Four years ago, the turf field was installed in the school’s stadium. During the spring season the boys’, and girls’ lacrosse teams, along with the track and field team fight for the right to use the turf.
Bethesda Soccer donated money for the turf field on the condition that they would be able to use it. This has brought a conflict among the sports teams here as Bethesda Soccer takes an ample amount of time on the field after school and on the weekends.
The boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams must fit their practices into a small four to five hour window in order to use the field. “I think it’s unfair how we don’t have priority on the field even though it is on school property. We shouldn’t be kicked off the field for a private company, not affiliated with the school,” sophomore Haley Parsons said.
The time blocked off for Bethesda Soccer is usually between 7 p.m to 10:30 p.m on the weekdays, and on the weekend between 2 to 7 p.m. These times take up the majority of prime field hours, taking away from school sports. Athletes don’t have time to go to class. “I do like how our practices can’t extend for as long as the coaches want, providing stability in our schedules for homework,” sophomore Matthew Amobi said.
While Bethesda Soccer did fund a large part of the turf field, it shouldn’t mean they have priority over the school’s sports teams. This is the case though, allowing them to have equal the amount of after school hours, even though it is sometimes one or two less teams using the field.
The school’s teams should have priority for the field time, while Bethesda can work their times in around us. It would make scheduling much easier for all the sports teams including track, whose meets take place when the field is vacant. The scheduling conundrum keeps them from being able to practice all of the “field” activities.
The field should be open for school athletic teams, then after the field should have a schedule not filled by one organization, but multiple. On the weekend, the field’s availability is tight, not allowing for athletic teams from the school to have practice at a reasonable time. “I wake up on Saturdays earlier than I do for school, because our practice time is when the turf is open,” senior Will Quam said.

Matt Kelly

Staff Writer