The Waipio Soccer Complex officially opened on September 2, 2000. At the time, it cost $12.5 million to complete. The complex sits on 288 acres, and serves roughly 30,000 soccer players on Oahu. This figure does not include the numerous teams and players who come from outside of Oahu to play.
Today, the complex is the frontrunner for land to be converted into a landfill. This facility is used by thousands of players on a weekly basis. Children and adults play here, and many family and friends come to watch them play. I cannot believe our politicians see this complex that took years to build as the best option for a new landfill. The Waipio Soccer Complex remains the first and only one of its kind in the State of Hawaii.
Numerous tournaments are played here. College and high school teams play here. Taika Waititi even filmed part of his wildly popular film NEXT GOAL WINS here. If the state converts the fields into a landfill, there will be nothing to take its place. The mayor, along with a few others, have suggested building a new place to play, but I doubt their intentions. A new complex would cost around $40 million dollars, plus would likely not be complete for at least 10 years. Considering the way things have turned out with the rail system and Aloha Stadium, it's likely a new complex will never come.
Taking away something that benefits thousands of the children and teens in Hawaii does not make sense either. It is clear that violent crime and drug use have increased exponentially over the last few years. Research has shown that team sports helps young people to stay away from many of these dangers. Their teams are a safe haven, and the complex serves as a giant safe haven. To take away a safe place for our young people to play, learn, and grow would be irresponsible.
Now, how can you help? At this current stage, there isn't much to be done except to raise awareness and show how many people oppose conversion to a landfill. One of the ways is through the petition linked below. Please sign and share the link with everyone you know. It currently has over 20,000 signatures, though I suspect we will need around 100,000 to make any impact. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you to everyone who signs and shares or even just shares this petition!
Link: https://www.change.org/p/save-the-waipio-soccer-complex-from-conversion-into-a-landfill
