About Us
Maracana Indoor Sports Arena was established in 2010 by Mladen Kozak, a Bosnian refugee and American citizen. Although Mladen studied to work as an electrical engineer, his love for sports and childhood playing volleyball and soccer through family tradition inspired a change in his plans. His grandfather, Stanislav Kozak, played for FK Sarajevo and the Yugoslavian National Soccer team.
In 2009, Mladen recognized Tucson's need for indoor turf fields for soccer and other field sports. Driven by his passion for soccer and community, and his vision to create a place where families and friends can lead active lives through sports, Mladen, together with his wife Jess Zeitler, established Maracana Indoor Sports Arena.
Jess Zeitler-Kozak, a faculty member at the University of Arizona and a learning experience designer, is a former collegiate long-distance runner and a lifelong athlete. She has training in exercise science, learning science, and curriculum development. Since moving to Tucson in 2006, she has been an active part of the local soccer and running communities.
Today, Mladen and Jess run Maracana Indoor Sports Arena, a 28,000 square ft. facility featuring one large turf field (150x60 ft) for various field sports and two Padel courts (66x33 ft), bringing both field and racket sports indoors. These multi-sport Padel courts are ideal for youth soccer (U10), volleyball, and other activities.
In addition to adult and youth soccer leagues, Padel open play and leagues, and youth soccer classes, Maracana offers birthday party and event rentals, as well as youth soccer camps.
Thanks for reading!
We hope you will visit soon!
Mladen & Jess
If you have questions about Maracana, please feel free to reach out to us via the contacts below.
Contact Information
Mladen@tucsonsoccer.com, 520-235-7094