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Commission hears partner organization reports; youth football (Aztecs) faces field access challenges with LAUSD
Summary
Partner groups presented annual updates. Commissioners focused on the Aztecs youth football program’s difficulty securing LAUSD high‑school fields, the city’s past accommodations, and possible next steps for support and oversight.
At the May 8 meeting the commission received annual reports from partner organizations and discussed youth sports oversight and facility access, focusing on the Aztecs youth football program.
Parks staff said partner organizations generally continue to operate but that some—most notably AYSO and the Aztecs—are rebuilding after COVID. Staff said the Aztecs have encountered difficulty securing regular access to LAUSD high‑school fields for evening football practice and games because the district now requires youth groups to book and insure fields directly. Parks Director Steve and other staff described prior ad hoc arrangements (historically city staff sometimes handled permits) that are no longer permitted; the Aztecs now must arrange permits and insurance through LAUSD and pay related fees. Staff said the city has reimbursed some costs in the past (for example, for lights or field fees) and that last year the city paid about $13,000 toward field fees as an extraordinary accommodation, but staff cautioned that those were ad hoc arrangements.
Commissioners and staff described efforts to assist the Aztecs: regular meetings between staff (Tina and James) and the club, outreach to school administrators, and ad hoc support from the youth commission and private sponsors to cover items such as scoreboards and officials. Staff noted legal limits on how the city can subsidize third‑party organizations and said a memorandum of understanding for Legacy fields limits their use to baseball and softball, preventing football there.
Commissioners asked whether the city could leverage its assets to negotiate with LAUSD; staff said the district’s size and decentralized decisions make direct leverage complicated and warned against measures that would penalize school‑age students’ access to facilities. Commissioners asked staff to continue advocacy, engage parents and sponsors, and consider standardizing partner reports so the commission receives consistent enrollment and program metrics.
The commission voted to receive and file partner organization reports.
