MVLA Coaches and Managers with teams at Grant, plus anyone else poaching Grant, plus all other MVLA members who care about our fields:

Due to excessive wear at Grant, I have to close the goal areas from all further use effective immediately and close it for scrimmages completely until league starts and possibly later. If wear continues in the goal areas or elsewhere, I will be forced to revert control of the field to Los Altos and they will close the field for at least 30-60 days. 

This email details the damage, highlights some suspicions and actual observations I have made, describes corrective action, and lists some consequences of further overuse of the field.

Here are the facts:  

I scheduled scrimmages, camps, tryouts, and clinics at Grant all summer. KLS and Skyhawks were also heavy users. I also had four teams practicing at Grant all summer.    I have personally monitored the irrigation and drainage patterns at Grant in conjunction with City Ops all summer and they have tuned it well and continue to make minor changes and repairs as the weather changes.  The middle of the field and goal areas have been splendidly maintained save for the sometimes mushy area on the southwest touchline and the dead patch due to an irrigation fall-zone gap along the northeast touchline near the midline (LA acknowledges their responsibility for these trouble areas). The field remained pristine.

I instituted a policy of self-governance at the beginning of the year where you folks were not to use the goal areas except sparingly and were NEVER to do goalie work or goalie training in the goal areas and you were also to move your portable goals/rebounders frequently.  I now have seven (7) teams assigned to Grant as of 8/1 (one team is a single-day assignment) and this reflects a non-full slate of teams that includes four (4) rest slots as I described in the last club meeting. I have made no field assignments past the regular late slot of 5:30-7:00, or before the early slot (3:30 to 4pm starts). There have been no MVLA summer team camps at Grant the last three weeks.

Yet in three weeks of practice, we already have completely bare dirt in both goal areas and a large 15ydx20yd patch of thinning/dying/trampled/divoted grass in the middle of the north half of the field (the south midfield looks fine).  This deterioration has happened in the last three weeks! 

Here are my speculations and some observed facts as to cause:

Since my two teams occupy early slots (elder on south and younger on north) and I know we bring our own portable goals and/or flags and set two nets widthwise if scrimmaging, or one near the midline or elsewhere for drills, this means that other teams are likely not following my goal area guidelines.  It also means we likely have some poaching teams or poaching persons using Grant outside our permitted times without my having assigned them to Grant. 

Additionally, there are several small groups of elder male players coming out to Grant quite frequently to specifically do goalie work and/or striker/goalie work.  I have asked these players with whom they are affiliated and they are indeed MVLA players, I won't mention teams in this email, I will send you all emails separately.  While I think it is wonderful that MVLA players want to do extra training in their own or with a coach, please understand they MUST NOT use the goals areas for work.  Even our respected goalie coach, Carlos Schulze, who has trained many MVLA keepers knows better than to use our anchored goals and precious goal areas for goalie training.  He always goes off pitch and never places his rebounder in the same place twice.

Everyone complains about our poor field conditions, yet very few are truly mindful of the wear they cause.  Our game fields are few.  Grant and Hillview are two of our best.  They are also two of only three fields owned by the city of LA.  The other permitted users, KLS and Skyhawks, are little kids who do not wear out the field.  They hold small classes and they often go to the edges and corners to set up their goals.  This means the buck stops with MVLA.  The City is clearly placing blame on MVLA, we are accountable, and I have no defense. 

Corrective Action and Consequences of continued overuse:

I now have the task of inspecting Hillview for similar damage (it gets much heavier use by more elder teams).  Stay tuned for the results of my inspection.

I am hoping that this email will correct the use patterns at Grant and the goal areas will slowly heal.  I will throw down some fertilizer and seed.  If things don't improve soon, or if I witness or hear of poachers and they are MVLA members, I will apply an escalating set of consequences as follows (expect the same at Hillview and other fields if similar deterioration exists):

(1) I will fine any violators (pending Board approval of amount, but expect several hundred dollars)

(2) I will rescind the field assignment of any team found guilty of ignoring the policy. Please note I have no more fields to which to assign you, so you go without practice fields from me.  If I cannot determine the guilty party(ies), I will rescind the assignments of the eldest team at Grant and work down by age until no teams are left using the field; I will not fill any resultant vacancies until the field heals.

(3) I will allow the city to formally close the field.  This means they will place signs and no longer mow the field (they will, of course, water).  They will also remove the goals altogether.  No practices, no games.  Even though my teams, who are under the hammer of my field-preservation practices, will be unfairly made homeless, I will close the field. 

I expect all coaches and managers to have team meetings ASAP to inform their trainers, players, and parents that the "No Goal Area" field policy applies to all of us AT ALL TIMES except for during scheduled scrimmages and games.  If we wish to maintain the condition of and the control over our fields, we must buy in to this policy and mindset.  Please also detail to your teams the above listed consequences.  Please engender their accountability for the care of our fields; if you see a bare patch STAY OFF.

I feel really sad that Grant looks as it does.  Our record with all field owners on overuse in 2005 thus far was unblemished -- even through spring -- until this week. 

Thanks in advance for your cooperation,
Jeanine