Cocoa families frustrated as flooded fields, broken bathrooms stall youth football

COCOA, Fla. - Young athletes and families in Cocoa face continuous disruptions as severe ground flooding and backing-up septic systems force leaders to shut down key park infrastructure at Stradley Park.

Sewage leak leaves fields unusable

What we know:

Septic systems backing up created a major health concern at Stradley Park, leaving youth football teams unable to use the facilities. 

Youth football players have also stayed off the field for two weeks due to standing water in the grass. During a recent game, sewage water backed up inside the restrooms, forcing park officials to shut down the facilities completely. The closure sent thousands of park visitors to local gas stations to use the bathroom.

The president of Cocoa Youth Athletics Corporation, Rashad Williams, said water backed up into the restrooms and spread across the floor. He noted that field flooding remains a problem even though the fields were re-done a couple of years ago. 

Williams expressed frustration over the ongoing repairs, stating, "They’re putting a band-aid over it," and added, "It’s like they don’t care about the kids." He also stated, "if this was down in Viera or somewhere else, it wouldn't even be a problem."

What we don't know:

It remains unclear exactly how much the complete repairs will cost or when the project will be finished. City staff members are currently investigating total costs for infrastructure repairs to redirect standing water from the sports grounds and prevent future sewage backups.

City of Cocoa Director of Communication Samantha Senger noted that "the entire park could not be used if there were failing septic systems," adding that resolving the bathroom issues is the city's top priority. 

Frustrated families voiced their concerns at Wednesday's city budget meeting, pointing out that "the bathrooms we know aren’t functional" and "people are very upset about Stradley Park."

What's next:

A majority of council members voted to transfer funds originally intended for another city park over to Stradley Park, setting up a planned investment of at least $500,000. 

The city confirmed it pulled permits to address the active septic failures and plans to present cost details at the next budget meeting. Local sports groups continue to play through the disruption while waiting for long-term solutions.

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