To the editor:

As the former acting and part-time director of the Parks and Recreation Department, the issue of players’ fees came up during my tenure. 

At that time, the leagues did not have the responsibility for field maintenance, since the town covered the cost and provided the manpower. As the director, I tried to keep fees as they were by promoting a management plan in which the director would assume the responsibilities of overseeing our fields and parks.  

Such a plan would have created a commitment by coaches and volunteers to take responsibility for prepping fields for practice and games. I was unable to gain support for this concept. 

There were times when leagues would abuse the fields, but for the most part they were pretty good. Sometimes the abuse was costly when it came to the wet field policy. As the director, I called the league directors about poor field conditions due to rain. They would contact coaches to cancel practices or a game. 

At times, this was ignored resulting in the trashing of a field. In baseball, mud and water was pushed off the infield onto the grass that resulted in damage to the infield. Additional damage to the field occurred when players would constantly stand in the same spot during the entire game or practice that created a bald spots in the grass.  

The statement in the Barrington Times: “We are playing on a dump,” is true, but the town manager at that time had made an agreement with neighbors to limit league play at Chianese. This agreement that I call: “Not Next to Me” resulted in an inadequate number of playing fields. 

Field conditions at Chianese might have been different if the town manager had not agreed to limit the utilization of the fields. To say our fields are only adequate for games is not totally accurate. When Barrington teams play in tournaments at away sites they play on their best fields at the tournaments. Barrington has good playing fields because the DPW works hard at keeping them up. 

Finally, I think that we throw money at the problems without exploring ways to resolve the issue. I would suggest an idea that I have used often in my other positions that resulted in a minimal cost to my programming and projects. Thinking "Outside the Box" can sometimes get the best result in costly issues. I think this issue can be resolved without increasing players’ fees which I feel is exorbitant for a family who have children who participate in multiple sports.

A few suggestions for thinking "outside the box":

• In other communities, coaches and volunteers line the fields, rake and drag the fields before and after practices and games. In some towns, they even cut the grass. In one community where I do some coaching, the leagues pay a retired person to maintain the fields and oversee the complex, but coaches and volunteers are required to prep the field for practice and games. Barrington leagues should consider adopting a similar approach to field maintenance with supervisory help from the DPW. During my tenure as director, we ran a workshop on field maintenance with the DPW. I also tried to send some of the DPW’s men to a clinic with the Boston Red Sox on field maintenance. 

• If some compromise can be reached in sharing the costs, the leagues should purchase the equipment needed to maintain the fields under the guidance of the DPW.  

• At a meeting of league directors and town administrators, a budget could be establish field maintenance. The leagues could raise a portion of the money needed to maintain fields where it would offset the request for increasing the player’s participation fee. 

John Taylor

Barrington