Conservancy: Soccer turf war in Cadman Plaza Park has gone too far

Adult "hosts" rake in money and kick families off public field

November 26, 2024 Mary Frost

An adult soccer team at Cadman Plaza Park this past Saturday morning. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

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DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Adult Saturday soccer leagues have been fighting a turf war on the public field in Cadman Plaza Park — pushing families and kids to the far edges and even completely off the turf, the Cadman Park Conservancy said.

It was bad enough with just one soccer game during prime time on Saturdays — but recently, two different adult leagues have been showing up at the same time and squabbling over the field. Last Saturday they took over every inch of the turf and kicked the kids off.

Making matters worse, the soccer players pay an outside organizer to join a pickup game on what is supposed to be a free field. Many pay $7 a game through a Meetup group called SoccerMates. (Competing organizers charge players as much as $15 a game.) The Meetup “host” makes more than $100 a game — but the field is essentially closed to the public, and the Parks Department doesn’t get a penny.

Kids play baseball on Cadman Plaza Park’s artificial turf. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

Parents have complained to the Cadman Park Conservancy and to the Brooklyn Heights Association, and now the Conservancy says enough is enough.

“For years, Cadman has had a regular early morning Sunday soccer game, and still shares the field with no incident,” Doreen Gallo, president of the Conservancy, told the Brooklyn Eagle. “When the park gets busier they’re already done with their game.

“But the Saturday competing leagues pay for play, with the organizers keeping the fees for using our public park, and they play at 1 p.m., right in the middle of the afternoon,” Gallo said.

“Recently, separate leagues are fighting with each other for the field, forcing children to leave the park. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated moving forward,” Gallo added. “They can reserve space and pay for scheduled time in the private Brooklyn Bridge Park.”

Children play at the southern end of the field at Cadman Plaza Park, while adult soccer players can be seen in the background at the northern end. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

Signs going up soon

To help balance the needs of different park users, the Brooklyn Parks and Recreation Department will be putting up new signs to define “passive and active sports areas” while soccer games are in progress, the Conservancy said in a release. These signs will be installed in the next couple of weeks.

To get the ball rolling, the Conservancy met with the Parks supervisor who oversees Cadman Plaza Park on weekends. “He will be monitoring the field this weekend to ensure it remains a welcoming space for everyone,” the group said.

The Conservancy, with $750,000 funding from Councilmember Lincoln Restler, played an active role in installing the new turf last year.

Soccer players in action at Cadman Plaza Park on Saturday morning. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

It’s not the first time questions were raised about sharing the turf field. The fur flew in a brouhaha involving allowing dogs to romp there soon after it opened.

One dog owner was even detained briefly by Parks Police in a high moment of drama.

The scene on the turf field at Cadman Plaza Park. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

This past weekend, despite the numerous signs forbidding dogs on the turf, the Eagle observed a soccer team member bring his off-leash dog onto the field while he had a discussion with other players.

The dog was better behaved than a human adult soccer player, however, who — during a game — relieved himself on a tree next to the field in full sight.