Turf war ends with peaceful resolution

-- Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- Two AYSO regions that had been vying for playing time on

the city’s new soccer fields agreed Wednesday to play nice.

Jon Zich, commissioner of AYSO Region 120 -- comprised primarily of

Costa Mesa players -- claimed that the Newport Beach-based AYSO Region 97

didn’t have a right to play at the new Farm Sports Complex. He wanted to

make sure local teams got first dibs at the coveted lighted fields.

And while the 1,700-player Region 97 is expected to enroll roughly 650

Costa Mesa children, Zich said they have historically played on fields

east of the Costa Mesa Freeway.

But Region 97’s commissioner, Steve Rasch, said his teams wouldn’t be

able to play the standard 10-game season without a lighted field for

night games.

Last year, the Newport Beach City Council sidelined plans to set up

lights at the Mariners Elementary School field, even though Region 97

offered to foot the bill.

Costa Mesa’s recreation staff, following published guidelines, divided

the use of the field based on the number of Costa Mesa players in each

region.

The two commissioners agreed Wednesday to call a timeout to consult

the referee, Steve Hayman, the city’s director of administrative

services.

The sage-like Hayman helped them reach a simple solution: The two

regions will schedule as many games against each other as possible on the

nights they share the field.

Play on!