TC United appeals to council for England Acres access after fields reassigned to flag football

Tooele City Council on March 5 heard appeals from TC United Soccer representatives and parents asking the city to restore or share use of England Acres after the park’s two full-size fields were temporarily assigned to a community flag‑football program.

Kim Ornella, president of TC United Soccer, told the council the club serves “over 1,200 youth soccer players a year” and said the club hosted more than 200 competitive games in Tooele last year, about 60 of which were held at England Acres. “They bring in teams from the outside area, generate business for local restaurants, gas stations, and in some cases, even hotels,” Ornella said, arguing that losing access to England Acres will force families to travel farther and could harm the club’s ability to attract visiting teams.

The concerns centered on two things: a short‑term scheduling gap for upcoming competitive matches and longer‑term access to full‑size 11v11 fields. A parent who identified themself as a local coach said the club currently has four teams that need full‑size fields and described safety issues on smaller or uneven fields: “Most of the other fields are bumpy or torn up. The ball doesn't roll right, and it is easy to get hurt,” said Arliss “AJ” Anderson Jr., a TC United player who said he spends about 14 hours a week on the club’s fields.

Parks and Recreation Director Darvin Cook responded during the meeting, saying field shifting is a routine practice and that the city prioritized recreational leagues when scheduling. “Field shifting takes place in every community,” Cook said, and explained the city moved programs because the turf at Rancho had been “decimated.” He added that England Acres “was not designed as a soccer field” and that the city would not build grass fields for a single sport going forward. Cook said the city continues to allow TC United to use five other fields and emphasized the city’s aim to minimize overall disruption to recreation leagues.

Club representatives asked the council to consider short‑term sharing arrangements that would allow competitive soccer games to remain at England Acres while permitting flag football practices or rec play to use other locations. Ornella said the club had already contacted the flag‑football organizers and was seeking a collaborative solution.

The council closed public comment and offered to stay after the meeting to speak further with club representatives and parents.

Why it matters: England Acres is one of Tooele’s few full‑size fields suitable for high‑level youth competition. Council or staff decisions about field allocations affect player safety, club scheduling, and events that bring visiting teams — and related economic activity — to the city.