Residents urge Tracy to preserve 'Pioneer' name as city opens renaming nominations for sports complex

City staff opened a public nomination period to rename the Tracy Sports Complex, but residents who helped build the city’s early soccer programs urged officials not to erase an existing dedication to the Pioneer Soccer Club.

Brian McDonald, the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services director, told the council the nomination period opened Dec. 15, that it is a 30-day public process and that applications are due Thursday, Jan. 15, by 6 p.m. McDonald said the Parks and Community Services Commission will review submissions on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. and forward three recommendations to the council for final approval.

“Of course, council gave us direction back in early December to explore renaming the Tracy Sports Complex,” McDonald said, and he clarified that the soccer fields dedicated to the 1965 Pioneer Soccer Club would not be removed from the site.

Multiple speakers during the public comment period said the Pioneer Soccer Club’s name and monument should remain in place. Rosie Abundis told the council, “My request is that we keep the existing plaque the way it is and the existing name the way it is to honor the hard work of these gentlemen to create the soccer club.” James Abundis, who identified himself as the son of Salvador Abundis (whose name appears on the Pioneer plaque), described the club’s early, grassroots efforts to organize youth teams and international matches in the 1960s.

Other speakers urged the council to preserve both the club’s history and additional recognition: “Make a bigger plaque,” one resident said, noting that some names are difficult to read. Several callers and in-person speakers said they traveled long distances to speak and described the fields as important community gathering places that reflect the contributions of Mexican and immigrant families in Tracy.

A number of speakers also raised procedural objections, saying the council’s Dec. 2 action expanded the scope of a prior agenda item and that more public notice or input should have been collected before changing the name of the entire complex. City staff and the mayor responded that no final decision has been made and reiterated the nomination deadline and the Parks and Community Services Commission meeting date.

What happens next: nominations remain open through Jan. 15 at 6 p.m.; the Parks and Community Services Commission will consider applications and hold a public discussion Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. in council chambers; the commission will forward up to three recommendations to the City Council for final action.