Cape Coral's Soccer Roots keeps kids playing through SWFL's summer heat and showers

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—When Florida's summer weather makes outdoor sports a challenge, one Cape Coral facility is making sure the game goes on.

Rain can change the game before it begins. But inside Soccer Roots, players aren't sidelined by Southwest Florida's scorching heat and afternoon showers.

"This is our busiest season, you know, kids are out of school, with the weather parks are closed, and again, it's definitely like more people walking through the door, and it's good. I mean, it's good for the space, it's good for the community, and it's good for everybody," said Jorge Salas, owner of Soccer Roots.

Salas opened the indoor futsal facility after realizing Southwest Florida was missing a place where athletes could train consistently, rain or shine. He knows firsthand how unpredictable weather can disrupt training.

"It's something we can't control. I mean, I also got affected before having a space like this, because then I had to cancel so that's why it was a challenge, you know, to deal with that," Salas said.

Now, kids like 9-year-old Dempsey Rigell don't have to worry about the weather getting in the way of extra touches on the ball. The indoor facility gives him another way to practice without the brutal summer sun.

"It's another way to get a lot of more time practicing," Rigell said.

He's already spent plenty of time under the summer sun. Rigell recently attended a soccer camp and got badly sunburned.

The space isn't just for soccer. Soccer Roots is also open to rent for batting cages and even jiujitsu, giving the community a versatile indoor training option year-round.