The Bainbridge-Decatur County Recreation Authority approved to purchase more than $6,000 in soccer supplies for its inaugural season this fall.

The purchase will include eight portable 6-by-12-foot soccer goals totaling $2,444, eight soccer bownets for $3,126, two Alumagol portable soccer goals for $985.90 and 30 soccer balls of various sizes for $196.80.

The authority received recommendations for the best types of goals from soccer players and coaches in the community, director Al Kelley said.

“Tomorrow we aren’t going to be able to order $6,000 worth of soccer goals,” Kelley said. “But we need to get this approved so that when we get signups done, we will know exactly what we need.”

Registration for soccer is available online at playbainbridge.com. The program will serve kids between the ages of 4 and 16.

Last Thursday’s meeting also featured a presentation from Kelley regarding an early look at a multipurpose building at the Bainbridge-Decatur County Recreation Authority.

Three weeks ago, Kelley, Recreation Authority Chairman Jeff Findley and other staff members of the authority traveled to Cordele and Americus to look at each community’s recreation facilities and gather ideas.

The authority has been in the early development stages of a community facility for a year.

“We had a good visit,” Kelley said. “I think we learned a lot of stuff not to do, and a lot that we need to do. One thing we found out is you cannot have enough storage. We learned that same thing when we built this tennis center.”

Kelley said it was important that there were plenty of meeting rooms, office space for the recreation authority, activity rooms and spaces to hold events for sports like gymnastics and wrestling.

Findley said Americus’ program had been kept in the black for the past few years from hosting gymnastics competitions.

Another main focus is having more than one gym, Kelley added.

“You can get by with one gym, but everybody that had one gym wanted to have another gym,” Kelley said “Two gyms give you a lot more flexibility.”