Desert Hot Springs breaks ground on new youth sports park

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Ground has officially been broken on the Eagles Sports Park in Desert Hot Springs!

The new sports park, located on the corner of Hacienda Avenue and Cholla Drive, will be the new home of the Desert Hot Springs youth football/cheerleading and senior baseball programs.

Local leaders gathered on Saturday morning for the groundbreaking ceremony to a crowd of young athletes and their families. Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas said the park is a much-needed amenity as the city continues to grow.

"Part of our quality of life is building parks. And as our city grows, you know, more kids, more working families – it's time for us to get another park built and be able to have our youth sports have a home," he affirmed.

The mayor said the youth football team currently has to share space with other youth sports programs, like the AYSO soccer league. They often had to rent facilities at nearby schools to play their sport. The same is true for the city's senior baseball league for kids 13 years old and up. Once the park is open, though, the mayor said both teams will be able to have their own space.

When asked about the feedback he's received from the youth athletes and their families, Matas said, "They're excited. We've been planning this for a couple of years and they keep pushing: ‘When are we breaking ground, when are we breaking ground?’ And we're finally here. Today's the day we get to break the ground. And in about a year from now, they'll have their own facility."

Speakers at the ceremony said talk of the park began nearly a decade ago. While the process to get to this point has been lengthy, Matas said he anticipates it will open in about a year.

Stay with us for the latest on the progress of this new park in Desert Hot Springs.