Sunnyvale parents urge council to restore prioritized field reservations after shift to first-come, first-served

Dozens of Sunnyvale residents told the Town Council on Aug. 25 that a new first-come, first-served parks reservation policy is harming local youth sports and urged the town to restore scheduled priority for local teams.

Speakers from the Sunnyvale Raider Soccer Association and other volunteer organizations described coaches and families losing practice access to for-profit or out-of-town teams and repeated requests that the town preserve predictable, posted practice blocks for Sunnyvale residents and resident-run leagues.

Residents said the change to first-come, first-served came without advance notice and leaves volunteer coaches and working parents at a disadvantage. "These spaces are here to serve the kids and families who live in our community," said Hilda Diaz, who identified herself as a longtime coach and a former parks employee. Several parents, including Karen Pierce, who said she handles registrations and scheduling for the Sunnyvale Raider Soccer Association, described multi-team seasons with 22 teams this fall and the need to coordinate volunteer coaches' work schedules.

Speakers pressed the town to return to the previous system in which resident associations submitted schedules that were posted and honored during peak practice windows. Multiple commenters suggested short-term fixes such as volunteer liaisons to assist the parks department while staffing gaps are filled, a field-status indicator on the town website, and a posted schedule that preserves recurring practice blocks for resident teams.

Council members acknowledged concerns and said staff would consider scheduling and policy options. No formal change to the policy was made that evening; the council later requested that parks and staff schedule a follow-up agenda item or workshop to address reservations policy and implementation details.

Neighbors and coaches also raised related facility concerns: the lack of dedicated fields and the town's pending field expansion projects. Several speakers urged the council to accelerate planned field construction and to prioritize resident access while the parks department addresses staffing and reservations procedures.

The council asked staff to return with options that could include short-term volunteer assistance, reinstating posted practice schedules, and technical fixes such as an online field-status indicator. The council did not vote on policy changes during the meeting.

Residents may expect the town to place the parks reservation topic on a future workshop or agenda item for further deliberation and possible action.