BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — Soccer’s biggest stars and winning national teams are helping fuel a surge of interest among young players in Kern County, local coaches say — and that growing participation is putting pressure on field space and other resources.
Rise Up Athletes Coach Jordan Guevara said kids are excited by what they’re seeing from top teams and players.
“The teams that most people here are going for, like USA and Mexico, have been winning, and as far as all the heroes and stars of the game, like Messi and Mbappe, they’re all scoring, which is exciting for the kids to see,” Guevara said.
As more children sign up, coaches say the need is rising for fields, coaches, referees and other support. Guevara said local leagues and clubs are increasingly coordinating to make room for everyone.
“I’m starting to see a lot of programs utilize each other to help get more fields for the kids,” he said.
That cooperation has become more important as organizations search for available practice space. At one park, coaches have created their own fields using portable goals and equipment, turning open grass areas into playable space.
“We’ll buy the equipment to make pop up fields and stuff like that, just so we can make it easier to be at a park,” Guevara said.
But finding space is only part of the challenge, he said. Some organizations are also spending time preparing fields before play can begin, even when they are paying more to use fields that are already marked.
“We started to notice that even the ones that are prepared for sports and for fields, even the ones that are painted with lines and everything already, I mean, they’re charging more for those fields, and we’re showing up and filling in holes ourselves, or picking up trash ourselves,” Guevara said.
With more children taking the field, Guevara said the condition of playing surfaces becomes even more critical.
“I think the most important thing that always comes to mind first is player safety. I think that having fields that are well kept is the biggest thing,” he said.
The increased demand for space and upkeep is pushing local organizations to adapt — from sharing facilities to building pop-up fields — as youth soccer participation continues to grow in Bakersfield and across Kern County.