City taking a proactive stance to keep soccer fields nice during off-season
By Karen Skubik
December 18, 2015
641
Even with record-breaking warm weather to start the month of December, the signs posted at the Wooster Soccer Complex are quite clear: Soccer Fields Closed.
And, when $20,000 to $25,000 is spent annually by the City of Wooster to maintain the collection of soccer fields at the intersection of Burbank and Oldman Roads, the signs need to be respected.
Jeff Battig, recreation manager for the City of Wooster, helped to put the usage of the Wayne County-owned fields in perspective: 50 high school teams coming from five or six counties played at the soccer complex all summer, while on average in the fall and spring we have 2,000 players per week using the fields, he said.
The city has leased the fields from the county since the early 1980s, and Battig also contracts out the field maintenance with Chad Williams at Five Star Lawn Care. Williams listed some of the services he performs including fertilizing, rolling, over-seeding and aerating.
We typically install sod at the end of the year, especially in the goal area. Play starts before the growing season begins, so the only real option (to establish the grass) is to put sod down, Williams said.
The sod costs $5,000 to $10,000 per year.
We put down sod in the high traffic areas, Battig said. Wed hate to see the work go for nothing.
For the first time, they decided to be proactive and place several signs at the ends of the soccer complex letting the public know they should not play on the fields this time of year.
Its bad to play on the grass, especially when we get a hard frost, Williams said. It stresses the plants. Its not a tough surface and is easy to tear up with cleats when its not the growing season.
James Fox, president of the Wooster Soccer Association said, We have some of the nicest fields in the area because we pay close attention to the conditions.
A range of users of various ages and ability levels utilize the soccer fields with many of the teams traveling throughout the state and playing on fields that vary in quality.
The mounts (around the goals) are the hardest area to maintain, Fox said. He explained it is always a battle to get that area going, especially after a rainy spring like the region experienced this past year.
Although significant funds go into maintaining the quality of the fields, the influx of visitors from outside Wooster makes an impressive impact on the local economy. Battig said the state tourism boards formula calculates that each year players and their families spend about $1.5 million in Wooster on eating and shopping even though the main purpose of their visit is all about soccer.
The fields will be open again around March 30 or April 1 when well take down the signs and put up the nets. Battig said.
Wooster Parks and Recreation will once again welcome teams of all ages from kindergarten to the young at heart to battle for control of soccer balls on a well-maintained pitch.
