The Santa Clara Unified School District has recently implemented a new field reservation system using an online platform called Facilitron, and also begun charging fees for various user groups to cover maintenance costs of the facility. However, the Santa Clara Youth Soccer Park, a City Parks & Recreation Facility, will continue its decade-long run of being free for use by the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League and other groups.
“The City is not and has not considered changing its fees for Santa Clara Youth Soccer Park resident nonprofit soccer groups, which has been free (no charge), for over a decade,” explained Jim Teixeira, Park & Recreation Department Director. “This fee policy supports the City health and wellness priorities for recreation services which is for resident youth, seniors and persons with special needs.”
As a City youth sports facility, the soccer park is open to all resident youth sports groups that play soccer. So, in addition to the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League, the field is also free for use by Santa Clara Sporting, Santa Clara Police Activities League, TOP Soccer, Mission College, both public and private schools, and other resident youth soccer teams that request to use it. Resident youth soccer groups are able to use it for free because of the Municipal Fee Schedule adopted by City Council to support youth. However other groups and organizations are subject to fees for use of the park.
The soccer park is located at 5020 Stars and Stripes Dr. and is a 10.8-acre park consisting of three regulation-sized soccer fields equipped with lighting. Two of the fields are natural grass and the third is high-grade artificial turf, which allows for all-weather use. The facility has off-street parking for 100 vehicles and there’s also a 7,000 square foot building for the facility that has a concession area, restrooms, showers, lockers and meeting rooms.
The soccer park is maintained by Parks & Recreation in a similar manner to the City’s other park facilities. At least one full-time grounds maintenance worker is tasked with daily, weekly, periodic and annual maintenance tasks that vary based on the season and how intensively the fields are being used.
The City has other sports fields including Larry Marsalli Park Softball Field, Henry Schmidt Park Softball Field, Central Park Ballfields (Fatjo Field), and Reed & Grant Sports Park (opening spring 2020). Earl Carmichael Park has a Little League Field, and Carli Park includes a portion of the Little League Field. Other parks have large grass areas that are used as sports fields by the public including Live Oak Park Field, Warbuton Park, Maywood Park, Jenny Strand Park, Montague Park and Fuller Street Park.
There’s also a joint use agreement between the City and Mission College for shared use and maintenance of the Mission College Sports Complex Softball Fields, and another shared use agreement with the Santa Clara Unified School District for maintenance and use of Washington Baseball Field, Elmer Johnson Softball Fields and Townsend Football Field — all at Buchser Middle School.
The City has a schedule of use for its facilities and has online information about location, use information and rentals.