After eight years of planning, putting together funding and three phases of construction, it is play time at San Clemente’s new 45-acre Vista Hermosa Sports Park.

The city opened the gates Saturday and families poured into the $31.5 million facility to try out its 50-meter competition pool, its 25-yard fun pool, its Courtney’s SandCastle universal-access playground, its three baseball fields, two soccer fields, football field and multipurpose field.

It was a toss-up over whether kids were more delighted with Courtney’s SandCastle’s sailing-ship structure, its castle structure, or maybe the aquatic play structure in the fun pool.

“All of it,” said Courtney Faye Smith, 15. ‘It’s so hard to decide. It’s all perfect.”

She was 4 years old in 2001, afflicted with spinal muscular atrophy that keeps her in a wheelchair, when adults in her life got an idea to create a universal-access playground somewhere in southern Orange County so she and her friend Spencer Shelton, who had no disabilities, could play together.

After two previous sites didn’t work out and funding proved elusive, the playground is open and the once-tiny girl, now 15, finally got to test out the facilities. She was given a preview. “I played around on it for about two hours,” she said. “I had a ball.”

Her favorite thing? “I don’t know,” she said from her motorized wheelchair. “Maybe the bouncy surface. It’s fun to drive on.”

Other children were glued all day to the aquatics center’s water slides and play features in 82-degree water. Others swam or tried the diving board in the bigger 79-degree pool. Many kids visiting the pools for the first time hadn’t expected the play feature in the kids’ pool.

“It was like Christmas and Disneyland rolled into one when I saw kids come in and see that play toy,” said Kathy Wade, a San Clemente Aquatics mom who has two kids in the competitive swim program. “Kids can’t believe this is available to them.”

She was there to spread awareness about the team and its programs viewable at scatswim.org. She predicted the play toy will help the program grow. “It’ll get kids here. They’ll see there are lessons. They’ll see there’s a swim team. They’ll have an opportunity to join,” Wade said. “It looks like fun. When do the adults get a turn on it?”

Various groups used the grand-opening for fundraising. Mina Santoro and Don Glasgow promoted efforts to fund phase 2 of Courtney’s SandCastle (a sensory garden, water feature and more) at courtneyssandcastle.com. Bill Thomas, Tom Wicks and Jim Nielsen celebrated the Friends of San Clemente Parks and Recreation’s $219,925 donation to the park and ongoing fundraising at sanclementeparksfoundation.org.

Jennifer DeVries sold T-shirts to support the 300 kids of South Coast Pop Warner Football, announcing that registration is open now for the season that will run from Aug. 1 into November. Visit scyf.com.

VOICES

“He doesn’t spell his name right, but that’s OK by me.” San Clemente Mayor Jim Evert, introducing former Rams quarterback Jim Everett at Saturday’s park opening.

“… As long as you’re not calling me Chris, Jim. All right?” Jim Everett’s quick-witted response.

“Getting this park right has been at the top of our to-do list for several years,” Steven Streger, chairman, Beaches, Parks and Recreation Commission.

“I had no idea they were going to have this kind of thing. This is pretty neat. I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s like Vegas.” Brad Tetherton, San Clemente father, watching kids frolic on the aquatics play apparatus.

“We have to thank Tim’s family, because we have abducted him for seven years,” Sharon Heider, director of beaches, parks and recreation, on Tim Shaw’s seven years working nights and weekends guiding development of the park.

“I’m just one of many. There’s just too many people who have been there when I needed help.” Tim Shaw, recognizing a long list of people vital to making the park happen.

“This is a rare playground, but phase 2 is what’s going to make it a playground like no other.” Melissa Echelberger, Courtney’s SandCastle Charitable Foundation, urging everyone to visit courtneyssandcastle.com to see phase 2 and how to help.

“I thought it would happen when I’m in a senior home, not now.” Courtney Faye Smith, on the 11-year journey that it took to bring Courtney’s SandCastle to fruition.

“It’s amazing. It means the world that people will be able to play and will be able to be together. It means unity.” Courtney Faye Smith, on how the playground turned out.

“This is just absolutely amazing. This is a good meeting place for everybody.” Jennie Sandvig, mother of a 2-year-old, suggesting that the park will unite people from all over town.

“I’ve got kids here. I’m a San Clemente resident … this is a dream come true. This is a dream that I think has been on the plate for a long time. Heck, I’ve been driving by. Heck, I was happy Target opened. But I’m more happy that this is open.” Former Rams quarterback Jim Everett on the new park.

“This is one of those moments where I wanted to sack Jim Everett, for once in my life. I never made it where you made it, but this is special. I’ve lived here my whole life. This is beautiful. Aren’t we blessed with this?” Pastor Pondo Vleisides, linebacker for San Clemente High, Class of 1977, about to give the invocation after Jim Everett spoke.

“It’s going to be nice when practice starts and we have lights. All of our coaches are volunteers, and they don’t get off work until 5 and practice starts at 5. (If) the sun goes down at 4:30 or 5, the kids can’t see. The lights are going to be awesome. It’s something we’ve struggled with in our program, not having fields with lights.” Jennifer DeVries, South Coast Pop Warner Football.

Contact the writer: fswegles@ocregister.com or 949-492-5127