Soccer Belongs in San Diego

By Jerry Jimenez

“You need to know where you came from to know where you’re going.”

This is a quote my parents always said as they spent countless hours teaching all four of their children about our Mexican traditions and beliefs. I’ve used this form of thinking my entire life and it has served me well. It’s basically saying, “ Let’s acknowledge that something came before us and we must respect that while also building upon it and making it better for future generations.” My mother once said to me, “ I pray that when you have children, you see what I have taught you and you do a better job than I have.”

Now married and with two boys of my own, I clearly see what she was trying to say to me. I don’t think she was talking about just children. I truly believe she was talking about everything in my life. Whatever you do, you must do it with passion and fervor, building upon what came before you and making it easy for future generations to grow it even further. For me, this is soccer.

San Diego is a city that I have called home since I was 10 years old. The largest bi-national conurbation, this Tijuana-San Diego region is overflowing with a love for the beautiful game. There have been several semi-professional and professional soccer teams that have called San Diego their home. Some locals even got to enjoy a professional Women’s team, the San Diego Spirit, for three whole seasons between 2001 and 2003.

But why haven’t any teams been able to succeed long term, even with San Diego viewership numbers being nearly always in the top 10 American cities during major soccer events? I’ve been thinking about this for years and I think I have found a few reasons. Now, reader, please understand that I do not claim and will never claim that I have all the answers. If anything, all I have is a point of view that, I hope, will open up a fruitful discussion amongst those that care.

Let’s start with one of the most glaring issues with making things happen here in San Diego, politics. After an almost two year long battle between the Soccer City Initiative and SDSU West, SDSU came on top, gaining the right to tear down Jack Murphy Stadium and build Aztec Stadium. Although that is now in the rearview mirror for many, there are still those whose battle wounds haven’t healed yet. There are still open wounds out there. Unfortunately, those that feel this way are some of the most passionate supporters of the beautiful game.

Some continue to push today for a team that represents them, but some are tired. Tired of the endless politics that surround the attempts to build anything in this city. Some of the Soccer City supporters have even acquired, shall I say, hatred and remorse towards the shenanigans pulled by San Diego State representatives during those two years. I won’t go into detail because there are always two sides to every story. One thing remains true, there are some passionate soccer supporters who remain with feelings of hate toward the entire Soccer City experience.

Secondly, I would look at the lack of understanding for soccer supporter culture in the United States. Lack of understanding from many people who have the power to “buy” a club and run it like a total business. Unfortunately, we don’t have the history with this sport the way that Europe and other parts of the world do. Americans will forever be playing catch up if the identity of the sport remains “Business First, Supporters Second.”

We’ve been fortunate enough to gain an ownership group in San Diego Loyal that gets it. They are willing to listen, but I’m also afraid the business side of things takes over at times. Also, as an outsider, it feels like the conversations are shifting from, “ We’re gonna build a strong foundation first, then we will grow” to “We have to grow now.”

Warren Smith and Andrew Vassiliadis

I believe that shift is being caused by new groups of investors coming into our city and planning to stake a claim in the beautiful game. I don’t put the blame on our existing team and I can understand that for San Diego Loyal to survive, they need to compete against these new investors or work with them. Personally, I believe working with them is a much better option. There is such a fantastic supporter culture already in place that, if watered and nurtured, will be the most fruitful in our region. I can go on about this topic but let’s focus now on what I believe current and future investors need to be thinking about when coming into town. 

There needs to be buy-in. From the supporters and from the club. All parties need to have the same goals and be on the same page. Conversations amongst ownership and the existing passionate supporters need to be happening as soon as possible. Again, we have a team now that is working hard to make this happen and has included us in important conversations from the beginning, more of that. 

There needs to be patience. From the supporters and from the club. Everyone needs to understand that Rome was not built in a day and that without a solid foundation, the building will collapse under stress. The reason why many clubs have failed is because things are rushed and the foundation of the supporter/club relationship is not strong enough. 

There needs to be an understanding and respect for what this soccer town has already gone through. You cannot sweep the painful history under the rug and expect people to simply forget . This will not work. You have to be willing to acknowledge what happened and make decisions with that in mind. You need to know where you came from to know where you’re going. 

There needs to be collaboration. The existing club and any new possible clubs need to work together. This goes right back to respecting the past in order to grow the future. There needs to be that respect amongst the clubs. I’m all for a healthy competition, but we need a unified front in order to advance as a community.

San Diego is a city filled with passion. San Diego is a city filled with opportunities. This is only the beginning of the conversation and only one point of view from many. The key here will be to listen. We must be willing to open up our minds to different possibilities and different points of view. It is my hope that, regardless of what changes come to the San Diego soccer community, I will have a team that I can call my own. A team that represents me, my family, and my community.

USL, MLS, NWSL, MASL, NISA or whatever else. I will proudly lose my voice, beat drums and wave flags as long as I feel like the team represents San Diego. Respecting what came before, in order to move forward and grow together. Soccer Belongs Here.