(Riverton, WY) – The International Union of Operating Engineers, in conjunction with the Wind River Job Corps (WRJC), have been working on the new soccer complex near Willow Creek Elementary that the Riverton Youth Soccer Association (RYSA) is building.
Six WRJC heavy equipment operator (HEO) students have worked on the complex since June 18, shared HEO lead instructor Scott Belschner.
“It’s a real-world situation where they’re learning how to actually do, instead of just being in training, they’re actually seeing a finished product at the end,” he said.
The complex is being built on grants and donations, and the WRJC has donated all of the heavy equipment and labor.
“They’re learning how to grade with a dozer, grade with a blade, how to run a roller, how to shoot grades, how to check grades, (and) how to set grades,” Belschner continued. “So it’s all tied into what they learn here on Center. It’s just real-world experience and getting to see a finished product.”
They ended up cutting 18 inches off one end of the field, took it down, and filled the other end to make it all level, and are putting eight inches of topsoil on top of that.
They hope to be completed by the first full week of August.
“It’s a great training opportunity for us, too,” he said about working on the complex. “So, you know, anytime we get a chance to do a job like that, we we jump on it usually. We also did a modelers park up at the motocross track (and) rebuilt an airport for them for their model airplanes.”
The RYSA is very thankful to the WRJC for helping with the soccer complex.
“They’ve been instrumental in making this actually come to fruition,” said RYSA board member Josh Saltsgaver.
The complex will accommodate two full-sized high school fields and as many as six 10u fields.
County 10 will continue to share updates on the soccer complex.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article stated Josh was the RYSA board president. He is the former board president and current board member. Dustin Despain is the current board president.