Travel costs for sb now. Flight. Hotel. Car rental....

[_MIA_]

I don't get this. Is this the park that from google maps has 4 fields? A lot of schools restrict access to their fields, but public parks should be open to everyone when those with permits aren't using them. Do they rent the fields 24 hours a day? Does the town maintain and prep the field for them? There shouldn't be a problem with a parent wanting to practice with their kids, or their DD and a couple of her friends. As long as it isn't 7 or 8 of her friends wearing team gear, this doesn't make any sense to me.

Yes they have 4 softball fields and 6 or 7 baseball fields, Reaves park. I don't get it either. I called the league who put the signs up..they said something about having to start fixing the fields in the afternoon for night games (I believe the city maintains them). I said well I can go in the mornings, they said no you cannot do that. The park is utterly empty 3/4 of the time. Maybe whatever permit they have with the city gives them exclusive rights to it?? Not sure.

It is kind of sad, I started going there with my DD when she was 4 or 5 and my (now 8 YO) oldest son was a newborn sitting on the bench in his carrier... I was pretty bummed about it for a while.

 

[Gambler Bob]

In our town we have a lot of softball and baseball fields. I have never had an issue using the local fields when I practice with my kids. I have had times when I was practicing with the kids and a team shows up, I just pick up my stuff and leave when that happens. We can use the JV softball fields at the local high schools, the varsity fields are locked. There are also batting cages at both high schools that you are free to use.

 

[_MIA_]

In our town we have a lot of softball and baseball fields. I have never had an issue using the local fields when I practice with my kids. I have had times when I was practicing with the kids and a team shows up, I just pick up my stuff and leave when that happens. We can use the JV softball fields at the local high schools, the varsity fields are locked. There are also batting cages at both high schools that you are free to use.

Not here..and they wonder why Norman school ball stinks. I ended up getting a batting cage in my backyard..One time about 5 or 6 years ago I was actually using the HS softball field. It was unlocked and I didn't know any better since I used the HS fields when I grew up. Well they must have a camera or something because the then HS coach (she was fired) came zooming in with her car, ran onto the field and started yelling at us to get off..my then 7 or 8 year old was mortified..

 

[Westwind]

That’s another thing, in a lot of places good luck finding any actual softball field that doesn’t have a lock on it. We used to use the PUBLIC park across from Marita Hynes until the local rec league changed to being run by somebody other than the town. They put locks on the field and said they would call the cops if they caught anybody practicing on their own. I had to beg Marcela’s future HS coach to let us use her MS field and I don’t think he would have let us if he didn’t know who she was already. For now that is fine for my young sons but I have no idea what we will do when they move to a bigger diamond as the situation is just as bad for baseball. When I was growing up no public parks had locks on them.

I would start running that up the chain of command and complaining to every public official that would listen. Then I would start bugging the media. This is the kind of story a t.v. news station could make hay with.

Exclusive use of public facilities can become a real problem, if no one makes waves these people just keep doing it.

 

[_MIA_]

I would start running that up the chain of command and complaining to every public official that would listen. Then I would start bugging the media. This is the kind of story a t.v. news station could make hay with.

Exclusive use of public facilities can become a real problem, if no one makes waves these people just keep doing it.

I need somebody to handle the "talk calmly to the public official" part. You game?

 

[Westwind]

Nope. I gave a 15 minute power point to our school board exactly once. They politely ignored me, despite the reasonableness and logic of the information presented.

They did protect their phoney baloney jobs, I swear I heard the school board president complain "I didn't get a Harumph from that guy" when I was leaving.

 

[RADcatcher]

I would start running that up the chain of command and complaining to every public official that would listen.

When reading this
This is exactly what I thought would happen

Nope. I gave a 15 minute power point to our school board exactly once. They politely ignored me, despite the reasonableness and logic of the information presented.

With school campuses being fenced and locked. The standard practice of needing a permit for fields.
Combined with people that thrash facilities instead of take care of them before they leave. Forced action to kick people off when they randomly would show up to use fields.

It's pretty normal to not have an actual ball field available to go practice on... without a permit.

That said,
It didn't change me finding available public 'park space' to be able to utilize for softball training.
imo Lawn is fine for most uses of a player getting some individual work in.

This is probably unique, I started using this for about 15 years. Keeping it level and weed debris free. Even brought out rechargeable contractor lights when time changed.

 

[_MIA_]

Nope. I gave a 15 minute power point to our school board exactly once. They politely ignored me, despite the reasonableness and logic of the information presented.

They did protect their phoney baloney jobs, I swear I heard the school board president complain "I didn't get a Harumph from that guy" when I was leaving.

Not exactly a convincing argument for me to try and do it..

 

[_MIA_]

Lawn is fine for most uses of a kid player getting some individual work in.

Yeah..I do that already. We do drills at home..still would like to have a field to actually hit ground balls on dirt.

Was that your way of telling me to stop complaining?

 

[RADcatcher]

Yeah..I do that already. We do drills at home..still would like to have a field to actually hit ground balls on dirt.

L u v the dirt!
But No dirt wouldn't stop me from training!

Was that your way of telling me to stop complaining?

Lol no.
Here is this fun yet serious idea I have come up with.
'World kvetch day'
It's one day a year anybody that has a complaint...needing to cry, yell, cuss whatever it is, let it out one day a year. But the rest of the year...no kvetching