Overview:
Some Richmond sports groups say teams from neighboring cities are unfairly getting more playing time on Kennedy High's newly remodeled field.
Now the WCCUSD is implementing a centralized reservation system to help fix the issue.
While soccer teams are at the heart of the issue, it also impacts a longtime youth football and cheer program.
Amid complaints that its field reservation system for Kennedy High School’s spanking new football field is unfair, the West Contra Costa Unified School District recently announced it’s changing how it handles all of its facility reservations.
Instead of letting school sites — athletic directors or other staff — decide who gets to reserve fields or facilities, bookings will be handled centrally by the district. Beginning Thur., Oct. 30, the district said, it will accept reservation applications for Jan. 1 to June 30, 2026.
The change is to address mounting tensions around a large regional Berkeley-based soccer club, some of whose members live in Richmond, booking Kennedy for seasons of play, essentially blocking out locally based groups. And it speaks to the intense competition among East Bay youth and adult sports teams of all types for adequate play space.
Kim Moses, WCCUSD associate superintendent for business services, said the new system intends to “reassure our community partners that the [reservation] process is equitable, and timelines are respected.”
She said it was driven by “community concern.”
Samantha Torres, president of the Richmond United Soccer Club, one of several soccer clubs in the city, first raised the issue last year, questioning why despite her club following the reservation rules at Kennedy they kept seeing the Albany Berkeley Soccer Club’s (ABSC) requests given priority.
The majority of ABSC’s players live in Berkeley, with others coming from Oakland, Richmond, San Pablo and elsewhere, according to a 2024 roster.
Why, Torres has asked, was ABSC nailing seasons of playing time at Kennedy over locally based sports groups? She took to social media and spoke at school board and city meetings to voice her concerns.
“Give priority to clubs that have a business address in WCCUSD. All of us are fighting for space while Kennedy is being used only by one,” said Torres, who lives in Richmond, to Richmondside. She said this violates the school district’s policy to prioritize local groups for facility rentals.
Kennedy an example of bigger issue: sports fields are a high commodity
Kennedy High’s remodeled turf football field also accommodates soccer, an increasingly common multiuse design.
Completed in 2023, the field was the first step of an ongoing major school rebuild. The work is part of the district’s ambitious modernization process, funded largely by a 2020 voter-approved $575 million bond, paid through a property tax increase.
Built in 1967, “old” Kennedy High is now a dusty construction site — all but the field, which is up and running and in demand.
“Kennedy High was remodeled with Measure R money,” Torres emphasized, referring to the bond. “(Playing time) was given to an organization that is not from here; this has really broken the trust in our community.”
All sports fields are a valued commodity in Richmond and neighboring cities — especially well-maintained fields with ready-to-roll infrastructure such as bathrooms, lighting for dusk or night play and spectator space. Kennedy fits the bill.
Soccer clubs, as with many sports, need fields for practice and to host home games. Most offer competitive and recreational play. If they’re lucky, they can do both at the same site. But this is rare, as competitive fields are expected to meet professional standards, often beyond the capacity of community parks. School fields, especially at high schools, are usually equipped for the need, making them a coveted asset.
Fairness of district’s online reservation system questioned
The school district uses an online platform for facility rentals, Facilitron, which displays available space.
According to district policy, schools get top priority for facilities, including sports. After this, the district grants space on a first-come, first-served basis, following a priority list, said Raechelle Forrest, district communications director. Non-school users pay fees.
After WCCUSD schools, priority is given to cities within the district, then nonprofit organizations or clubs within the district, followed by nonprofits outside the district, followed by for-profit entities, Forrest said.
Torres said she’d heard that Kennedy High athletic staff favored ABSC, tipping reservations its way. Richmondside couldn’t confirm this. Several sources, including at the school and district level, would not comment on that assertion.
The district’s new reservation policy appears intended to address this.
“We have removed site staff as confirmers of availability within the Facilitron Application System,” Moses told Richmondside.
“By doing this, the facilities use permit applications will be solely managed centrally, giving central staff increased monitoring of the approval timelines associated with the facility rentals,” she said.
