The Longfellow Fields project seeks to address the lack of soccer fields in Oakland, proposed by local residents Paulo Esperon and Lauren Silverman. Collaborating with the Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club, the plan includes community soccer fields that aim to create safe spaces for youth. Cofounder Edreece Arghandiwal emphasizes the project's role in community care and social transformation. The initiative reflects a deeper cultural significance, aiming to enhance community ties around soccer and a shared identity, supported by local ownership of the sports club.
The project was conceived last year when Paulo Esperon and Lauren Silverman, longtime Oakland residents, saw a stark absence of soccer fields in the area.
They reached out and said, 'Hey, there's this little lot that's adjacent to this building, and it's pretty level. We think we can convert it to a mini soccer field.'
This vision lives on in everything from the ownership structure of the Roots and Soul - fans in the community own shares of the organization.
Itâs part of the incoming Longfellow Fields project, a pair of community soccer fields set to open later this year at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 39th Street.
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