A large contingent of parents, coaches and youth testified at the University Place City Council meeting on Nov. 17, 2025, urging elected officials to preserve the long‑running University Place Soccer Club rather than outsource city support for soccer to the YMCA.

Eric Arvana, president of University Place Soccer Club, told the council the club has provided “almost 700 kids a place to play recreational soccer within their hometown of University Place” and said UPSC has run the community program for nearly 30 years. “If the city now has decided they want to support recreational sports for kids, they need to partner with a club that has been doing this work with the kids in the community for almost 30 years,” Arvana said.

The crowd of speakers — which included volunteer coaches, club officers and multiple children — described UPSC as volunteer‑run, affordable and a pipeline for older youth and high‑school players. Several parents said they had poor experiences with YMCA programs elsewhere and worried that moving the city’s support to an out‑of‑city YMCA would fragment teams and reduce quality coaching for teenagers. “My daughter has excelled both in the sport and her confidence has gone sky high,” said Elizabeth Tasek, a UPSC parent whose daughter plays for the Blue Dragons.

Stephani(e) Bolt, the club’s vice president, asked the council to ensure the club has a role in future discussions: “I hope that we can all connect and we can have a seat at this table,” she said.

Speakers also urged the city to consider alternatives to outsourcing, including directing funds to field improvements, lighting and scheduling so existing programs can expand. Coaches and parents repeatedly emphasized local volunteer coaches and long‑standing inter‑club relationships with nearby organizations and referee associations as reasons to preserve UPSC.

Mayor Javier Figueroa and several council members thanked attendees for coming on short notice and told them the council had heard the comments. The mayor said staff and council would review the input and that the next steps could include a study session to further consider options. City staff did not take formal action on the programming choice at the Nov. 17 meeting.

What happens next: Council members asked staff to gather more information and indicated the matter could return for further council discussion; no final decision or contract award was announced on Nov. 17.