Under the new policy, when conflicts arise around scheduling, such as when more than one group applies for the same place at the same time “the applicants will be invited to a virtual selection meeting [run by central staff] where a blind lottery system will be used to select the applicant to proceed,” Forrest said.
Torres said she welcomes any changes that help Richmond players access their local fields. But she’s not convinced the new policy is enough.
She wants assurance from the district that the determining factor for defining local versus outside groups is the business address of the organization and not where players, staff, or group members live.
To date, this has been fuzzy, at least based on past Kennedy reservations.
No city borders when it comes to soccer players
Unlike baseball’s Little League, which follows strict rules requiring players to be residents of their home team city, soccer clubs are typically open to anyone who wants to join, regardless of residency. Factors that typically influence which club kids join include distance to games or practices, costs, where friends play, coaching styles or personalities, and competitive rankings.
ABSC has many players from Richmond, said Toney Wright, the league’s executive director and head coach, in an interview with Richmondside last year.
This includes players in Richmond-based clubs that ABSC sponsors under its umbrella, sometimes called subteams.
Wright, who lives in Richmond, has a long history with youth soccer in the area, through changes in the configurations of teams, clubs, and leagues, which isn’t uncommon in the sport.
Wright said he interprets the issues about field reservations at Kennedy High differently than Torres.
For many of his players, he said last year, it’s a local field. “We’re a nonprofit that provides a service to our community,” he said.
ABSC did not respond to recent questions from Richmondside on updated club numbers or demographics.
But according to 2024 data submitted to the city of Berkeley for the Tom Bates Regional Sports Complex, a shared regional facility, 391 players were from Richmond; another 210 lived in other cities within WCCUSD.
Bates, a major complex built in 2008 to address area field shortages, is located at the western end of Gilman Street south of Golden Gate Fields race track. It has two professional quality turf fields, equipped for day and night play.
“”
“These are equity issues. These aren’t just soccer mom complaints.”
— Samantha Torres, Richmond United president
Five nearby cities formed a joint powers authority (JPA) to fund the periodic returfing of Bates, including Berkeley, Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany, and Emeryville. Each city pitches in $15,000 a year to the returfing pot. Berkeley manages the site.
Groups from these cities get priority booking and pay lower reservation fees.
Bates helps with field shortages but doesn’t come close to meeting needs, said Scott Ferris, Berkeley’s director of Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront. And this translates to pressure on all JPA cities and school districts, he said. “There’s growing demand. They’re all struggling now.”
Ferris said Berkeley extends the JPA member city field priority to its other main soccer field, Gabe Catalfo, at Fifth and Harrison streets in Berkeley. Richmond United is among the clubs using this field, said Torres.
Home base for Torres is Richmond’s Martin Luther King Jr. field off Harbour Way South, which has turf and lights. Torres said she likes King — when it’s in good condition. Maintenance is an issue, she said.
But she’s still concerned about Kennedy. “These are equity issues. These aren’t just soccer mom complaints,” Torres said.
Having fields close to home is especially helpful for lower income families without reliable transportation, or for busy working parents with precious time to take kids to afterschool activities such as sports. Both situations are applicable to many Richmond club players, she said.
Richmond clubs are primarily volunteer run, with lower membership fees. Richmond United currently has 430 players and charges $350 a year.
By comparison, ABSC is a well-funded club with paid coaches and referees. Many of its roughly 1,740 players can afford to pay full fees, estimated at about $3,000 a year.
Most soccer clubs offer scholarships or assistance to kids who want to play but can’t afford it, including ABSC, Richmond United and other Richmond clubs.
Raul Garcia, president of Richmond Sol, a soccer and volleyball club, said when Kennedy is booked solid by an outside club, local clubs like his are left scrambling for a smattering of fields. He described the puzzle-fitting challenge of securing field space, echoed by others.
“Our biggest thing is that our fields are too impacted,” Garcia said.
Sol shares King field with Richmond United and also uses Richmond High.
Richmond soccer clubs really try to work out issues among themselves, rather than in public, Garcia said. “But it gets hard.” Still, Torres’ willingness to publicize the Kennedy situation is a positive, he said.
