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Ladies of
the SGV Pistons tournament team
were wrapping up practice Thursday, April 13, at Arroyo Seco
Park in South Pasadena, California when two police officers
walked up. Officer Deacon and her burly male partner
smilingly approached our group. She extended her hand and
introduced herself.
Not again,
I thought. Our free soccer program used to be based in
Victory Park, Pasadena until the incessant harassment by the
Park Police made it unpleasant. It got such that the police
would get there asking for Bolaji! I learnt that when we
moved the practice away, players who showed up to play, not
knowing we’d moved, were cited and fined! Fined for playing
soccer on a public playground!
 Now
again, two law enforcement agents are descending on soccer
on a public park. Officer Deacon was asking if we had a
permit to play on Thursday evenings. I said other than
paying taxes... She didn’t seem to like that but could only
come up with well, she paid taxes too but didn’t play soccer
on the field. Going on would be disrespectful so the team
listened to the officers explain that the children’s
baseball game was being disrupted by soccer balls going into
their field. The team was collectively aware of one time the
ball went over the low fence, but I figured whoever called
the cops didn't care a hoot for soccer.
The
officers explained to go to City Hall on Mission Street for
permit. Familiar. We went through the exact same thing with
the City of Pasadena some four years ago; actually taking
the case to the City Council and eventually meeting with the
mayor. With the mentality that figured everything is about
profits, they (probably failing to fathom the possibility
that the program is and has always been truly FREE to ALL)
were asking thousands of dollars to use the field for brief
periods of time.
And so, it
is the end of another chapter in the effort to make the game
readily and freely accessible to all who desire to play.
Officer Deacon took out her little notepad, and asked
“What’s your name?”; “Last name?...You’ll have to spell
that.”; “Date of birth?” I obliged. In answer to my
question, she explained that she took my personal
information to record in their system that they made contact
with me, and should they find my @$$ here again (ok, not
exactly those words), her partner finished it...”guess who’s
going to jail”. Not quite what I want with my life.
Seeing
Keji, my daughter, off to her car, I saw some players that
were kicked off the field in other games milling around the
parking lot mouthing their displeasure at the “injustice”.
One of them said, “Only in America”. We laughed. I said,
“Good luck, guys.”
Arroyo
Seco Park is history. It was a good run. I believe it was
Alex who introduced us to the park in December 2004. And
Alex has been an advocate of the program paying for a
location that can be confidently called ours. That may end
up being the way to go.
For now,
next Monday, April 17, we’ll try La Canada High again to see
how accommodating the place might be now. If space is
available, that’s where the program will be henceforth. If
not, we'd have to find a place to pay to play...shame.
Discuss the Development on the Bulletin Board
Bolaji
Response
from South Pasadena Chief of Police Dan Watson |