location.

“I went to the city, and I told them that something like this is needed. We can work with the recreational center more closely and work out times,” Romero said. “I feel sad when I see (kids) hanging in the street and nothing to do.”

But Romero is keeping busy until he secures more play time for the kids by asking for sponsors, volunteer coaches and anyone willing to donate their time to the cause.

He has three sponsors who have vowed to give their time and money for the league, and Heintz will also join and donate money to buy each child a uniform at $20 apiece.

“We are presenting the idea and getting everybody involved,” Romero said. “Hopefully, we can make the difference and reduce the violence and gangs and it will be easier to help them now.”