When the Tokay Tigers varsity girls soccer team hosted cross-town rival Lodi Flames on Tuesday, the Tigers were able to do so on the synthetic turf of the Lodi Grape Bowl.
It was a far cry from a week and a half before, when Tokay hosted Tracy in its league opener on a tiny, dusty field on Tokay’s campus, earning the ire of Tracy coach Nate Perry, who said if it wasn’t a league game, he would have refused to play the contest for the safety of his players.
Perry’s comments sparked a strong response in Lodi, culminating in a letter from Tokay players Sydney Means, Ali Means, Madi From, Mariah De La Cruz and Katie Price, addressed to city staff and school officials asking for better accommodations.
The letter pointed at the field as a cause for a rash of injuries on the team, and said soccer was being treated as a second-class sport in Lodi.
The players’ letter came days after a letter by local reverend Mark Price, also pointing to Perry’s comments as a spur for action, addressed to many of the same people.
The response was swift, and in short order the Tigers had arrangements to finish out their season in the Grape Bowl.
“We sent the letter Monday, and they responded the next day and we were able to play here in the next game,” Sydney Means said. “Within 24 hours, we were able to play here. It was really rewarding to get that response right away, and it kind of restored our faith a little bit in the city.”
The Tigers’ old field, where the team still practices, is more dirt than grass, is heavily crowned, and is barely large enough to qualify as a legal soccer field. It also boasts a knee-deep hole within a couple of strides of the sideline, which Perry said he didn’t see until after the game, adding that might have affected his decision to play even with the league opener in mind.
The Grape Bowl is a larger, clearly-marked pitch that is completely flat.
“It’s a football field, but it’s actually great for soccer,” said Jeff Hood, the city of Lodi’s Director of Recreation and Cultural Services. “It’s fast, and a lot of teams play on artificial turf for faster fields. There’s no crown that can play tricks on passing or long kicks. It’s pretty ideal for soccer.”
And while Lodi had a pretty good game on the field turf, defeating Tokay 5-0, the Flames have their own field they are proud of, the result of money raised by boosters for Lodi’s boys and girls soccer. Lodi’s field is Bermuda grass, and while it is currently dormant, Lodi coach Tim Stutz said it plays well and is safe for the players.