Reserving Outdoor Fields

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Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
We got into this conversation Easter.

Can you reserve outside fields?

HSs around here will chase you off regardless but MSs do not seem to care, we have never been chased off anyways unless the school needed it.

Unless the field in newly lined it is up for grabs, first come 1st served. They can use it for soccer, baseball, one on one practice, whatever. Whoever there is first owns the field.

Is that how it works by you?
 
Oct 5, 2017
214
43
Western Indiana
If you contact the school their fields should be open for use. If they refuse simply remind them that, unless it is a private school, those fields are paid for and maintained by tax payer dollars. So unless you are destructive they should not be able to keep you off. I would always try to ask first.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Only think I can think about HS is they are being jerks or worried about insurance, field will be no worse for wear when any of our Teams are done or we would want to hear about it.
 
Feb 7, 2016
117
28
Our county has an online system that we use to reserve fields. This was purely a revenue stream for them. Non profits could reserve it for $7 an hour with a 2 hour minimum. Reservations had to be made 30 days in advance. It was a pain in the a$$, but it also helped ensure we had a field reserved for us when we wanted/needed it. We had to use our reservation a couple of times to pull others off who were using the field without a reservation.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
In our area, who owns the field will mandate what hoops have to be jumped through (insurance, fees, etc.). Open fields at City-owned parks are generally up for grabs if not already reserved, but any kind of organized team event will require at least proof of insurance. Some cities give field preference to teams that have a majority of players from that city.

My DD's team has a HS field reserved for a specific time-slot for the rest of the calendar year. This required completing an application with the District, along with fees, and insurance. Any HS team events will take precedence.
 

JohnnyO

Began this habit in 1980
May 13, 2015
270
18
Midwest
our three HS fields are fenced in and our Association has the rights to use 2 of them all summer. Baseball uses the other. we just need to let baseball know if we need all three for a tourney or such. City fields we need to reserve with city. The other privately owned field is 100% ours.
 
Feb 18, 2014
348
28
If you contact the school their fields should be open for use. If they refuse simply remind them that, unless it is a private school, those fields are paid for and maintained by tax payer dollars. So unless you are destructive they should not be able to keep you off. I would always try to ask first.
The gym and the rest of the building is also paid for with tax payer dollars and they are inaccessible.

The schools around here that have fenced fields, they are off limits, we have even been asked to leave open fields. Both for liability reasons and they want to keep the maintained fields in good shape.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
Nov 25, 2015
77
6
The Frozen Tundra
In our area HS fields are off limits during season. Once season is over can be used but I believe a small fee for upkeep is charged. City fields are first come unless booked for leagues which is almost every night during week from 5 to dark.
 
Apr 24, 2017
203
28
Georgia
All of the fields around us must be reserved and paid for before use, and no teams are allowed to use the public school fields (at all! Of course, I have seen exceptions made BUT they can't wear any team logos). No middle schools have fields around here, only high schools. Our county park fields are not available for use without payment and reservations. They stay locked. So we pay to use a former high school field in our area. There are a few fields around that stay unlocked and individuals can go use, these are typically first come, first served.
 

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