IS “PROTECT OUR PARKS” AGAINST SOCCER? NO WAY!!!

Protect our Parks is the grass-roots organization which successfully sued the Chicago Park District, the Latin School of Chicago and the City of Chicago to stop construction of an artificial turf soccer field in the North Meadow of the South Field in Lincoln Park for the reserved use by the Latin School.

Does this mean Protect our Parks is against kids? Against soccer? Against building new athletic fields for soccer?

The Answers: NO – NO – and NO!!!

There is a misinformation campaign underway about our position, falsely alleging to the soccer community that we have our sights set on stopping AYSO from using the fields that they’ve been playing soccer on for over 20 years so that they can be “returned” to meadows. This is patently UNTRUE!! The only field we want returned to a meadow is South Field because it is the wrong structure in the wrong location for the wrong reason.

Protect Our Parks has never opposed improvements at Foster or Montrose or the many inner city locations where there is dearth of recreation facilities. And POP has repeatedly said that the Park District should use the $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 that the Park District wants to give Latin School instead for those truly needy locations where multiple fields would benefit and expand use for the public, instead of for a wealthy private school

WHAT WE’RE FOR:

We’re all FOR soccer fields! BUT – where they are appropriate. We’re also for transparency and democracy in public process We’re for equal opportunity and access, not just for the wealthy

The fact is that the present location in south Lincoln Park is, arguably, the MOST INAPPROPRIATE place possible to insert a soccer field! It was selected SOLELY because of its proximity to the Latin School, for their convenience. No studies were undertaken to determine where the need for new facilities was greatest and would serve the greatest number of people. The only criterion applied in this case was that LATIN WANTED IT THERE FOR THEIR USE.

The Park District now says it has $2,000,000 to give to Latin School. That money would build or improve at least three new public use soccer fields in the neediest locations. And when the Park District withholds the money already promised to those other locations and tries to hold the soccer community hostage to the Latin School, they are deliberately injuring the innocent in order to force support of a wealthy, PRIVATE school!

Yes – the kids – and more of them, deserve to be able to play, regardless of where they live in Chicago and what their economic circumstances! Our Fight against the soccer field in South Field is not a fight with children nor with the soccer community. It is with the Park District, whose decisions and priorities too often are in the service of special interests, and whose modes of operation are too often dishonest – and with the Latin School for selfishly attempting to make Lincoln Park their de facto Athletic field, because they did not plan adequately for their own outdoor needs. They are a private school and their problems should be solved in the marketplace, not at the expense of Chicago’s park goers and taxpayers.

What do you think a soccer player should do when he or she is the victim of a foul? Be conned into supporting the foul or insist that the referee play fair?

Soccer, YES! In the North Meadow: NO!

Protect Our Parks – info@cklpp.org – www.savelincolnpark.org – 312-276-5165 – Donate to our legal fund -