A Futsal Court in Waltham?

Do you want a futsal court in Waltham? 

Carlos Vidal, who is running for an at-large City Council seat, has proposed adding a futsal court to the plans to renovate Peter Gilmore Playground on High Street.

Specifically, Vidal, a futsal player himself, wants to install a multipurpose, hard surface court and goals that would allow for futsal play and basketball. Futsal is a form of soccer but is played on a hard surface court rather than grass.

The proposal, Vidal said, could benefit the community by giving the community a place to hone their soccer skills and make Waltham stand out amongst other communities.

"No other cities that I know of ... have something like this," Vidal said. “Let’s bring something new here.”

Currently, the park has a basketball court, but kids use it as a makeshift futsal court by using barrels as goals according to Vidal. Vidal said the proposal is not targeted at a specific population. 

Whether Vidal’s idea will be integrated into planned park renovations is still unclear. The city is currently seeking community input on the renovations, according to Vidal. Waltham Recreation Director Sandra Tomasello could not be reached for comment on the proposal, but Vidal told Waltham Patch he was told the city would consider the idea.

“[The futsal goals] consist of an approximately nine by six-and-a-half foot goal as the base and from the cross bar of the goal, a metal pole stands to hold up the basketball backboard and hoop. We wouldn’t have to invent the technology to create these combined hoops and goals,” Vidal said in a press release. “Having fixed goals would help keep the park neat and looking better over the long run,” Vidal said.

The game is not new to Waltham. A team called the Waltham Hawks is already playing, according to the Massachusetts Futsal Association. The Waltham Youth Soccer League also plays it during the winter, Vidal said. 

What do you think of Vidal’s proposal? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.