Poorly maintained fields injure athletes

Many Blair athletes have been injured this fall due to the poor condition of Blair's track and practice fields, according to several athletes and coaches.

Varsity soccer player junior Jennifer Sindall tore ligaments in her left ankle playing on the practice field. "My ankle turned in the divots and holes,” she said. Sindall's injury required visits to an orthopedic surgeon and prevented her from playing for most of September.

According to athletic director Dale Miller, the condition of Blair's fields is a long-standing problem. Miller said past efforts to keep the field in good condition have been unsuccessful. "We've done everything we can at this point. It's useless,” he said.

According to Miller, factors leading to the deterioration of the field include the use of the fields for physical education classes, daily use after school use for sports practice and use after 6:00 p.m. for teams with permits. Miller said that these activities wear out the fields. "Traffic on [the fields] does not allow grass to grow. It grows back in lumps,” he said.

The girls' soccer teams were forced to move their practices from the track field to the practice field, due to the dangerous condition of the former. "The alleged field by the track is unplayable and unsafe. It's a huge tract of land being wasted,” said varsity girls' soccer coach Robert Gibb.

However, the girls' soccer teams face a new problem, as they have to share the practice field with the football teams as well. "Field space is limited, and even the practice field is not really done correctly,” said Gibb.

Practicing on the stadium field may not be a good alternative, as the topsoil is poor and the field is uneven, according to Tim Moore, ball field coordinator for the Montgomery County Department of Parks.

According to Gibb, at least six players had "nagging pain” last year due to shin splints caused by the poor condition of the track field. Senior Helen Gimourginas, a varsity soccer player, hurt her knee playing on the track field in her sophomore year. She had to undergo surgery and still must wear a brace.

Miller said that an agreement was made between Mongomery County Park and Planning and the Board of Education stating that the department would maintain the school's practice field in exchange for its evening use.

However, Miller feels that the department has not been meeting their expectations. "Park and Planning has kind of slacked off,” he said.

Aside from frequent use of the field, some coaches feel that the practice field was not constructed properly. "The grade is too steep, and when it rains, erosion occurs,” said Gibb.

Gibb believes that appreciating the fields is the first step to improving their state. "Kids at lunch make use of the field—we just need to make sure we respect it,” he said.