Artificial fields

Should North texas soccer invest in Artificial fields ? The only reason games would be cancelled would be for Thunder and lightening. Plus we could play outdoor leagues.

NTSSA has neither land, nor money.

scooney wrote:Should North texas soccer invest in Artificial fields ? The only reason games would be cancelled would be for Thunder and lightening. Plus we could play outdoor leagues.

After watching my BB play on a 150+ degree artificial surface this summer, I think that I'd rather miss a few matches because of rain.

how often does you son play league games in the summer

Find me ONE serious player that prefers turf over grass. Soccer is meant to be played on grass not plastic coated concrete. No they should not invest in turf fields.

don't get me wrong i prefer grass but the counties need to start allowing playing time on the fields and to stop worry about how pretty they look.

Has nothing to do with how they look but rather how they play. Playing on wet fields tear up turf and leave deep divets and indentures in field. I have seen high school age teams shred a wet field in one game. The field then dries out and the damage becomes permanent. The fields then are rough and the grass gets spotty as there is no recovery time in season. The cost of reseeding and smoothing whole complexes is much higher than any income generated by the leagues using them. Most people do not realize the cost associated with developing and maintaining large complexes. This is why we rely on city owned complexes.  Are you willing to pay higher fees or taxes so nice fields can get shredded vs cancelling games ?

I guess if serious soccer parents were the only ones being taxed for city owned fields then we could play regardless of conditions and suffer the consequence. But the tax expense related to maintaining the fields is spread throughout the community among many who could care less whether kids play or not. So, maybe in the spirit of TG we should be thankful for what we have and respect the unbiased decisions made to close the fields.

This past weekend was perfect soccer weather. If the cities/clubs are going to close their fields and keep our money, then parents should stop supporting tournaments scheduled during the rainy season.

my2cents wrote:Has nothing to do with how they look but rather how they play. Playing on wet fields tear up turf and leave deep divets and indentures in field. I have seen high school age teams shred a wet field in one game. The field then dries out and the damage becomes permanent. The fields then are rough and the grass gets spotty as there is no recovery time in season. The cost of reseeding and smoothing whole complexes is much higher than any income generated by the leagues using them. Most people do not realize the cost associated with developing and maintaining large complexes. This is why we rely on city owned complexes.  Are you willing to pay higher fees or taxes so nice fields can get shredded vs cancelling games ?

Yes.

finish1 wrote:This past weekend was perfect soccer weather. If the cities/clubs are going to close their fields and keep our money, then parents should stop supporting tournaments scheduled during the rainy season.

it's the cities that close the fields and the clubs that keep the money (but not all the money). I think we should be grateful instead that the cities are spending tax money to provide citizens with soccer fields. and if they want to close the fields, it's their decision. And no, it was not perfect soccer weather: the fields were socked with rain.

in certain countries and even states in america that is perfect soccer weather

scooney wrote:in certain countries and even states in america that is perfect soccer weather

very true. but those countries and states do not experience the hot weather and drought of Texas. the grass of soccer fields, actually any grass, has a very tough life here in Texas.

they also have real soil and not gumbo clay that soaks up the water

I played in Houston as a teen in the 70's in the rain, sleet and even ice. Maybe STX prepares the fields for wet weather better than NTX.

Here is an idea for tournaments played during the rainy season. Put the money into a bank account and let the tournament draft half the money at registration and the other half when the first game of the tournament is played to completion.

finish1 wrote:I played in Houston as a teen in the 70's in the rain, sleet and even ice. Maybe STX prepares the fields for wet weather better than NTX.

Here is an idea for tournaments played during the rainy season. Put the money into a bank account and let the tournament draft half the money at registration and the other half when the first game of the tournament is played to completion.

not a lot of special houston "groundskeeping" going on. it's called, replace your divot after games and next weekend it has re-rooted itself. totally diff climate in dallas. i don't think anyone is saying that rainy even cold weather is a reason not to play. EXCEPT FOR THE FIELD CONDITIONS. quit trying to change things you can't control. DON'T PLAN ON PLAYING IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE OCCASIONAL WEATHER CANCELLATION LMAO    

Does anyone remember name of the tournament that cancelled this past Spring due to a knee jerk reaction to weather?

finish1 wrote:Does anyone remember name of the tournament that cancelled this past Spring due to a knee jerk reaction to weather?

if it was in dallas area, it wasn't knee jerk. what people need to understand IS, this is the way municipalities choose to protect their fields OR screw soccer people over (if you will). get over it!!!!!!!

finish1 wrote:I played in Houston as a teen in the 70's in the rain, sleet and even ice. Maybe STX prepares the fields for wet weather better than NTX.

