Building More Than a Court: Creating Opportunity for San Diego Youth

Recently, families, coaches, and organizational leaders gathered to celebrate a common cause: the grand unveiling of a new multi-use community court at The Willie Henderson Sports Complex. In underinvested communities like this one, access to safe places to play can serve as a barrier to youth sports participation. According to the 2026 California Play Equity Report, 22% of parents report difficulty accessing local places for their child to play.1 However, this project is the perfect example of what can be accomplished when community members rally together. The new futsal/basketball courts are a result of years of dedication, perseverance, and love for this Southeast San Diego community and the young athletes that call it home.

One of the most moving moments of the day came from Coach Briggs and one of his players, who will be benefitting from this court going forward. This young athlete showed immense bravery as he stood before the crowd to share with everyone how this project was going to change lives like his. After taking a deep breath, he said that this new court will “give me the chance to learn discipline, play with my friends, and stay active in a safe space.” He thanked everyone involved for caring about kids like him before passing the microphone off to his coach. 

Through tears, Coach Briggs reflected on the definition of community: a group of people who share a common characteristic. He explained that sports provide commonality no matter what other differences exist. Sports create cohesion, they glue communities together. He ended his speech of gratitude by saying, “The work isn’t done here, but knowing people like you all care about our community to do this for us gives me a lot of hope for where we’re heading”.

Local artist Isabel Garcia brought this vision of unity to life through the court design. The side-by-side courts were painted to represent a sun on one court and a moon on the other, showing that they both exist in the same space but do so without interfering with each other. 

PCA’s Armon Harvey, Director of Community Impact in San Diego, leads the San Diego Sports Equity Coalition. By bringing together city leaders, professional sports organizations, and community sports leaders, the Coalition fosters cross-sector collaboration, aligning partners around the shared goal of mobilizing resources to advance community projects such as this one. The Coalition’s Action Team has made addressing place-based inequities a key strategic priority and worked on this project for the past two years. In partnership with San Diego FC, San Diego Parks and Recreation, and other community organizations, this renovated space will provide new sports opportunities for an estimated 1,200 youth. With San Diego having the lowest physical activity rates in the state (according to the 2026 Play Equity Report), it’s crucial that communities activate efforts to increase safe physical activity spaces, high-quality infrastructure, and opportunities to just get out and play (in contrast to the growing rate of “pay to play” opportunities).

There’s no stopping community members who recognize the importance of youth sports opportunities, and the potential for having a real impact in their neighborhoods. This example of success is part of a larger effort toward equitable youth sports access and community investment in San Diego. PCA looks forward to seeing more exciting improvements in the future. 

1 LA84 Foundation. 2026. California Play Equity Report.