So, you've started a new program in town...the schedule is set...the kids are ready to go! Whoops, you need to deal with one last item. Where are you going to play your games? Where are you going to practice? And if you are like our town (South Windsor CT)...while it might be the last thing you need wrap up...it is certainly not the easiest. In fact...it is very much the most difficult. My question is WHY?
It's no secret that towns are cash strapped. Stressed budgets mean less monies for new fields. Less money for fields maintenance. Less monies for "extracurricular" activities (although I would suggest that youth sports are not "extracurricular" at all). That's the bad news. The GOOD news is that those of you struggling for field time have a wonderful opportunity to force the town to rethink the way they assign fields to teams. Most towns can not afford to keep constructing new fields for youth sports. SO they NEED to re-think the way they hand them out in the first place! They need to re-think what they believe is their traditional "obligation" to hand out fields to "traditional" sports programs with insatiable appetites. Insatiable appetites that ultimately affect the growth of new "startup" and "non-traditional" programs.
Does your town have a written field policy (i.e. how they assign fields) or are you at the mercy of the individual who hands them out? Do "in-season" sports in your town get first priority to fields or do "two season sports" organizations get the same access to fields as the primary season sport? How does your town accommodate female sports (yes, Title IX)?
If you don't know the answers to these questions...ASK! If you don't get definitive answers then REQUIRE your town to get you answers! Because while it's great that you have taken the time to create a new program that is great for the kids...you still need a place to run that program! And if your town and other "multi season" sports programs are restricting your access to quality fields (or just plain making it a painful process), then you have reduced the possibility of success for your new program.
Can this be a painful process? You bet it can! But the pain you incur today will benefit the growth of your program and the kids that you want to help for years to come. Painful, yes. But it's worth it because It's About the Kids!
Keep smiling!
Mark
