OCEANSIDE — Oceanside Pop Warner celebrated a historic December with two national championships, but off the field, escalating stadium fees are creating obstacles for the league.
At the Pop Warner Super Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, the 14U Warriors outscored opponents 106-0 in the playoffs before shutting out New Jersey’s Saint James Royals, 30-0, in the championship game.
The 13U Smack City team also went undefeated, including a 6-0 victory over Florida’s Westchase Colts, while the 11U Running Pirates made it to the Super Bowl but fell 20-14 to Indiana’s Greater LaPorte Slicers.
Seventy-five players traveled to Charlotte, and covering the $40,000 needed for the weeklong trip required a community effort.
Sponsorships, a car wash, a barbecue — and even the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, with QR codes on players’ backs — helped raise funds. Oceanside Pop Warner President Andrew Tapuloa said the league continues to fundraise, but it can only go so far.
“The biggest obstacle is the cost of renting the facility,” Tapuloa said. “We don’t have the money to rent it.”
The league, which serves more than 300 children in football and cheer across five age divisions, has had to play home games at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. Coaches say the site is inadequate and unsafe for hosting games.
Josh Galeai, head coach of the 13U Smack City team, said he raised concerns with league officials about playing at the middle school.
“There’s potholes everywhere,” Galeai said. “It’s embarrassing. I think it’s a safety risk. I told them I don’t want any home games.”
Renting a full-day stadium through the district’s Facilitron system — typically from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to accommodate five games — costs about $7,000. After factoring in referees, EMTs, and other required staff, Tapuloa said expenses can reach $9,000.
Oceanside Unified School District reported that El Camino High School’s stadium is $315 per hour. Additional costs include $53.67 for campus security, $40 for a campus supervision assistant, and $67.76 for custodial staff, all with a two-hour minimum.
Use of the press box and public address system is optional at a cost of about $500 per hour. Some nonprofits qualify for discounted rates, and select fields are free under the Joint Use Agreement between the district and city.
“Fees are necessary to maintain and upgrade our facilities,” said OUSD Director of Communications Donald Bendz. “We surveyed other districts’ pricing in 2024 and aligned our rates accordingly. We’ve also shared no-cost options with Pop Warner.”
Registration for the current season is roughly $675 per player, up from roughly $525 in previous years. Tapuloa said the increase reflects rising operational and facility costs.
“It’s gone up a bit — we were around $505-$525 before, and we’ve tried to increase registration only as much as we have to,” Tapuloa said. “I’m a parent myself, so I understand the complaints. Our goal is to make sure every child gets to play. We offer payment plans, scholarships, and other options. Parents volunteer, and we already try to keep costs reasonable, but families also have to cover equipment and uniforms on top of registration.”
City officials said they support youth athletics but do not manage district stadiums, leaving decisions about those fields to the district, according to Terry Gorman Brown, senior management analyst in the City Manager’s Office.
Through Parks and Recreation, the city provides free and low-cost programs for children and teens and offers scholarships for families in need. Scholarship awards were recently increased to $300-$550 per qualifying child.
In recent years, Oceanside has allocated over $1 million annually from Measure X sales tax revenue to expand youth recreation, including $1,045,000 for fiscal year 2026-27. The department is also holding two community meetings to help prioritize $500,000 in funding for field improvements.
“The City believes every child and teen in Oceanside deserves access to quality recreational programming, regardless of their family’s financial situation,” Brown said.
Galeai said access to quality fields affects player retention. Several top athletes from OPW have transferred to private schools with better facilities.
“Our kids finally see what else is out there and what we don’t have in Oceanside,” he said.
Tapuloa said the league has met with both the district and city officials to discuss ways to ease the financial burden, but progress has stalled.
“I always have hope and faith that they’ll do the right thing,” Tapuloa said. “If we can find a partnership, a set cost, or some way to work together, it would make a big difference. After all, we’re from here too — we’re from Oceanside.”
