COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dreams of a new field are becoming a reality for a Franklinton neighborhood.
A new soccer field is under construction in the Greenwood Village Apartments neighborhood.
It will have one field for practice, and another will be for games.
Mohamed Aden and Salah Abdukadir live in the neighborhood. The two are cousins and have a bond with others through the sport soccer.
Lately, their neighborhood has been anything but quiet.
“People, every night you will hear a gun shooting, something happens,” said Mohamed.
Soccer is what helps them escape from their reality.
The two and others formed a group they call “Legendary”.
They took an idea to the apartment management to bring a field to the neighborhood.
It was then a dream, but now, it’s a reality.
Nor Ahmend is a coach of the boys. He said next month seeds will be planted, in hopes of the field being ready by the spring.
"Soccer means everything to this community and to me it's a place where I can stay out of trouble,” he said. “We want to inspire the generation after us to keep doing good no matter how bad things get in this community or the world in general.”
A name for the field hasn't been decided yet and it might not be much now, but some have tossed the idea of “Legendary” around.
"When the fields done, test it out, and have fun, and go back to doing what we do,” said Salah.
Volunteers say the apartment complex has also renovated office space that will soon open as a computer lounge for the youth.