The Hub and Heart of Goleta

Good Times in the Goodland
Girsh Park Turns 25

By Victor Bryant | May 16, 2024

Last year’s Dos Pueblos Little League Opening Day, where they celebrated five All-Star Championship teams with banners. | Credit: Courtesy

On any given fall Saturday, hundreds of families from all over Goleta and Santa Barbara descend upon Girsh Park’s green spaces in the mass migration that is AYSO Region 122 soccer.

In the spring and into the summer, one can hear the clink of bats connecting with baseballs and youthful chatter from dugouts, and see picturesque sunsets framing moments of fierce competition at Dos Pueblos Little League (DPLL).

There is laughter and there are tears, but most importantly, there are memories that last a lifetime.

The Lester A. and Viola S. Girsh Park (the park’s official full name) opened to the public for the first time on May 23, 1999, and quickly became the backbone of a vibrant community serving the families of Goleta and the surrounding areas with numerous and widely varied recreational options.

“When you come out to those sporting events, such as AYSO on a Saturday or Dos Pueblos Little League, the whole community is here to watch their kids play sports,” said Ryan Harrington, executive director of the Foundation for Girsh Park. “On a busy weekend here during the fall for AYSO, I literally feel like I see the whole town. It is the hub of the community in a lot of ways.”

An AYSO U8 team at Girsh Park | Credit: Courtesy

This month, Girsh Park is celebrating its 25th anniversary. At the core of Girsh Park’s success story is the partnership between the City of Goleta and the Foundation for Girsh Park. This one-of-a-kind collaboration blends public resources with private philanthropy and has been instrumental in sustaining and enhancing the park’s operations since its inception.

“One thing that makes Girsh Park unique is that because it is run by a nonprofit in partnership with so many other entities, including the City of Goleta, they are able to be so versatile and flexible with so many different activities that are going,” said Goleta Mayor Pro Tempore Luz Reyes-Martín. “They really utilize every last square inch, and the way that they are able to maintain the grounds is really impressive, and I know that is a huge partnership with many of the groups.”

Girsh Park is unique in that it is fully owned and operated by the Girsh Park Foundation rather than the City of Goleta or the County of Santa Barbara, which has various benefits and implications financially.

“It costs far less public money to run Girsh Park than it would if Girsh Park were a city park,” Harrington said. “We do that through these nonprofit organizations that are basically run by volunteers, including the two biggest: AYSO and Dos Pueblos Little League.”

The role of Girsh Park in the community continues to grow. Currently, an estimated 500,000 visitors come to Girsh Park each year and an estimated 5,000 kids participate in programs that operate out of Girsh Park, including the highly successful Santa Barbara Soccer Club, which offers both recreational opportunities and competitive teams for more advanced and dedicated players in each age group.

Looking to the future, the Girsh Park Foundation is aware of the need to adapt to serve more people going forward. One way to do that is through lighting that would allow more time slots for practices and games.

One project that is currently being pursued is to install permanent lighting on the Girsh-Hochman soccer field, which is the full-size international soccer field with synthetic field turf. The field currently has temporary lighting, but they are working toward getting permanent, on-grid lights.

Additional projects on the docket are baseball safety netting and landscape improvements.

“Youth sports and, in particular, baseball are in increasingly high demand. We have friends and family that are running out of places to play baseball,” said Dos Pueblos Little League President Jeff Palmer. “It is becoming increasingly more difficult to find field space for teams and leagues, so our relationship with Girsh is not only harmonious, but we really appreciate Girsh for what we have.

“We have both a safe and happy place for our kids to go. Ever since my kids were 5, 6, 7 years old, I never really
worried about them wandering off and playing with their friends.”

Over the years, Girsh Park has served as more than an athletic complex. The Camino Real Playground is a local favorite for play dates. With several family picnic areas and the option to set up a bounce house, birthday parties at Girsh Park are a regular occurrence.

An AYSO U5 team at Girsh Park | Credit: Courtesy

“As a parent of young kids, Girsh Park is in many ways the heart of the community. Whether you are there for little league, soccer, other sports activities, a birthday party, or a play date, it just tends to be a place that families gravitate to,” Reyes-Martín said. “I have very active kids who participate in DPLL and soccer. There are times of the year where we are probably at Girsh Park five or six days a week, so it’s such a treasure. It’s a place where not only the kids make lifelong friends, but as parents, we make friends with other parents.”

In addition to all of the options for kids and their parents, the Goleta Valley Dog Club is also a partner with Girsh Park and offers weekly events that are beginner-, family-, and community-friendly, but also provide a place for more advanced dog sport athletes to practice and learn.

The Linehan Family basketball courts, better known as the “Costco Courts” by the Santa Barbara basketball community, are one of the few places in the region where pickup games still exist and offer perhaps the best outdoor playing experience in Santa Barbara County.

Over the years, the Girsh Park Foundation has become more selective with the events that take place at the park in the interest of maintaining the athletic facilities and playing surfaces, but the Goleta Lemon Festival remains as a popular annual event that pays homage to the region’s rich agricultural history.

The first official Goleta Lemon Festival was in 1991, and it has since evolved into the largest community event of the year in Goleta. Last year’s event featured more than 100 booths and helped foster the sense of community that make Girsh Park and the City of Goleta a special place.

“As we reflect on the remarkable journey of Girsh Park over the past quarter-century, we are filled with gratitude for the unwavering support of the Girsh/Hochman Families, the City of Goleta, and the community,” said Harrington. “This milestone not only celebrates our achievements but also symbolizes the boundless potential for growth and innovation in the years to come. Girsh Park belongs to the community, and together we will continue to create lasting memories and build a brighter future for generations to come.”

See girshpark.org.