A Closer Look -- Dreaming of empty playing fields

Lolita Harper

NEWPORT-MESA -- It’s only a game.

Parents often remind their children of this when pressures mount

during soccer, baseball or football games.

But behind the scenes of these popular sports, it is anything but a

game, as adults involved in youth recreation wage campaigns, create

public policy and try to tackle the very serious problem of field

shortages.

“Nobody understands the amount of work that goes into this,” said Tony

Anish, the commissioner of American Youth Soccer Organization Region 97,

which serves Newport Beach and Costa Mesa children. “A huge amount of

effort goes into making this thing work.”

The process has gotten so complicated at times the Costa Mesa

Department of Recreation staff has gone back to the city’s legislative

bodies to ask for clarification on how field time should be granted, said

Steve Hayman, the city’s director of administrative services.

A TURF WAR BREWING

Now, responding to concerns raised by Jon Zich, a former commissioner

of Costa Mesa’s AYSO Region 120, Hayman said the city will review the

original regulations regarding sports fields -- particularly the Farm

Sports Complex.

Zich claims the city has been inconsistent in approving or denying

permits for certain fields. His biggest concern is that out of area teams

get priority over the Costa Mesa-based AYSO program.

The dedicated soccer dad has always maintained his region should have

priority for the use of the Farm Sports Complex because it offers service

to a higher number of Costa Mesa residents.

“We are Costa Mesa teams playing other Costa Mesa teams,” Zich said.

“Kids are accepted without regard to their ability. We don’t pay our

coaches. We don’t pay our referees -- they are all parents. We offer the

complete family experience. Should we get Costa Mesa fields over other

organizations? Absolutely.”

Discrepancies in field allocation arise from differences in city

policies, he claims.

Hayman admits the conditions of use, implemented by the City Council

when the $7.5-milliion farm site was first approved in January 1998,

differ from the most recent guidelines regarding field use that a

committee of recreation staff and sports representatives recently agreed

on.

GRASS NOT ALWAYS GREENER

The result of Zich’s request for clarification could make matters

worse for AYSO and other sports organizations. If the officials decide

the original conditions of approval outweigh the current policy, field

time will be even harder to come by.

Allocating fields is like putting together an intricate puzzle -- the

only way to be successful is to make sure all the pieces are in their

exact places. Those in Costa Mesa’s recreation department are the people

charged with the final decision of what piece goes where.

Stacia Mancini, a recreation department manager, said she and her

staff sit down with representatives from various recreation leagues --

both youth and adult -- twice a year to figure out who needs the fields

when and who gets priority.

The original condition of approval -- which is considered a legal,

land-use restriction -- said the Farm site could only be scheduled for

four tournaments, or special events, per year for consecutive Saturday

and Sunday play.

The allocation policy, however, doubles that number, putting the same

limit in place for a six-month period.

“When we put together the policy, we discussed how practical [the

former conditions were],” Hayman said. “Ultimately we decided they may

not have fit the community’s needs.”

Hayman said the Parks, Recreation and Parkways Commission will review

the matter in March. The Planning Commission would then take it up in

April and ultimately the issue would head to the City Council -- totaling

at least three public forums on the matter.

Hayman, Mancini and crew are also embarking upon an in-depth

assessment of how the community uses the fields and what residents in

both cities would like to see more of.

Residents can expect phone calls from a city-hired consultant asking

not only if neighborhoods need more fields but whether people are willing

to pay additional taxes or fees for them; or if they are willing to have

a lighted field next to their house.

“Determining that there need to be more parks is only half the

equation,” Hayman said. “We have to assess the community’s tolerance of

facilities and programs.”

Hayman said recreation staff will complete the research by the end of

the year.

PLAYING BY THE RULES

In the meantime, local AYSO regions 97 and 120 abide by a contract

regarding field use at the Farm, written and ratified by previous

commissioners.

According to the contract, Newport Beach AYSO will not request permits

for Farm fields or any other fields west of the Costa Mesa Freeway,

except for special events.

In return, the Costa Mesa organization will not request the use of

Eastside fields at Kaiser Elementary School, Lindberg Park and Back Bay

Continuation School.

Historically, the two sides came to the city, looking for a

resolution.

“If the two regions can cooperate with each other, then that’s great,”

Mancini said. “It really doesn’t involve us. The city’s role is to

provide recreational facilities to all Costa Mesa residents. It doesn’t

matter to us whether it is Region 120 or 97.”

Mike Barr, the current AYSO Region 120 commissioner, said he is

working with the city to get it to follow the AYSO contract and assign

fields accordingly. Progress is visible and he is hopeful about the

future, he said.

Mancini can make the pieces fit if she knows the exact times they need

the fields.

She can break it down to hourly allocations, if given detailed

schedules from groups like AYSO or Little League.

Ultimately, Mancini said, scheduling problems can be resolved amicably

with increased communication.

“There are enough fields in Costa Mesa to make it work if we all work

cooperatively,” Mancini said.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .