Little attention paid to outdoor sports
April 22, 2016
Outdoor sports, such as soccer, football, softball and baseball, are in need of more attention. The facilities that are being offered for these sports could be much better.
Comparing the setup that indoor sports have with outdoor, the difference is immense. Indoor sports have their own lock rooms, they also have an immense gym where they are able to both practice and play.
The soccer team does not have their own locker rooms for men or women.
The football team has their own locker room, but comparing it with the locker room that the basketball and volleyball teams have is nothing. The baseball team also has their own locker room, but it does not seem new at all comparing it with that of the volleyball and basketball teams.
Why is it that not every sport is treated with the same privileges and accommodations, within reason, to the best of the school’s ability?
Every sport at this college should, ideally, have their own locker room and be treated with equality.
That is not happening.
Why is it that basketball and volleyball have the best locker rooms, and also the best facilities?
The field on which the soccer team plays is terrible; the benches on which the players have to sit are old and are broken. The stands for the soccer fans are so small they are not even big enough for the public. Even a high school has more stands for fans than Lakeland does.
As for the fields, every university besides Lakeland and Rockford in our conference has a turf field. Honestly, we should have a turf field where the sports could be better played or, if the school does not have the money to build a turf field, the grass on which the athletes play should at least be cared for better.
Sometimes the grass from the soccer and football fields looks more like a mud pasture than a real field. Lakeland, as a soon-to-be university, should propose a more thoroughly funded plan for some of its under-maintained sports so that those sports can work to maintain a high level of competition.
Another big difference with outdoor and indoor sports is that outdoor sports, with the exception of football, are not streamed live online. Meanwhile, basketball and volleyball have their games live streamed, allowing for much more flexibility in viewing and following of the sport.
To be fair, I am not saying that basketball and volleyball should not have the advantages, facilities-wise, that they currently have. What I am saying, is that every sport at Lakeland should be on the same metaphorical playing field.
The outdoor sports are, in this sense, forgotten by Lakeland.
Different sports at Lakeland should not come with different privileges. All I am arguing for is equality.
Chris Dickson • Apr 24, 2016 at 9:27 pm
I agree that not all sports get treated the same at Lakeland College. Especially football. Football doesn’t get regconized for nothing we do. it’s just sad.
Airiss Hargrow • Apr 24, 2016 at 7:08 pm
Better facilities attract more students and athletes increase the facilities and the school could make more money. You have to spend money to make money. Also could improve the sports teams all around.
Tim Romanello • Apr 23, 2016 at 1:47 pm
Facilities play a HUGE role in not just the recruitment of student-athletes, but the retainment. During my soccer playing days at Lakeland (2000-2003), the match field was brilliantly kept, and the practice field was better than the majority, in not all, of the teams in the NAC (then the LMC).
Addressing the surface issue, just because turf is used across the board in the conference, should mean it is in Lakeland’s best interest to supply a turf field. Players typically would choose a grass surface over turf more than one may think.
I share your enthusiasm for wanting more for the sports universally and equally at Lakeland. However, some of the differences require quite a bit of money to rectify. Not saying the sports shouldn’t be better looked after by the University and the Board of Trustees, but perhaps a few fundraisers by these sports could also help their cause in some aspect.
Pam Cihak • Apr 23, 2016 at 7:25 am
I attended my son’s football game last September 2015. I was really excited to see his first college that I could attend. I walked from the parking lot to the football field I was shocked. My stomach felt sick. My first thought was that many high school football fields look much better than Lakeland College’s football field.
Lakeland College has an awesome football team as they have proven that last season. I also noticed that there were not many students that attended the game. I feel that if Lakeland College had something that we could actually call a football stadium, attendance would be much greater. Let’s give these boys a real “Stadium”.
What they really have now is a patch of grass in the middle of a corn field.
Thanks for listening.
Lucy • Apr 23, 2016 at 5:27 am
This article has a good point, but let’s not forget about other sports. There are 18 sports provided at Lakeland college and he only mentioned 8! That’s right 8. What about the other 10! Yes, we just got a new cross country course great. Yes, we have a softball and baseball field and a soccer field and a beautiful gym for volleyball and basketball, but what about the other teams? Are they considered not as important? Yes I believe soccer should have their own locker room, but so shouldn’t everyone else? What about the wrestling team? What about the tennis team? They don’t even have a court to play on here. Not even a single one. What about the golf team? And the track team? I was told when I first applied to Lakeland college, that I was going to be able to participate in track and field here. We don’t even have a track? I was told we were going to have a facility we could go to, to practice field events. Idk, maybe I’m bias because I’m a track and field athlete or maybe others are thinking this too, but don’t tell me you can provide something you can’t. It’s not fair and honestly I’m pissed the only thing I truely loved that I was told I could do, I can’t. My own high school, had a rubberized track! I’m not asking for much, I just feel there’s inequality and maybe more students would want to come to the school if they knew we could provide what they needed to play the sport they love. And if I knew I couldn’t play the sport I love, I would have never chosen Lakeland. And I know for a fact that is the reason why a lot of students come to Lakeland, because maybe they aren’t the greatest athletes, but they are able to continue to play the sport they love at a collegiant level. Thank you.