Local Volunteers and Businesses Help Improve Soccer Fields

It’s official. Construction on the Orcutt Junior High soccer fields is fully under way.  The fields are used each season by the Orcutt United Soccer League for hundreds of youth soccer games.   Holes, non-grass patches and other distortions were surrounding the playing field to the point that both the Orcutt School District and the Orcutt Union Soccer League knew something had to be done. “We knew it could only get worse; our biggest concern [for the players] was safety.” Cori Robertson, Director of Field Operations for the Soccer League, said on one of the work days.  He went on to say, “We have been fortunate to have a lot of help; anywhere from $100-130,000 worth of donations towards the cause.”  Unlike many projects that take months to a year to complete, Robertson, the board, and the Orcutt School District focused on getting the ball rolling.  So on a day in June, volunteers from the community came together to help prepare the field.  In return for the volunteer service, Disney donated a free pass to one of its amusement parks to each volunteer.  Robertson said, “It was important to us that the volunteers who came out and helped prepare the fields know that their work was appreciated.  The main drive came from President of the Orcutt Soccer League, Tim Trenkle, who brought everyone together.”   
So with every aspect up and running, what was the hardest part of redesigning the field?  “Water.” Robertson said. “The challenge was to use as little water to help mitigate the cost for the Orcutt School District.”   So in order to preserve the field, they are using hydroseeding. This will allow less excess water use.  Trenkle adds, “The soccer fields will be more leveled, we will have a sports mix grass which is of course hydroseeded, there will be a waterdrain, there will be no high low points of the soccer fields and no bare areas.”  Another feature of the plan will be to allow for ‘rest fields’. This means using only 2 out of 3 fields on any given day in order to preserve the field and keep it in soccer-playing condition.  
While the finished date is not set, it’s hoped that games at the Orcutt Junior High fields will begin about midseason, depending upon both readiness and the ‘ok’ from the school district.  In the meantime, players will be playing at Patterson, Grisham and Orcutt Community Park.

With such an incredible goal almost reach is there any stopping point? Trenkle replies, “We hope that this will give others the opportunity to see the commitment we put towards this [field] and would allow people to support our next goal of fixing the May Grisham field.”