FIELD OF DREAMS

Balboa Park, San Diego, California
Soccer Fields

Studio Varone Architecture Principal Chris Varone has been a volunteer soccer coach with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) since 1996, and with the San Diego North Park AYSO since 2004.  Currently, the North Park AYSO, which serves approximately 800 – 900 kids from the North Park and South Park areas every year, shares practice and play field space with the North Park Little League at Morley Field in Balboa Park.  When the regular soccer season ends, the fields are converted from temporary soccer fields to baseball fields.  However, there is often an overlap between the soccer post-season and the start of baseball season, which leaves AYSO scrambling to find alternative practice and play spaces for the kids.  As the population increases, the need for safe and accessible athletic fields will also continue to increase.  There is currently no dedicated soccer field in Balba Park.

Studio Varone Architecture has been working with North Park AYSO to find a solution to this problem.  We have developed three Conceptual Designs for possible new soccer field locations within Balboa Park:  (1) across Joe Schloss Way, east of Morley Field; (2) near the City College baseball fields, south of Morley Field; and (3) near the intersection of Pershing Drive & Florida Drive, where the Balboa Park Master Plan had called for a dedicated soccer field.

Over the years, we have had several meetings with City Council members, City staff, and local Community Planning Group organizations to discuss these Conceptual Designs.  It is an ongoing process, but we remain optimistic that we can achieve the goal of providing a safe and dedicated space for kids to play soccer within Balboa Park at some point in the future.