Youth soccer clubs ask Cibolo City Council for regular access to fields and Multi‑Event Center

Parents, coaches and club officials urged the Cibolo City Council on Sept. 9 to provide regular access to city athletic fields and the Multi‑Event Center so youth soccer programs can practice and host games.

Those who spoke said regular, scheduled access is needed for development of local players and to keep teams based in Cibolo rather than traveling to neighboring cities for practices and matches.

“My name is Deborah Andrews, and I am the proud parent of a team member,” Deborah Andrews said during public comment, asking the council to “allow Relentless access to the fields” at the Multi‑Event Center. Ryker Dempsey, who identified himself as a player on the Under‑12 Relentless team, said using a full field “really does make a difference.”

Rhys Kelly, director of soccer at Rolando Soccer Club, told the council his club has about 170 players and said 54 families live in the city of Cibolo. “We love being there,” Kelly said of the Multi‑Event Center. He also said the council had voted earlier to award Relentless Soccer Club a five‑year contract but that his organization had not received a written contract.

Cecil Dawson, who said he represents the SAT Firebirds, asked that Veterans Park be reserved for one Saturday a month so his organization can use the field as a home site while it continues to maintain and improve the turf. “We’re willing to actually do community time and … help improve that field,” Dawson said.

Several speakers emphasized the clubs’ roles feeding local school programs; Deborah Andrews mentioned Dobie, Corbett, Steele and Clemens schools as destinations for players. Britney Garcia and Crystal Resch, both identifying themselves as Cibolo residents and parents of players, said traveling to practices and games outside the city creates a hardship for families with several children.

Mayor and council remarks during the public‑comment period noted that reservation and use of the Multi‑Event Center was an item on the meeting agenda. The mayor asked attendees with interest in the agenda item to remain; no formal action was taken during public comment and no reservation decisions were recorded in the public‑comment portion of the meeting.

The record from Sept. 9 contains no formal motions or votes on field access in the public‑comment segment; council staff and the mayor indicated the subject would be addressed later on the evening’s agenda.

If the council pursues a written contract or recurring schedule for any team, that agreement and any associated reservation policy would be subject to future council discussion or staff implementation.