Spring sports are around the corner, and construction has been going on for a year and a half on Free State athletic fields. Yet not all sports have fields ready.
“The original completion date for all of the construction projects was October 2009,” said Thomas Bracciano, the Division Director Operations and Facility Planning for USD 497. “The rain, snow and cold temperatures set the projects back significantly.”
Inclement weather was a major factor in the set backs on the projects but, according to athletic director Mike Hilll, a construction schedule was never really set.
“I don’t think there was anything concrete [in the construction schedule],” Hill said.
Yet the project isn’t as far behind as it could be according to Bracciano.
“There was time built-in [the construction schedule] in the form of weather days for the contractor,” Bracciano said. “This meant if a day was too wet or cold or unworkable for the construction process then the time frame would be extended… we still have not reached that date.”
March 1 was the first day of tryouts for all spring sports yet some spring athletic facilities are not done. For example the softball field still needs the fence put up and the rubber pellets put into the turf.
The district had a very specific order for how they chose the projects.
“The football fields were done first because they could be used for soccer and football and the football season was just ending,” Bracciano said. “Baseball was next because we took the excess dirt from the football field and used it to level the baseball field before we put the turf on it. Then soccer because the football field was done and it could be used to play soccer on while the soccer field was being built. Finally softball because we were starting construction in the fall when they softball team was done. If the weather had cooperated the softball field would’ve been done for this springs start of practice.”
So far the project is still somewhat on schedule.
“There will be delays and it will hopefully be done by the end of March,” Hill said.
