Frustration over this scenario recently drove coaches, parents and athletes to make another push for a quality soccer field in town. Over the past two months, many from the soccer community have put pressure on the planning commission to not approve a project unless the developer agrees to donate two acres for a soccer field. It has yet to be determined whether this will happen, though the senior vice president of the development company has pledged his commitment to helping the town find a field.

While the community waits, soccer coach Mike Karr has taken actions of his own. In early November, Karr signed a lease for use of a field and classroom at a school in San Jose.

"More kids can play now, but they won't be playing in Los Gatos," Karr said, adding that he would prefer to base his club out of Los Gatos. The club produces competitive players while stressing the importance of academics, Karr said. His club requires athletes to submit report cards for review and offers tutoring.

Karr, board chairman of Soccer Club of Los Gatos, scoured the town for several years in search of space for his club. He believes that if the town chose to, it could identify spaces for new fields.

"Obviously you've got to be creative, but if you want a field for your town, you can do it," he said, adding that he knew of fields existing on building rooftops in New York.

Until now, his teams played at Fisher Middle School and Blossom Hill School, where the fields are smaller than they should be, Karr said.

"You cannot dribble your ball in a straight line without [hitting] a hole," he said. "Our fields could be nice if they weren't so overused."

In addition to the number of soccer teams that share the fields, the problem of overused fields is compounded by the fact that other athletes, such as baseball players, use the fields, said Harley Crock, supervisor of Los Gatos­Saratoga Community Education and Recreation.

"With the number of kids participating in sports, there's a critical shortage of field space," Crock said. As a result of the poor playing conditions, the more serious athletes leave town to play for the De Anza, Santa Clara or West Valley leagues.

Leslie Finch, whose 10-year-old son plays soccer at Blossom Hill School, said few teams in the area practice twice a week because there aren't enough fields to accommodate everyone.

"It's hard to get a lot of practice time," she said.

When teams do practice, they often get only part of a field, as there are usually four or five teams sharing the fields at once, she said.

Ed San Juan, president of the Los Gatos United Soccer League, said the lack of quality soccer fields in town has been an "embarrassment" for years.

"We're keenly aware of what we don't have," he said.

Today, the town can essentially hold out on approving Sobrato Development Companies' new plans to build office and residential space on 12-plus acres while asking Sobrato to use its influence to help the town find space for a field.

San Juan, who had asked the soccer community to speak out about the need for a field, said he only wished to raise awareness about the problem. "None of this was meant to make us political. We're just trying to make people aware. We're community folks," he said.