Solve Youth Sports Inequity

It’s unfortunate that something as good as youth sports has turned so grubby. But last week’s expansion of a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles may be the only way to ensure that kids of all ages, of all colors and of both genders have equal access to parks and playing fields. As uncomfortable as it may be, the lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union appears to be the only way to force officials from the Recreation and Parks Department to make quality sports programs available to all the city’s youth.

The suit stems from a dispute over playing fields in the west San Fernando Valley. The West Valley Girls Softball League accused city officials of relegating the league to inferior fields while boys’ teams enjoyed better diamonds. But the dispute was never just about girls in the West Valley or even just about softball. It highlighted a citywide problem of access to playing fields.

Since then, city officials have been working on a number of creative solutions--including using surplus Department of Water & Power land for playing fields and striking a deal with the Los Angeles Unified School District to keep campuses open for organized sports leagues. At the same time, officials discovered that many fields were not being scheduled as efficiently as possible. And parks officials have focused new attention in recent years on recruiting more girls for team sports.

Despite those efforts, the problem remains. Citywide 22,511 boys play baseball, compared to 1,905 girls playing softball. In the Valley, the numbers are even worse. Some 6,948 boys play baseball, but only 540 girls play softball. That’s more than the marketing problem President Steven L. Soboroff of the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners blames for the disparity.

Fixing the inequity takes more than a few banners and sign-up days at local parks. It demands a resolution not often found in City Hall. The ACLU’s lawsuit keeps the pressure on and forces the city to find a solution--or else run the risk of having one imposed by the courts.