Field space is tight in Summit, but it’s not as dire as the Department of Community Programs Field Study makes it seem. Going line by line on the “needs” outlined:
- Softball. The report says that softball can’t host home games during the Fall (which is off season).
Notes: While this isn’t ideal, it isn’t a hard need. They have sufficient field space and can host games in season. They also have space for practice out of season. Year round softball could also be accommodated by lighting the baseball fields at memorial. - Field Hockey. The report says the program needs to expand to 7th and 8th grade. There’s also a clinic that overlaps with games
Notes: This program is running in the Spring 2025 without stadium lights. - Lacrosse. Younger grades have practices cut short early in the season. 3rd grade and up has all of their requirements met.
Notes: Again, not ideal but it isn’t a hard need. It could be accommodated by having the younger grades, who are still learning fundamentals, start the season indoors. Other Lacrosse clubs hold indoor camps. Also, both Tatlock fields were free during the 5 o’clock hour on Fridays last spring. Why couldn’t this time be used? - Soccer. The report says that there is an appetite for Spring Rec Soccer.
Notes: Summit has a multi-season soccer program…Summit Soccer Club. They only turn people away if they can’t fill a team. Why does our town need 2 competing year round soccer programs? - Boys Football. The report says that the field space is for “risk management”, meaning they want to split things up so all games for an age group aren’t at the same time. It also says that tackle practice is in the dark. Finally, it says there are 40 kids on the waitlist.
Notes: First of all, the Field Study did not include weekends, when flag football usually plays. There are large blocks of time where the fields are reserved but not used on the weekends.
Regarding “risk management”, I attended almost every one of my son’s Summit Football games for the few years he played, and things ran like a machine. There were no separation problems, no one was unsupervised, and I never saw any safety concerns.
Yes, the tackle teams practice at night…UNDER THE LIGHTS WE ALREADY HAVE at Upper Tatlock.
While the report claims they could not accommodate children due to field space, parents of wait-listed children were told at the time that this was due to lack of uniforms, not field space. - Girls Football. There are 37 girls who had to play on a New Providence field last season.
Notes: This is a legitimate need for 37 children.