A historic moment for Malibu’s families

By By Haylynn Conrad, Malibu City Councilmember  · Wed Oct 14 2026

We must celebrate this moment in Malibu’s history. The City Council’s vote to move forward with two regulation-size soccer fields at the Ioki lot, also known as the Chili Cook-Off site, is something families have waited years for, and I am proud that the council approved this step for our community. For years, I have heard that Malibu is losing families to communities over the hill. Affordability is part of it, but so is what we offer families once they live here. We have the ocean, beautiful beaches, and incredible hikes. But families also need places where their children can practice, play, swim, and spend time together after school. They see what communities over the hill offer through places like the Yarrow Family YMCA and the Calabasas Community Center, and they wonder why Malibu cannot offer more opportunities like those close to home.

We have to start building for the future. We need to give families reasons to stay and our children the space and support to grow here. These two soccer fields are a meaningful step toward that future, and for me, this moment is deeply personal. I volunteered with AYSO for seven years, including serving on the board, working as an assistant coach, team mom, and team organizer. I even tried being a referee, which was a disaster and gave me even more respect for the parents who take on that job.

I also helped organize practices for different teams. Accommodating everyone with the space we had was nearly impossible. Soccer kids practiced on a dirt baseball outfield because there was nowhere else to put them. That is no substitute for a proper soccer field, and allowing it to continue for so many years was a failure to provide what our children needed.

I saw firsthand how hard our volunteers worked and how much our kids loved playing. I also saw how the lack of regulation-size fields and practice space held them back.

As kids get older and move into higher levels of soccer, they need room to run a full field. They need to build stamina, learn positioning, and understand how to work together across that space. We cannot expect them to compete with teams from Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, and Newbury Park if they have not had enough room to prepare. They should not be winded because a full field is something they rarely get to practice on.

We spent countless hours driving over the hill and using other communities’ fields. I remember being asked why we never invited their teams to Malibu. The answer was frustrating: We did not have enough field space to return the invitation.

We used Conejo Creek because it had regulation-size fields and lights, allowing kids to practice after school into the evening. That experience should guide how we plan our own facilities. They need to work for children getting out of school and parents finishing their workday.

We are Malibu. We should be setting our kids up for success.

That same thinking belongs in conversations about swimming facilities and Malibu High. As we discuss pool dimensions, including 40 meters versus 50 meters, we need to ask what will best support our swimmers’ training and competition. We should plan facilities around what our children will need as they grow.

There was also extensive community outreach throughout this process. As members of the ad hoc committee, Marianne Riggans and I met approximately five times to discuss the project and its progress. We also attended all of the community outreach meetings, as well as the three commission meetings. Because each commission held a separate meeting before the joint meeting, those represented three commission meetings in total. Many of these meetings were recorded and are available online. There was plenty of opportunity for public input, discussion, and community participation. There was a survey done and extended outreach.

But anyone who has been part of AYSO knows that winning is only one piece of this.

Sports give kids an outlet. They get them outside, off their phones and working toward something together. They learn to show up, listen, handle disappointment and support a teammate. They build confidence and friendships that can last long after the season ends.

AYSO also brings Malibu parents together beyond any one school. Families from different neighborhoods and schools end up on the same team. Parents coach and stand on the sidelines together, getting to know one another. After the game, everyone heads out for ice cream or pizza.

Those moments help make a community feel like home.

And where do those families go when the games are over the hill? They celebrate at shops and restaurants over the hill.

Imagine welcoming visiting teams here. Both teams and their families could stay for frozen yogurt, have a meal at Ollo, grab pizza or walk around Legacy Park. Our children could play in their hometown, and local businesses could be part of those afternoons.

To every parent who has worked full time and still taken a board position, organized a team, coached practices, refereed games or given up weekends to keep youth sports going, my hat is off to you. I know how much work it takes. You have carried these programs for years, and you deserve a city that helps provide the space to do it.

Government is a team effort. Without parents pushing for change, this council listening, staff working to move the project forward, and our children’s needs guiding the conversation, we could not get this done. That is why it is so important to make your concerns and requests known. When residents speak up, participate and continue advocating for their families, government has a better chance of responding to what the community truly needs.

This decision follows years of parents, volunteers, and community members asking Malibu to make room for our kids. I am grateful to everyone who kept pushing, to the staff moving this work forward, and to my fellow councilmembers for taking this step together.

When I ran for council, I said soccer fields would be a priority. To be here now, moving forward with two regulation-size fields, means a great deal.

There is still work ahead before our children can step onto those fields. I intend to keep pushing to get us there.

To Malibu’s parents, your voices matter. Government can show up for you and your family, but it starts with residents making their concerns and requests known. We are working diligently to make Malibu a better place to live, raise children, and spend time together.

This moment deserves a toast to our council, our staff, our volunteers, and every family who helped bring us here. I cannot wait for the day we can say to another team, “This time, come play in Malibu.”

Disclaimer: These views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Malibu City Council or its other members.