Green means go on Recreation Fields
(From left) Freshman biology major Troy Kotsch, freshman biology major Caleb Cameron and sophomore architecture major Paul Blatner kick soccer balls Thursday evening at one of the two new recreational fields located on Loop Road off of East Summit Street across from the Recreation and Wellness Center. The fields are for students’ recreation as well as practice areas for some club sports. Photo by Jenna Watson.
Two new regulation-size fields opened Aug. 26 behind the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The Student Recreation Fields will serve as the home for club and intramural sports, including ultimate Frisbee, lacrosse, outdoor soccer and flag football.
“Having extra fields is definitely giving us more opportunities for sports programming for students to participate in,” said Phelan Nichole Fletcher, intramural sports and youth programs coordinator for the department of recreational services.
Abby Millsaps, marketing coordinator for the department of recreational services, said the fields will be equipped with a flag notification system.
The green flag represents availability for anyone in the Kent community, the yellow flag means the fields are reserved for programming, or a scheduled game through recreational services and the red flag warrants the fields unsafe due to weather or maintenance.
“They are there for the students to use,” Millsaps said. “Our goal is to have the green flag flying as much as possible.”
When the green flag is flying it is free to the Kent community. If a Kent club, intramural team or student wants to reserve the field, they can contact the Rec center and do so for a fee of $25 per hour or for $150 a day.
Preparation of the fields took over two years to complete. Millsaps said Recreational Services needed approval through the Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, or EMSA division. Once approval came from President Lester Lefton and EMSA, it took a lot of planning to complete the fields in a timely manner.
The fields needed precise preparation. They needed to be level, an irrigation system had to be installed and the grass needed to germinate. The department was apprehensive about accuracy and about doing it the correct way.
“We are doing things right and doing things that are going to last in the long term,” Millsaps said.
Club and intramural students are excited to welcome the new fields.
“We want to play on them so bad,” Cody Kale, men’s lacrosse club manager, said. “They have everything we need.”
“If it’s green, go for it,” Millsaps said. “Have a great time.”
Contact Chase Bonhotel at [email protected].