Indoor Soccer Pro hosted its grand opening Sunday, as kids kicked around the courts and the Vice Mayor of Miami Gardens paid tribute to the new futsal venue.

Futsal, which is a soccer variant typically played as a five-a-side game on a smaller court, has tremendous popularity in South America. While it can be played on an outdoor court, its defining feature is that it can be moved indoors to a basketball-sized court. A rainy day like Sunday provided the perfect opportunity for Indoor Soccer Pro to shine.

“It gives an opportunity for children to practice on techniques, on spacing and on technical areas of soccer that would be impossible outdoors during the summer,” owner Davide Veglia said.

The 17,000-square-foot facility features three courts for competition, as well as a set of foosball tables and a ping-pong table for those who may be waiting to jump on a court. There is also a party area with two video game consoles set up with EA Sports’ FIFA 18 waiting to be played.

Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Erhabor Ighodaro spoke at the ribbon-cutting, paying tribute to the importance of the facility on the community.

“I see all these beautiful children just playing, having fun,” Vice Mayor Ighodaro said before reading a commendation from the city council. “We’re preparing the next generation of … World Cup soccer-caliber talent in Miami Gardens.”

Picture-perfect rainy day

While the grand opening took place Sunday, the recent inflow of tropical moisture has provided the perfect opportunity for the management of the facility to get to know its customer base better. Youth programs around the facility called to request time to use the courts due to the heavy rains in South Florida.

“This is a passion, and I think the biggest factor you see is on children,” Veglia said. “If you teach them something good about sports, or about values or becoming a good citizen, they respond. This is a place for them.”