Infrastructure Changes Everything
For many students, the schoolyard is their most accessible place to play. When it’s mostly asphalt, the space can limit how they move, play, and connect.
At Playing for Keeps, we see access to play as an infrastructure issue. In many urban neighborhoods, children may not have a backyard or a nearby park. Their schoolyard is where they run, play soccer, and spend time with friends.
A grass field can be difficult to maintain under the heavy daily use of a public school. At Monroe Elementary, for example, about 500 students share one playground each day. The practical choice for schools like this can be asphalt or a durable play surface, not grass or turf.
The Partnership
We’re working with America SCORES Bay Area, SFUSD, school communities, and other partners to bring 14 new fields to San Francisco. We approach this work by looking at what each play space needs to support: safety, durability, environmental responsibility, affordability, access, and more opportunities to play.
That means considering the real conditions on the ground, including how many students use a space and how often. America SCORES reports that its newer fields use a system with cushioning engineered into the turf fibers, rather than loose crumb-rubber infill. The school’s design can also be integrated into the field surface.
A field is one part of the work. We also partner with America SCORES because its soccer, poetry, and service-learning programs give young people ways to play, express themselves, and contribute to their communities.
What This Partnership Reinforces
- Where a child can play affects whether they can take part.
- Field decisions need to reflect how school communities actually use their outdoor spaces.
- Play spaces have more lasting impact when they’re connected to youth programs and community partners.
“How safe is it? How durable? How environmentally responsible is it? How affordable is it? How much access does it create?”
Colin Schmidt, America SCORES Bay Area
The Outcome
Six San Francisco Unified schools opened new turf fields for the 2026–27 school year: Monroe Elementary, Malcolm X Elementary, Willie Brown Middle School, Sherman Elementary, Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, and New Traditions Elementary. Three are in communities America SCORES identifies as historically underserved and in need of more green space.
We’re working toward 14 fields in total. As more fields open, more students will have welcoming places for daily play, school sports, and connection. Through our partnership with America SCORES, we’re helping create spaces that can support young people well beyond a field opening or a major soccer event.
"A safe place to play is not a luxury amenity. It is a promise we make to the next generation."
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