NorCal soccer league tells Berkeley club to follow the rules
NorCal Premier, the regional soccer league that many Bay Area clubs belong to (teams are nested within clubs), including ABSC and Richmond United, has found issues with ABSC’s use of Kennedy.
After receiving complaints from Richmond United about ABSC using Kennedy, NorCal ruled last year that the Berkeley club was violating a rule stating that teams “practice and play games in the same geographical area of operation.”
While borders don’t restrict players, leagues often have rules around field use, in part to help balance the availability of playing space.
NorCal told ABSC to stop using Richmond fields by the end of the 2024-25 season. The league put ABSC on probation last year for noncompliance.
League complaints, called incident reports, and there are many, are logged on its website.
This was the league’s second ruling on the complaint. It initially ruled that ABSC had a historical right to use Kennedy. Historical use is sometimes honored by soccer leagues.
Richmond United appealed the initial ruling, and the league changed its tune.
Richmondside reached out to NorCal several times for comment on its rulings, updates on compliance, and definitions of “geographic areas of operation.”
The league only said it wouldn’t comment on internal matters.
Adding to the complexities, NorCal also ruled last year that two Richmond soccer clubs, Atchison Village and the Quakes, hadn’t followed protocol in affiliating with ABSC. The clubs have been playing under the league via ABSC.
In this ruling, the league outlined a few ways the Richmond clubs could continue with NorCal: Apply to become official new clubs (which could then be affiliated with ABSC); become “fully integrated” as part of ABSC, within its operational area; or join an existing NorCal club operating in Richmond.
Wright, in a statement emailed to Richmondside Monday, said ABSC’s NorCal violations “stemmed from administrative interpretation around access and not from conduct, player safety, or sportsmanship concerns.”
He said ABSC is working closely with the league to come into compliance and will “align” scheduling with the school district.
“Our club takes this matter very seriously,” Wright wrote. “We are committed to full transparency and to strengthening our partnerships with local schools and NorCal. Our focus remains on providing safe, well-organized, and positive soccer experiences for every player and family in our community.”
Ricardo Rodríguez, founding director of the Atchison Village Football Culb and a resident of the Richmond housing development, said he’s still deciding which way to go.
Rodriquez said his club doesn’t use Kennedy and isn’t part of that fight. But Atchison would like to continue playing with NorCal under ABSC, he said.
“ABSC are not bad people. They’re helping my community,” Rodriguez said, explaining that Wright had helped make field improvements and buy equipment at the Atchison field.
He described the Kennedy conflict as lose-lose. “No matter which way you go, you’re pushing Richmond residents out.”
Rodriquez said after bouncing around with different clubs, including Richmond United years ago, he sought out ABSC, saying the larger club had more options for player development and more consistent access to good fields and equipment.
Shifting and switching clubs, teams, leagues, coaches, and referees seems to come with the territory of youth soccer, sometimes acrimoniously, other times in peace.
Richmond soccer club head coach, Joel Martinez of the Richmond Rayados, agrees with Torres and appreciates her efforts. The Rayados, who are also with NorCal Premier, play at the city’s Booker T. Anderson Park, with home games at Pinole Valley High.
“ABSC is from Alameda County, it doesn’t matter if Toney [Wright] lives in Richmond or 20 players live in Richmond,” Martinez said. “They should practice on one of their fields.”
Football feels the pinch too
Most of the heated talk around fields centers on soccer. But Namon West III, acting president of the Richmond Steelers youth football league, said he’d also applied for Kennedy field time using Facilitron in recent years, without success. So they currently play games at Richmond High School.
This has been especially hard for West and the Steelers, which also has a cheer program, as Kennedy was their home field for decades, until renovations began. He’d love to get back there.
“Kennedy is part of Richmond Steeler’s history,” West said.
West said he hopes the district’s new reservation policy helps. And he supports Torres’ efforts.
“Samantha’s getting traction. The energy’s different,” he said.
But, he added, the Steelers are working on other issues with the district, not related to field bookings, such as complaints around trash. The league is upbeat about its future, he said.
