Intramural field conditions falling behind

GCSU’s intramural fields are used five hours a day, four days a week. And that’s just the official game times. The constant use has left the fields checkered with holes, puddles and bare spots, and, according to at least one official, in need of an overhaul.

Bert Rosenberger, director of intramurals and recreation, has known the fields needed repair for years.

“We have one of the top-notch intramural programs in the state,” Rosenberger said. “Our weakness is our facilities.”

He noted that five years ago, intramurals were played off-campus at nearby Walter B. Williams Park, but now students can enjoy playing on their own fields which have been improved since then.

However, the current budget won’t allow for more upgrades.

“Our primary goal is to meet our programming needs, such as paying all of the refs for all of the games they officiate,” Rosenberger said. “In order to make a significant impact (on field conditions), it would take at least half our operating budget.”

Currently, intramural employees fill whatever holes they can with dirt and sand, mow the grass, and drag the infields for softball season. When the budget allows, the fields are also fertilized.

That only makes the fields playable, however.

“Overhauling the fields will take something that is much greater than a bunch of part-time college students can manage,” Rosenberger said. “We need to laser grade the infields and put the outfields on a more regular fertilization and aeration schedule.”

Laser grading an infield involves scraping all of the old dirt off, and replacing it with new dirt that drains much more effectively and plays smoother.

“Walter B. did that a couple of years ago, and it made a huge difference,” Rosenberger said. “If it rains, their fields might drain in 10 minutes, while we’re stuck with a lake out on our fields.”

In an article in Grounds Maintenance magazine, Tom Burns, the groundskeeper for Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers, wrote that soil composition is the most important element for field drainage; if the dirt becomes too compact, the infield will drain “at less than 1/10th an inch (of water) per hour.” The key is ensuring the dirt is made so water flows off the surface.

Kayla McCollam, vice-president of the Student Government Association, said she heard complaints all summer about the field conditions.

“Intramurals is the number one student organization in terms of student participation, so obviously there is a need here,” McCollam said. “So, SGA went to the intramural department and asked for a list of things that can be done to make the fields better.”

Rosenberger backed this up by mentioning that there are over 1,500 roster spots on flag football teams this year.

There’s just one catch that’s preventing any work – funding.

Rosenberger estimates each field would require $5,000 to $10,000 in work to get it in good condition, though he and the intramural staff are working on gathering figures to give to SGA.

McCollam said once they receive the list, SGA will meet to decide what they can give for funding, and where it will come from.

“Every year, we have money that is put into a reserve, for one-time funding needs such as replacing a computer, or for emergencies,” McCollam said. “But we’re in the middle of an economic recession, and so we can’t simply give a large amount of money at once.”

SGA President Zach Mullins discussed the possibility of a multi-year plan to address the problem. “The (current operational) policy we’re working with doesn’t prevent us from making multi-year decisions, but it’s never been done in the past,” Mullins said. “There’s nothing that says we can’t, but it’s a new concept.”

If a multi-year plan for renovating the intramural fields is approved, certain aspects could be opposed by incoming senators in future years, causing problems mid-way through the field upgrading process.

“The biggest concern is that every year, the Student Activities Budget Committee is a new board, comprised mainly of the executive staff members of SGA,” Mullins said. “Each year, there is some turnover with new staff members being voted in.”

Another possibility is a one-time student fee to fund the upgrades, but this is unlikely, according to McCollam.

“Any new student fee must be passing by resolution through SGA, then approved by University Senate and two committees … before being passed onto the Board of Regents for consideration,” she said.

Meanwhile, students continue to slug it out through the slop on the fields, hoping salvation from the mud will come soon. But already, the conditions have affected GCSU’s reputation statewide.

“We’re hosting the state intramural softball tournament this year,” Rosenberger said, “but because our fields aren’t up to state competition level, we’re hosting it at Walter B. (Williams) Park.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 18 2009. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry