CALCUTTA - The Beaver Local Little Beavers football organization announced its plans to practice at the youth soccer fields along McGuffey Drive in East Liverpool at their meeting on Wednesday night.
The Little Beavers are waiting to finalize an agreement with the East Liverpool Youth Soccer League and plan to begin use of the fields when practice begins on July 22.
"Someone had mentioned that one of the fields may be open and we could use it, so hopefully we can work with them," said Terry Bowyer, president of the Little Beavers. "Worst-case scenario we hopefully use the high school practice fields and work out a schedule."
The Little Beavers plan on finding a more permanent home either by purchase or donation so the group could use their own funds for upkeep. Currently, the Little Beavers plan on using the McGuffey Drive fields on a year-by-year basis.
"I think long term that is something that would benefit the football program," Bowyer said. "You never know with the expansion of Calcutta you never know if that will grow into where we would be."
Since Beaver Local voters passed a levy that includes plans to build a new high school on the site of the Old Timers' Baseball Complex, the Little Beavers have been pressed to find another place to practice.
"We knew that this was a situation, we weren't quite sure if there would be additional fields once the school was put in that we could use," Bowyer said. "We've been looking the last few years for a more permanent place."
The Little Beavers play their home games at Fighting Beaver Stadium, unless field conditions require them to play at the high school practice field.
Bowyer said the organization attempted to use the fields that are occupied by the Beaver Local Youth Soccer program were unavailable due to an increase in numbers in the soccer program.
The East Liverpool Youth Area Baseball organization is also interested in using the same area. As it currently stands, the ELYAB will be able to make use of the Old Timers' fields for the duration of their season this year, but will also be looking for a new home next year.
ELYAB president Jeff Sonntog said he has applied for a grant that would allot money to build baseball and softball fields on the land. In order to do so, Sonntog, or the youth baseball association, needs to be the lease holder of the land. The current lease belongs to the youth soccer league.
"The grant that we have going tells us that if we apply by April 1, we would have money by August to build the fields," Sonntog said. "If we get the fields, we're willing to work with the youth football, softball and soccer organizations. I would like to get the land and have everyone be able to use it."
The ELYAB consists of 11 teams: three T-ball, four pinto, two mustang, one bronco and one pony league teams. Sonntog said he hope to build five fields, one for each age group, and that ideally would be an area of approximately 12 acres.
"We've gone a lot of places for land, but it's tough to find land right now," Sonntog said. "If that doesn't happen, I will be begging people for a place to practice and play."
