Turf v grass practices for team

[Anonymous]

That big complex in Clifton- Kincheloe- is a pain to get to with evening traffic and the train that comes through Clifton. My kids used to play there years ago with VISTA but unless you live in historic Clifton it’s not convenient for people. SYA and VISTA shared the fields back then. I don’t know who plays there now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ds's rec team is scheduled for one garbage practice on a grass field with no goals (it is frequently canceled due to weather) and one weekly practice on turf. The coach can't do much with the grass field.

If your team isn't getting one practice a week on turf I would complain for sure. Tell them you want a refund at the end of the season for all the canceled practices.

I blame our org for prioritizing multiple travel practices on turf per week for little kid travel teams. High school kids are too fast and big for these pitted, rutty fields.

No rec team needs to practice on turf. Come on. You are paying $150 a season to show up and kid around with your friends.

[Anonymous]

Turf is nasty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ds's rec team is scheduled for one garbage practice on a grass field with no goals (it is frequently canceled due to weather) and one weekly practice on turf. The coach can't do much with the grass field.

If your team isn't getting one practice a week on turf I would complain for sure. Tell them you want a refund at the end of the season for all the canceled practices.

I blame our org for prioritizing multiple travel practices on turf per week for little kid travel teams. High school kids are too fast and big for these pitted, rutty fields.

This is exactly why we left LS this spring. Something with the scheduling changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That big complex in Clifton- Kincheloe- is a pain to get to with evening traffic and the train that comes through Clifton. My kids used to play there years ago with VISTA but unless you live in historic Clifton it’s not convenient for people. SYA and VISTA shared the fields back then. I don’t know who plays there now.

No one plays there. My inlaws live out there and everytime we go by its completely empty.

[Anonymous]

Maybe someone should tell that St James guy that is always getting dragged for not having fields about them.

[Anonymous]

Its crazy to have an entire field complex no one ever uses. I'm looking at the satellite view and its huge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its crazy to have an entire field complex no one ever uses. I'm looking at the satellite view and its huge.

There are PLENTY of grass soccer fields going unused in Fairfax and Loudoun. The travel clubs don't want to use them and decline grass permits. Also, many of them are in less populated areas like Clifton because that's where there was space to put in grass fields, then no one lives close by and wants to practice there. There's no shortage of field space, there's a shortage of turf fields and conveniently-located, well maintained grass fields with soccer goals.

[Anonymous]

How important is ensuring practice for kids?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/03/12/artificial-turf-pfas-chemicals/

[Anonymous]

I'm old school. I much prefer grass, and there are some good grass fields to be found. As far as I know though, there are not many (or any?) lit grass fields in Fairfax County. I can deal with a night off when the fields are wet, but in the fall no lights makes them useless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are not enough turf fields. Period. Even older kids at bigger clubs like Bethesda are ending up on grass at times. It is definitely a problem when competing with clubs like Coppermine or MD United that have their own turf complexes.

Bethesda not having their own complex is puzzling

Puzzling? Can you imagine the astronomical price to build a soccer complex anywhere near Bethesda would be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are not enough turf fields. Period. Even older kids at bigger clubs like Bethesda are ending up on grass at times. It is definitely a problem when competing with clubs like Coppermine or MD United that have their own turf complexes.

Bethesda not having their own complex is puzzling

Puzzling? Can you imagine the astronomical price to build a soccer complex anywhere near Bethesda would be?

Seriously. I have never been less puzzled by a fact.

[Anonymous]

Building a complex anywhere around here would be wildly expensive. Even if you somehow have the land, a turf field costs about $800,000- $1,000,000 to install. Most clubs use county fields and don't begin to own property where they could build a complex, and buying acres of space would cost a club a fortune if there was anywhere with vacant space left anyway.