For the past eight years, I’ve been playing soccer at North Park in Alpharetta, GA with my friends and family. Whenever my father was in town, we had a tradition: we’d go to North Park and shoot around. Those simple moments on the field were some of our happiest, and I know countless other families have similar memories tied to this park.

Recently, however, North Park has begun locking up the soccer goals and pushing the use of the fields into a paid rental system. As a taxpayer in this city, this decision is not only disappointing—it feels like a direct neglect of community values. These are public facilities funded by our tax dollars, meant to be freely accessible spaces that promote health, joy, and connection. By restricting access, the city is closing more than just metal frames and nets; it’s closing off a vibrant space for physical activity, community bonding, and youth development.

By forcing the rental of public fields, the city is effectively creating a pay-to-play market in which expensive rental fees are priced into the game. This undermines the free, organic soccer culture that helps players of all ages and backgrounds fall in love with the sport. Having played myself for competitive clubs like Ambush, I’ve seen firsthand how high fees often far outweigh the value provided. 

This isn’t just about weekend fun; it’s about access and opportunity. When public grounds specifically designed for sports become financially gated, young and adolescent players—especially those without the means to join expensive “competitive” leagues—are automatically priced out of the beautiful game. It may sound ambitious to connect this to the future of our national team, but every national program starts local. If kids can’t freely play on public fields, the pipeline of talent and passion is cut off at the root.

People come from Alpharetta, Milton, and Johns Creek—communities that all reside within Fulton County and all contribute to the same tax base that funds these parks. To restrict or target any pickup games under the guise of jurisdiction or city boundaries feels less like policy and more like arbitrary gatekeeping of who is “allowed” to play and develop.

On top of this, the field lights at North Park are extremely inconsistent. There are many evenings when we arrive ready to play—after work, after school—only to find the lights off or shut down without clear schedule or communication. This makes it impossible to plan regular games and further restricts the already limited time we can use the fields our taxes fund. Why does a public park, paid for and maintained by its own constituents, have so many barriers in place that prevent people from simply playing the sport they love?

In recent months, interactions with park representatives have left many of us feeling singled out rather than supported, as though our presence and our efforts to build a healthy community are a problem to be managed instead of an asset to be celebrated. As a result, we are formally petitioning the City of Alpharetta and its representatives to:

Unlock the soccer goals at North Park and restore open, free access for the public

End any unfair targeting or obstruction of our pickup games and similar community-led activities

Reaffirm that public parks in Alpharetta exist first and foremost to serve the people who fund and use them

North Park should be a welcoming, inclusive environment that prioritizes the well-being and development of its residents, especially its youth.

Sign this petition to send a clear message:
 Public parks serve the people. Our community deserves open access to its fields, its goals, and its future.