Drone photo of Samaritan Fields taken in November 2022 by Jon Bunyard
June 19, 2023
Samaritan Fields, a 501c3 non-profit entity, held its first official organizational meeting last Tuesday on the DeQueen campus of UA Cossatot. Samaritan Fields is a culmination of several years of work to bring world-class soccer and wellness facilities to DeQueen and the surrounding area.
The meeting was held to put the official board and elected officers in place to launch the work that needs to be completed to start hosting competitive soccer events on all five fields. The inaugural board consists of Esteban Ochoa (Chair), Tony Soto (Vice Chair), Franklin Bahena (Secretary/Treasurer), Greg Revels, Angie Walker, Justin Hinman, and Steve Cole.
Esteban Ochoa, better known locally as “EO,” started to develop Samaritan Fields several years ago and says it is now time for DeQueen to take on a leadership role in soccer statewide, “We’ve been known as the epicenter of soccer for many years, but never had a soccer complex to showcase to the world what soccer looks like in DeQueen. These fields will provide opportunities for thousands of children and adults by offering camps, classes, and competitive leagues for all ages”.
The first official practices and games that will be played at Samaritan Fields will be for the UA Cossatot men’s and women’s soccer teams, which will begin competitive play this August, according to UA Cossatot Head Coach Justin Hinman, “Growing up in Little Rock, I always heard how DeQueen was a special place for soccer, and now that I live in DeQueen, I can see how true that is. Over the past several months, we have been recruiting college athletes worldwide to come and play their collegiate soccer in DeQueen. Now we will have facilities that will be the envy of every community.
The Samaritan Fields complex is currently under construction, but progress is expected to move quickly as the fields are prepared for soccer this fall. Samaritan Fields, when completed, will have five different fields, one main field for UA Cossatot Colts soccer and Championship-level tournaments, bleacher seating for fans, parking, an entire indoor workout facility, and spaces for food trucks.
To learn more about tax-deductible sponsorship opportunities at Samaritan Fields, contact EO at 870-584-9928. Employers interested in sponsoring additional students may contact Workforce Development at 870-584-1136 or Workforce@cccua.edu.
