2 comments
The Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department reports unprecedented youth sports participation in 2024, with 4,808 children participating across multiple sports programs, according to a Department document.
Soccer emerged as the most popular program with 3,038 participants, operating through multiple seasonal leagues including winter Futsal/Indoor Soccer, Spring Villa Parke Youth Soccer League, the new Young Strikers Soccer Academy, and Fall 7v7 League.
The program benefits from extensive community support, with over 100 volunteer coaches in 2024, according to the report.
The spring soccer league drew 1,910 participants across seven divisions, while the indoor Futsal program engaged 328 players across five age groups. The fall 7v7 league attracted 778 participants, from Mini Stars (ages 2-4) through second division.
The basketball program serves 1,109 players through year-round programming, including both regular leagues and Mighty Mites divisions. The winter session saw 398 participants (70% residents), spring maintained 366 players (76% residents), and summer engaged 345 participants (84% residents). The Mighty Mites program, operating at McKinley, Robinson, and Victory locations, consistently serves over 90 children per session in age groups 5-6 and 7-8.
The volleyball program fielded 24 teams with 274 participants in fall and 19 teams with 201 players in spring. Flag football enrolled 186 youth across 12 teams, maintaining 80% resident participation, plus a Mighty Mites division serving 24 players ages 7-8.
Program success is exemplified by one former Villa Park Youth Soccer League player who advanced to professional clubs including Pachuca F.C. (2017-2019), LA Galaxy (2019-2020), LAFC (2023-2024), and Columbus Crew (2024), also representing both United States U-15 (2012) and Mexico U17 (2015) teams.
The department maintains accessibility through ‘resident-friendly’ pricing at $10 compared to $95 for non-residents.
The new Young Strikers Academy, launching in March 2025, will offer two five-week sessions featuring weekly practices, 30-minute games, and on-field coaching support in a non-competitive environment for ages 2-6.
Local teams have achieved tournament success, winning both Federation All Star and San Gabriel Valley All Star championships in 2024.
The Recreation and Parks Commission will review these results during its meeting on Tuesday, January 7 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Yards Public Works Building at 233 West Mountain Street, Pasadena.
Get our daily Pasadena newspaper in your email box. Free.
Get all the latest Pasadena news, more than 10 fresh stories daily, 7 days a week at 7 a.m.
