Blog post #21- use of facilities

Todays post is about the use of facilities for lacrosse players. As a player in the game of lacrosse, and because it is not yet a sanctioned sport in the state of Utah, finding places to play games and practice can be really difficult. High schools do not let athletes play on the fields at the school because they are for other sports, so if we wanted to play on their field we would have to pay a pretty heavy, quite outrageous fee. An article from the Daily Herald, addresses the subject, “The Utah House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would allow high school club teams to use high school fields for their practices and games. While some schools allow club sports or non-UHSAA sanctioned sports, such as lacrosse, to use school facilities for free, others are charging clubs a fee. Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, would like to get rid of those fees. "What we are finding is that many schools are restricting the use of the playing fields," Sandstrom said. "These kids deserve access to their fields. "Sandstrom noted that some high school club lacrosse teams are being charged $1,000 a game to use the school's facilities and felt that was unfair treatment when other clubs in the school can use the facilities for no charge. The clubs would not have priority over UHSAA sanctioned practices or games, meaning a club lacrosse match could not take priority over a UHSAA girls soccer game.” (http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/legislature/house-passes-bill-to-allow-club-teams-to-use-high/article_8e5da8e3-226c-52bc-a9e9-5947e213f25a.html.) This article explains how lacrosse is not a priority to high schools. Other club teams are allowed to use the field without a great cost, so why is lacrosse so different? As lacrosse has been debating being sanctioned over the past few years, this specific problem has come up as well, “Thatcher said finding some of the same resources that sanctioned sports receive as school-sponsored activities has posed the greatest challenge. Those struggles include access to school weight rooms as a team, traveling on school buses, having enough knowledgeable officials, and even finding a place to play. “Finding fields is a constant struggle,” Thatcher said. Elder agreed, saying: “The growth of the sport has even been slightly inhibited by the lack of green space.”Cuff stated that, by being a member of the UHSAA, schools are often more apt to support teams with facilities. However, not even all sanctioned events take place on school grounds. Many soccer and softball teams, for example, compete at fields not located on school property. Thatcher added that, as the club sport has grown in popularity, support from the Olympus administration and Titan community has also increased. As the new Olympus High was being built, he was part of a parent group that successfully lobbied for lacrosse field lines to be added to the turf football field.” (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865583648/High-school-lacrosse-UHSAA-lacrosse-proponents-debate-sanctioning-the-sport-in-Utah.html.) Lacrosse is growing rapidly all over the state, and it is sad to think that the playing of games and practicing for the teams would be restricted because there was nowhere for these athletes to go. Although some high schools are adding lacrosse lines, not all high schools have been. People are starting to realize how big this sport is getting and so the administration is benefiting the players by adding lines to their field. If lacrosse were to get sanctioned I believe that this would be one of the biggest benefits. I am not saying that lacrosse expects everything to be free, of course we would pay the fees and taxes for a field, it would be quite cheaper in the long run anyway, but at least we would have access to a field.