SAN DIEGO — If you happen to be visiting Memorial Park in Barrio Logan, you will see kids as young as four hitting a baseball and other kids as old as 15 kicking a soccer ball.
“Well I started watching soccer when I was three, I'm 15 right now, so it’s been 12 years since I’ve been loving soccer,” said Miguel Munoz.
Miguel Munoz loves soccer and has been playing in Memorial Soccer League at Memorial Park for years, but he and his soccer coach say the park has no working lights.
'We can't see each other'
Which means as soon as the sun sets, the park becomes pitch black, forcing kids to play in the dark.
“It's like dark black, like we can’t see each other,” said Munoz.
His coach Francisco Ortiz also said, “You can see a little bit, but not a lot. I mean that’s a big issue for little kids trying to kick, catch or throw a ball.”
The park has been suffering with lighting issues for years—families say light bulbs constantly run out, the light posts are old and in bad condition.
Just two weeks ago, the breaker box caught fire and burned the only light they were working with.
Francisco Ortiz, the coach for Memorial Soccer League says he has emailed and called the city several times, but nothing has changed.
“We have to reschedule these practices because of no lighting. Changing them to an earlier time and it has to be before the sun sets,” said Ortiz.
Not a single working light
CBS 8 drove to Memorial Park to witness the problem firsthand at night.
While at the park there were 10 light posts, but not a single one was working at the park.
Now soccer leagues and other sports leagues who use this field fear working families won’t make it to earlier practices.
Adding that these leagues have been created to help keep kids from getting into trouble.
CBS 8 Reached out to Vivian Moreno who represents District 8. In an email we asked her what is being done to repair the lights, but she has not responded to our request for an interview.
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