2008 Woodie Awards
Intramural field construction leaves students worried
Jeff Jensen
Issue date: 9/5/08 Section: Sports
Last week marked the time when FSC students made their way back to Lakeland to begin the 2008-2009 school year with renewed excitement. Along with beginning their studies, the prospect of starting a new Intramural football season was also on the horizon. However, many students arrived at campus and gazed across the Hollis parking lot to find Callahan Field a tangled mess of dirt piles, grass patches, and concrete pipes.
"Callahan Field was chosen as the location for a new water retention pond in preparation for new school buildings to be built in the future." Intramural Coordinator Jason Asbury stated in an interview Thursday afternoon. "Whether this pond was built to accommodate the water for the new building along the lake is unknown, as is the total number of buildings the school is planning to build on the east side of campus, but the Intramural Department has made arrangements to start the season on time."
With the help of FSC Athletic Director Pete Meyer, the Intramural Department has made arrangements with the City of Lakeland to play the Intramural football games on Sundays at Dobbins Park, which is located just off South Florida Avenue on Ariana Street. The school will not, however, provide transportation to the park due to the fact that the games are on Sunday and there simply are not enough FSC Staff members to run a transportation system. "We encourage students to carpool to Dobbins Park or show up early to watch other games before you game is scheduled to take place." Asbury said.
Even with the arrangements made to play elsewhere this season, the decision to tear up the field still has some students scratching their heads. "It's a good thing if they're going to get us better turf to play on and get rid of the fire ants, but if not, then it's not an improvement at all." FSC Junior Brandon Venckus said. "They need to get rid of the pot holes and replace the turf totally to make the field better to play on."
The idea that the football games could be played on Barnett Field, where the FSC men's and women's soccer team and the new men's lacrosse team will play, was never really an option. Field line issues between lacrosse, soccer, and football would be too confusing along with the wear and tear of three sports on one field would interfere with the performance of sports that count for something within the NCAA Division II.
As the Intramural season rapidly approaches, all the students of FSC can do is keep an eye on Callahan Field and hope the number of pipes decreases and the field regains a familiar form.
"Callahan Field was chosen as the location for a new water retention pond in preparation for new school buildings to be built in the future." Intramural Coordinator Jason Asbury stated in an interview Thursday afternoon. "Whether this pond was built to accommodate the water for the new building along the lake is unknown, as is the total number of buildings the school is planning to build on the east side of campus, but the Intramural Department has made arrangements to start the season on time."
With the help of FSC Athletic Director Pete Meyer, the Intramural Department has made arrangements with the City of Lakeland to play the Intramural football games on Sundays at Dobbins Park, which is located just off South Florida Avenue on Ariana Street. The school will not, however, provide transportation to the park due to the fact that the games are on Sunday and there simply are not enough FSC Staff members to run a transportation system. "We encourage students to carpool to Dobbins Park or show up early to watch other games before you game is scheduled to take place." Asbury said.
Even with the arrangements made to play elsewhere this season, the decision to tear up the field still has some students scratching their heads. "It's a good thing if they're going to get us better turf to play on and get rid of the fire ants, but if not, then it's not an improvement at all." FSC Junior Brandon Venckus said. "They need to get rid of the pot holes and replace the turf totally to make the field better to play on."
The idea that the football games could be played on Barnett Field, where the FSC men's and women's soccer team and the new men's lacrosse team will play, was never really an option. Field line issues between lacrosse, soccer, and football would be too confusing along with the wear and tear of three sports on one field would interfere with the performance of sports that count for something within the NCAA Division II.
As the Intramural season rapidly approaches, all the students of FSC can do is keep an eye on Callahan Field and hope the number of pipes decreases and the field regains a familiar form.
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