The Gridley Recreation Youth Soccer League includes 448 participants across 40 teams, with age divisions ranging from 4 to 14 years old. Designed by Freepik, www.freepik.com

 

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Youth soccer players in Gridley should be sporting fresh jerseys on Saturday, marking a long-awaited shift in the city’s effort to recover from a rocky start to the fall season.

During Monday’s City Council meeting, officials responded to a wave of grievances from parents and coaches, acknowledged missteps in staffing and communication and laid out a plan to rebuild trust in the popular program.

City Administrator Elise Arteaga provided a detailed update on the city’s response to complaints, which included staffing shortages, uniform delays and communication breakdowns. 

“We have taken every concern that has reached our desk seriously,” Arteaga said, as she outlined the steps the city has taken to correct the issues.

The Gridley Recreation Youth Soccer League includes 448 participants across 40 teams, with age divisions ranging from 4 to 14 years old. The program is supported by 43 volunteer coaches and runs from Sept. 13 to Nov. 1. Arteaga reported the program generated $25,995 in revenue and was budgeted at $20,000, with $12,500 allocated for new jerseys. The estimated expense for the recreation coordinator is $29,343.

Beyond uniforms, which will be handed out this week, Arteaga detailed several operational challenges. Coaches and parents reported a lack of communication and oversight from program leadership, including unanswered emails and limited availability during game-day issues. Uniform complaints included incorrect sizes, a change in style without notice and insufficient quantities. Some teams refused to participate in picture day due to jersey concerns, resulting in canceled photo orders.

Team formation also drew criticism. Delayed planning and last-minute reorganization led to imbalanced co-ed rosters and confusion over player assignments. Staffing shortages compounded the problem, with site supervisors coaching one or two teams themselves, leaving games unsupervised or forcing staff to abandon their own teams mid-match. Referee payroll was incomplete due to missing documentation, prompting the finance director to step in and oversee pending issues.

Councilmember Catalina Sanchez voiced strong concern over the quality of service.

“The youth soccer league is like the bread and butter of our community,” Sanchez said. “The long list of grievances detailed in the staff report are standard responsibilities of a recreation department and should have been performed at the highest quality.”

Sanchez called the situation avoidable but expressed support for city staff moving forward. 

“I support our city administrator and finance director to take steps forward, reverse and learn from the situation so that next year is better,” Sanchez said.

In response to the complaints, the city has committed to weekly monitoring and increased on-site oversight. 

Arteaga emphasized the importance of youth recreation in fostering community pride, promoting healthy lifestyles and supporting families across all income levels.

“City-hosted recreation events help build long-term community pride and encourage healthy lifestyles,” she said.

The City Council directed staff to offer refunds to participants who have requested them. Staff will review the recreation budget at midyear for potential adjustments, while hoping the fallout from this year’s rough start will not affect the city’s most utilized recreation program next year.

Arteaga explained that while some teams have purchased their own uniforms to stay on schedule, others have waited for the city’s replacements. Picture retakes are scheduled for later this month.

Mayor Mike Farr closed the discussion with a message of optimism.

“I’m sure the decision made on these jerseys was thought of with the best intention,” Farr said. “Mistakes are made; it’s getting rectified, and we’ll move forward.”

The intervention was part of a broader effort by the City Council to stabilize the program. Staff have been directed to be on site on game day to provide additional oversight and gather feedback directly from coaches and parents. A public apology and update were posted to social media, and the finance director was directed to resolve outstanding payroll issues and maintain ongoing communication with participants.