Field Conditions and Management

by **frank234** on Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:31 pm

I have a meeting this week scheduled with our school's rec sports department because of certain issues that we've been having with the maintenance of our field. I would like to know how other teams have been proactive in assuring the quality and safety home field conditions.

Also, in an attempt at a more long term solution for our situation it would be nice to see some of the practice and game fields that other clubs are calling home. If anyone has any pictures of their fields those would be extremely useful to our cause.

**Sponsor**

by **primetime21** on Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:55 pm

what fields do you use? are they on school or offsite fields? a number of the pncll schools now contract out to local schools with field turf, PLU uses pierce county parks and we actually have two home fields, so when one gets tore up we have another one to use. not sure what to tell you other than possibly looking for a field turf field to play on.

by **frank234** on Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:02 pm

We play on campus on a natural grass field with fairly good drainage. We have an interesting situation with our field in that it is a campus rec field, but because it was donate by one of our club's benefactors so we are the primary users. Unfortunately it has fallen into disrepair at the hands of rec soccer and ultimate players.

by **LaxRef** on Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:35 pm

frank234 wrote:We play on campus on a natural grass field with fairly good drainage. We have an interesting situation with our field in that it is a campus rec field, but because it was donate by one of our club's benefactors so we are the primary users. Unfortunately it has fallen into disrepair at the hands of rec soccer and ultimate players.

Ultimate is a great game, but, man, is it hard on fields. You've got 7 people on each team making continual cuts for the whole game, wearing 1/2 inch cleats, and they play in the rain.

Lacrosse has its spots (crease, face-off area) that get torn up, but it's nowhere near as bad as Ultimate. Someone I know has the idea of making, say, a 10-foot x 10-foot Field Turf square to place at center for face-offs on natural grass so it wouldn't rip up the center. Good idea, although players might trip on the lip it would create.

by **Matt_Gardiner** on Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:22 am

The 10 x 10 is a good idea, but more than players tripping on the lip it would create, they would trip because of the difference in the surfaces. Depending on the turf and the installation crew, the FieldTurf field section could be softer or harder that the surrounding grass. Having the ground under your feet changing properties would be the biggest tripping hazard.