Girsh Park has long been a staple for Goleta’s youth sports community, but a major upgrade is on the horizon — one that promises to reduce pollution, lower noise, and improve safety for thousands of local athletes. The Foundation for Girsh Park has officially launched its “Ditch the Diesel” fundraising campaign, aiming to raise $200,000 to install permanent, energy-efficient field lights by August 2025.
For over a decade, soccer players at the Girsh-Hochman Field have trained under the hum of diesel-powered construction lights. The temporary towers — six to eight units operating nearly every night of the week — consume more than 400 gallons of diesel fuel each year and produce significant noise, air pollution, and light spillover.
In contrast, Girsh’s Executive Director Ryan Harrington said, “The planned on-grid permanent LED system will be silent, emissions-free, and feature focused lighting that eliminates spillover into neighboring areas.”
The primary user is the Santa Barbara Soccer Club, which relies on the field for weekday training and low-cost recreational leagues. The improved infrastructure will benefit AYSO and the Central Coast Soccer League. “This project will support existing programs,” Harrington noted, “and the upgraded lighting will benefit all of our field users.”
After nearly eight years of navigating a complex permitting process, including multiple development plan amendments, the project is now in its final stage before construction. With the backing of the City of Goleta, construction is now scheduled to begin in August 2025. Harrington emphasized that “raising the remaining $100,000 by August is critical to staying on track.”
To support the campaign, a visible outreach sign will go up at the park this week. While renderings of the new lights are not yet available, Harrington said, “The new lights will be approximately 20 feet taller and feature significantly more focused lighting.”
Girsh Park, a nonprofit-run facility that operates through a public-private partnership, has served the community since 1999. Previous capital projects — including the Elings Fields expansion and the MarBorg Industries Fieldhouse — were also funded by grassroots community donations.
The Girsh foundation is encouraging residents and supporters to contribute however they can. “Raising these funds now is crucial,” Harrington noted, “efforts are underway to lock in pricing early to avoid impacts from inflation and tariffs.”
Those interested in donating or learning more can visit http://www.girshpark.org. With community support, the park hopes to ditch the diesel, ensuring that young athletes can kick off the fall season under a clearer, cleaner spotlight.