Here is an idea for tournaments played during the rainy season. Put the money into a bank account and let the tournament draft half the money at registration and the other half when the first game of the tournament is played to completion.

Been down to Houston a few times for Premier League and those fields were crap. Austin for Labor Day, again CRAP, literally looked like a mowed pasture. I have been in Antonio too, poor as well. I have not been to any STX complex that is even as good as Richland, forget comparing them to the FCD complex (Toyota now right?)

Overall I think NTX has much better fields on average than of most of the places my select travels have taken me. If that means shutting them down vs shredding them then so be it.

my2cents wrote:

finish1 wrote:I played in Houston as a teen in the 70's in the rain, sleet and even ice. Maybe STX prepares the fields for wet weather better than NTX.

Here is an idea for tournaments played during the rainy season. Put the money into a bank account and let the tournament draft half the money at registration and the other half when the first game of the tournament is played to completion.

Been down to Houston a few times for Premier League and those fields were crap. Austin for Labor Day, again CRAP, literally looked like a mowed pasture. I have been in Antonio too, poor as well. I have not been to any STX complex that is even as good as Richland, forget comparing them to the FCD complex (Toyota now right?)

Overall I think NTX has much better fields on average than of most of the places my select travels have taken me. If that means shutting them down vs shredding them then so be it.

   

finish1 wrote:Does anyone remember name of the tournament that cancelled this past Spring due to a knee jerk reaction to weather?

I think I remember the one you're talking about.  Didn't it rain for 45 minutes hard on a Friday afternoon, then the tournament got quickly cancelled, and then it turned into one of the nicest weather weekends of the Spring?  Wasn't it something like that?

finish1 wrote:Does anyone remember name of the tournament that cancelled this past Spring due to a knee jerk reaction to weather?

TX Lightning Puma Cup

my2cents wrote:

finish1 wrote:I played in Houston as a teen in the 70's in the rain, sleet and even ice. Maybe STX prepares the fields for wet weather better than NTX.

Here is an idea for tournaments played during the rainy season. Put the money into a bank account and let the tournament draft half the money at registration and the other half when the first game of the tournament is played to completion.

Been down to Houston a few times for Premier League and those fields were crap. Austin for Labor Day, again CRAP, literally looked like a mowed pasture. I have been in Antonio too, poor as well. I have not been to any STX complex that is even as good as Richland, forget comparing them to the FCD complex (Toyota now right?)

Overall I think NTX has much better fields on average than of most of the places my select travels have taken me. If that means shutting them down vs shredding them then so be it.

Completely agree. I haven't seen all that STX has to offer, but the one's I've seen are terrible. I think the term "mowed pasture" sums it up.
I've heard people complain about Lake Park, Blue Sky, Dynamic Youth Goat Ranch, etc. But all of those are better than any fields I've seen
in Houston.

moveyourfeet wrote:

my2cents wrote:

finish1 wrote:I played in Houston as a teen in the 70's in the rain, sleet and even ice. Maybe STX prepares the fields for wet weather better than NTX.

Here is an idea for tournaments played during the rainy season. Put the money into a bank account and let the tournament draft half the money at registration and the other half when the first game of the tournament is played to completion.

Been down to Houston a few times for Premier League and those fields were crap. Austin for Labor Day, again CRAP, literally looked like a mowed pasture. I have been in Antonio too, poor as well. I have not been to any STX complex that is even as good as Richland, forget comparing them to the FCD complex (Toyota now right?)

Overall I think NTX has much better fields on average than of most of the places my select travels have taken me. If that means shutting them down vs shredding them then so be it.

Completely agree. I haven't seen all that STX has to offer, but the one's I've seen are terrible. I think the term "mowed pasture" sums it up.
I've heard people complain about Lake Park, Blue Sky, Dynamic Youth Goat Ranch, etc. But all of those are better than any fields I've seen
in Houston.

Agree.... been to Houston 4 years running and kid played on one single field that I would call nice.. and more than I care to think that I would call horrible.... some even beyond ridiculous ( low tree branches overhanging the field by 10 feet).
not a fan of artificial either, but I'd take it over the Houston fields we've seen.

We played once on fields in Katy. It was so bad. I'd say about 20% grass, 30% weeds, 50% dirt.
Then it rained (and oh yes, we played through it just like everyone wants on the boards) and the
field turned to mud and the remaining grass/weeds combo got torn up.

Turned into ugly, ugly soccer. Couldn't wait to get back to NTX.