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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 29, 2006 Medford�s sports fields are overflowing with teams, including some unofficial ones like this group of teens who got together Monday at McLoughlin Middle School for a pickup game of football. Pictured are Keagan Elliott, center, trying to escape the grasp of Jason Oakes as he hands off the ball to a teammate. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven) Turf time in high demand City stays on the run scheduling fields for sports teams By Meg Landers Mail Tribune Hundreds of soccer, football and softball teams may be rivals on the field but the city of Medford is working to keep them from being rivals for the field. Sue McKenna, Medford Parks and Recreation supervisor, said with so many teams playing on a limited number of fields, tight scheduling is a must. "This way we get everybody organized," she said. "We don't have 20 teams showing up at the same time." The city parks department will hold a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. today at the Santo Community Center, 701 N. Columbus St., Medford to outline the usage of the school district and public fields for the fall season. From Fichtner-Mainwaring and Ruhl parks to North Medford High School and elementary school grounds, sports fields are maxed out in Medford. To ensure that players have a place to play, the parks department has organized scheduling in recent years, said McKenna. She said she hopes all teams that use school district and city fields will send a representative to the meeting. Advertisement "We know there's a flag football team that uses our fields, too," she said. "We want them to come to the meeting." Part of scheduling includes downtime for the grassy surfaces. "We have so many groups using the fields we're having a hard time getting maintenance done," she said, adding that sometimes fields take a beating. "It takes a while for the grass to grow back," she said. Mike Dunn, president of Rogue Valley Soccer Club, said five years ago there were 1,000 soccer players and now there are 2,300. "If we're growing, Little League has got to be growing, flag football has got to be growing," he said, adding that if the city's new sports park isn't completed in three or four years, there simply won't be enough fields to handle the demand. The city is considering a utility fee that would provide funding for police, fire and parks, with the parks money slated to be used to develop the multi-field sports park on the south end of the city. The proposal is still being discussed by the City Council. "Hopefully, the city and citizens will support it," Dunn said. Dunn credited the city with helping all the different sports teams understand the need to schedule fields and helping the various organizations work together. "Years ago in the past, whoever showed up first got to have it," he said. The Rogue Valley Soccer Club's director of coaching, Gary Osterhage, said soccer is feeling the pinch. He said scheduling is even tighter this year since Hawthorne Park's field was converted for use by baseball, and Abraham Lincoln Elementary School extended its baseball field, resulting in the loss of soccer scrimmage fields. "We want to be able to share with everybody else, but we have the greatest need," he said. "We're the fifth biggest (soccer) club in the entire state of Oregon." Brian Sjothun, parks and recreation director, said the scheduling is a proactive approach to making sure usage balances out with needed maintenance, and that the players all get to play. "There's just not enough fields for all the teams," he said. For more information, contact Sue McKenna at Medford Parks and Recreation, 774-2510. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews