WSA_Youth and Family Master Plan Phase I - September 2009

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(81 %) and furthermore that teams are assigned to particular fields based on field availability (55%) and division of play (55%). Over half of the leagues reported that they make their team assignment decisions independent of whether or not a player lives in Santa Ana. This leaves the leagues void of any geographic considerations for natural community and neighborhood boundaries. Forty-six percent of survey respondents noted that location of fields is a barrier for many families to engage in the soccer league programming. Because the majority of leagues are based on player skill level, the location of programming will continue to be a problem in providing the Santa Ana youth with access to affordable, recreational soccer. Create a consumer education campaign to educate families about the soccer leagues. Implementation: Annually, a community educational piece is distributed throughout the local Spanish and English language newspapers, targeting families interested in youth soccer. On the city website, as well as on television, a video in Spanish can be presented to the community so that families can get a clear idea of the breadth and scope of the soccer leagues operating in Santa Ana. Among other things, this could include information on the costs, fees, seasons and levels of play, as well as the scholarships offered and coaching credentials. Rationale: Families currently are making soccer team decisions based upon personal contacts- with little "comparison shopping" or information on league characteristics. Ideally, they would like to make more educated decisions regarding their child's league participation. These PSAs regarding "soccer league do's and don'ts" could provide very informative to families; this could close the knowledge gap, allowing families to make decisions on league choice that best fit their needs. Soccer programming becomes a priority forthe City. Implementation: Soccer engages more Santa Ana youth in intensive physical activity than any other program. Because of this wide-reaching impact, it is important that the leagues providing the service are given clear guidelines about expectations to ensure that the highest levels of participation are met. Soccer field-usage could be programmed based on the location of team members. For this geographic model to be successful, the city parks, as well as SAUSD fields would need to be coordinated through one field-use master list that could reach youth in all parts of the city. It is important for this level of collaboration to start within a pilot area such as the California Endowment Healthy Community target area. The city has resources to run these sites and the city and SAUSD together could identify soccer leagues who comply with geographic preferences. For this to geographic model to be successful, the city parks, as well as SAUSD fields would need to be coordinated through one field-use master list that could reach youth in all parts of the city. Rationale: A collaborative approach could make this change in the community, increasing the ability of youth to engage in soccer in their own neighborhoods. According to the responses to the survey that was completed by the athletic leagues in Santa Ana, an overwhelming majority of the leagues believe that much of the youth population are not being adequately serviced by the city's athletic programs. Also, 7 of the 9 soccer leagues surveyed noted that one of the barriers to league participation was location. By more adequately allocating field permits to the leagues with greatest need and proximity of the players living in the area of the field, more youth will be able to participate in these athletic programs, and the fields will be used more efficiently. Due to the inherent competitive nature of the sport, it is important that strict regulations are maintained and implemented within the leagues to ensure that competition does not overshadow the need to provide the comprehensive service to the maximum number of players possible.