Town Roots

What are some of your favorite things to do in Oakland?

I’m into trail running and mountain biking, so I love going to Joaquin Miller Park and hanging there. I love walking around Lake Merritt and walking along the estuary [in Jack London Square].

Soul Power

A new women’s team calls Oakland home.

In spring 2023, the Oakland Roots will introduce its first women’s club, Oakland Soul. Part of the USL W League, the pre-professional team is the culmination of several years of community engagement, from Oakland residents voting for the team’s name to recruiting local soccer players. With a focus on becoming an elite pathway for women aspiring to join the pros, Oakland Soul seeks to develop and empower players for a career in soccer and beyond.

The Oakland Roots SC are a force on and off the soccer pitch.

BY CASEY CANTRELL

Rappers like Mistah F.A.B. and Murs open their matches. Diehard fans sell out every home game. NBA superstar Damian Lillard wore their swag before a playoff game. Hiphop artist G-Eazy and ex-NFL running back Marshawn Lynch (both are Oakland natives) joined the ownership group in the last two years.

put Oakland first — the families, businesses, the OGs, and the youngins — and that alone will continue to set us apart.” interview with USLChampionship.com. “We are always doing our best to put Oakland first — the families, businesses, the OGs, and the youngins — and that alone will continue to set us apart.”

Not bad for a soccer club that didn’t exist before 2018.

Part of the United Soccer League (USL) Championship, the Oakland Roots SC are unlike any pro soccer organization you’ve seen, with premier talent on the field that’s matched by the club’s commitment to social good — a fact that has resonated with the broader Oakland community.

–Marshawn Lynch, part owner of Oakland Roots SC

“Whenever you sincerely and wholeheartedly tap in with the community, good things are going to happen,” said Lynch in a 2022

And set themselves apart they have. The Oakland Roots were the first U.S. soccer team to join Common Goal, a movement where participating players, coaches, and teams pledge at least 1% of their salaries and revenue to high-impact community organizations. The club launched Nurtured Roots, a development program that prepares athletes for life on and off the field, and the Justice Fund, a grants program advancing racial and gender equality. They support local youth sports organizations, sponsor a variety of sustainability efforts, and advocate for the education and preservation of local indigenous cultures.

And none of it is empty talk.

“There’s no sunlight between the things that we say and the things that we do,” says Lindsay Barenz, president of the Roots. “We put full effort toward being authentic and consistent. If we say we’re going to do something, we do it. That’s the magic of Oakland.”