There is common ground among those Richmondside interviewed: Sports and outdoor play are good for young people and worth getting right.
“The most important thing is to keep kids out of TV and video games with a lot of violence, and out of the streets,” said Martinez, of the Rayados.
“It doesn’t matter which club; we should be able to work together. In the end, we’re just affecting all the players. In the end, a soccer field belongs to the city or the district, not to the club.”
Rodriquez, of Atchison, has a similar view.
“We’re pulling in kids that are better being in soccer than being in the streets,” he said. “We’re competitors but we’re not enemies. I live in Richmond, I want my community to succeed. I want my kids to succeed.”
My son plays with the Richmond Quakes and we are Richmond residence.
I agree with Ricardo Rodriguez
No matter which way you go, you’re pushing Richmond residents out.”
This is really sad and unfortunate for the families and the young youth that all they wanna do is practice and play their favorite sport .
ABSC has the Kennedy football and baseball field and is not using most of it, which also excludes Richmond Quakes and Atchison Village from using it. None of us get to use it because of ABSC.
I myself have played soccer since I was a child here in Richmond and in other cities, but I have never seen such a sad and disappointing attitude — especially just because our club has received support from others.
My son has been with the Richmond Quakes for over two years. Before that, he was part of another club, but he no longer felt comfortable there. I took him to tryouts with different teams, and when he finally joined the Quakes, he found an instant connection and a sense of belonging. As a parent, all I want is for my child to be happy and to continue doing what he loves — soccer. It’s mind-blowing and heartbreaking to think that kids are being punished or pushed aside even though they have lived in Richmond their whole lives.
When my kids first joined the Quakes, they practiced on regular public fields with no restrooms — just open park space. Only last season did my oldest finally get access to practice at Kennedy, something I believe he truly deserves as a Richmond resident.
There are many fields in Richmond — like Helms, Richmond High, and MLK who has access to these field because we the Richmond Quakes do not. Our children deserve equal opportunities to use the facilities in their own city, just like everyone else.
Richmond is supposed to be united, but it seems like there is a huge divide within our community. Just like other clubs, I am asking for equity — for my sons, their teammates, and the Richmond Quakes. Every child in Richmond deserves the same chance to play, grow, and feel supported by their city.
We are proud Richmond residents and hope we are aloud to truly reflect the unity and fairness our community stands for.
Elsie, your club HAS full access to Kennedy High-ABSC has the permit for both the baseball field and football field-why aren’t you using it? ABSC has it and no one else from Richmond can use it, including Richmond Quakes, why is that?
So primarily it boils down to, whomever is willing to pay a price that’s acceptable, instead of fair and equitable treatment, even if the Quake players are Richmond residents, the question remains, are they an Independent Club according to the Nor Cal charter?
The interesting part here is, ABSC, booked the field for a whole year, not really caring if other clubs or football teams were able to use the fields, I’m all for Richmond kids all day long and will fight like hell for all of them, however it solely appears ABSC formulated a plan to allow both the Quakes and the Alliance to be a part of their program to garner the huge discount being offered by the play initiative program spearheaded by county supervisor John Gioia.
One has to question how authentic is this when Nor Cal told ABSC to stay off Richmond fields, this is documented.
As a community, how do we make sure all clubs are garnered access of the field at Kennedy? it should be fair an equitable for all parties, there should be no outside influence or status that determines who gets access to the field.
Yes the district is addressing this and is attempting to change it’s policy, however there will be a presentation at the next board meeting in which the public is allowed to give feedback.
It should NEVER be about the Quakes vs Richmond United or any other Richmond clubs against each other, these are all Richmond clubs in which outsiders should never have that much power or governance over our children, despite where Mr. Wright lays his head in Richmond, it’s a huge difference when you’re raised here and not moved here.
We’re Richmondities, families raised here for over 75 years, this has created a serious void in our community in which separation has taken place.
ABSC has been consistently losing field space in Berkeley and Albany to other clubs (because ABSC leadership is not as organized or collaborative as other clubs in my opinion). UC Berkeley cut off all their access from Fielding Field a couple years ago. Not surprising they are trying to get access to Richmond fields