Los Osos’s Beloved Soccer League and its President Rachel Fernflores

For many kids growing up in Los Osos (600 to be exact), the South Bay Soccer Association plays a big role in their lives. Every Saturday from September to November, the soccer field at Los Osos Middle School is filled with dozens of eager kids playing the beautiful game of soccer. When I interviewed Rachel Fernflores, the president of South Bay Soccer, she had this to say about how Saturdays on the field usually go: “the kids are happy, the parents and grandparents are happy, and the whole community comes out.” 

Community. That is one thing that everyone who has been a part of South Bay Soccer has felt when on the soccer field. Fernflores says her passion for running this league truly is derived from how happy it makes the kids. However, many sports leagues don't focus on this sense of community as much, charging outrageous amounts of money for kids to be able to play the sports they enjoy. Rachel and the rest of the executive board at South Bay Soccer do as much as they can to include kids coming from families with lower incomes. Fernflores had this to say when asked about it, “we charge a $100 registration fee and have a scholarship program for any kid in a low income family that cuts the registration fee in half to $50. This is in contrast to all of our partner leagues, which charge between $160 to $220 a season for the same length of time and an additional $200 for all stars.” 

Being one of the more affordable leagues truly does make the South Bay Soccer Association welcoming to all and gives a great sense of community to those that participate. Fernflores strives for inclusivity in the league and has succeeded in making it just that.