Does anyone know anywhere a team could sublet the use of baseball fields for a couple nights a week? I've tried GCAA & McGees, both to no avail. Maybe a church around here that has a ball field? Anyone got a really big back yard? We have a 15U Travel Team forming, and have not been able to get any fields for practice. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
Everette's Chapel has a field on Champion St. (towards Cobblestone) in Clayton. Don't know if they rent it or not.
The schools have a new fee schedule this year, but it is worth a shot. Mt. Moriah on East Garner Rd (http://www.mountmoriahbaptist.net/) has a field, but I have no clue if they would rent it out. Good luck!
What I was told with GCAA was that the fields are open to anyone, but if a team has a game or practice you were asked to vacate.....I don't see how all 4 fields will be filled up at the same time, so I'm sure if you chose to practice on the back field (behind sluggers) you'd have a better chance of getting a full practice in. Also, they're strapped for cash, so if you're considering paying for use of the field or bringing in some donors and advertisers, they may reconsider and put you on the schedule of practices. They're worth another shot!!!
Also, call C3 church...they have a HUGE open field, no dirt or mound, but perfect for fielding, popups, running, and drills, as well as sliding practice....
GCAA has 6 travel teams and their rec teams, they've had to cut practices to 1 1/2 instead of 2 hrs. We do plan on paying to sublet the fields, but unfortunately they just don't have the availability. McGees just contacted us again, so hopefully they're reconsidering Thanks for all the suggestions!!!
GCAA uses the C3 fields for practice. Not sure if its every night, but when we were there last year the fields were full. GCAA coaches will have their teams in a couple weeks, then the availability there would be determined (I'm assuming, I am not affiliated with them in any way)
The information you were given is incorrect and is a common misconception. GCAA fields are not public fields and are not open to the general public. GCAA is a community organization that is run by all volunteers. The GCAA has a long term lease from the county for these fields and is 100% responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of the facility. The fields and other resources are all maintained with money from registrations from parents for the kids who play there. There are no tax dollars spent on this campus for general maintenance. In order to keep the fields in a playable condition for the kids who pay to play there, others are asked to leave. Anyone on any of the fields without direct permission from the GCAA Board of Directors is typically asked to leave. If they refuse to leave the Sheriff's office may be contacted and they force people to leave. And as mentioned by others... all of the fields are typically at capacity once the individual seasons begin and GCAA barely has room for their own teams.
There is a ballfield in Four Oaks on Parker Rd that is hardly ever used. Call the town hall and see if they can give you any info
WEll now, if that ain't a suggestion for owners with lots of land who want to make a few dollars off of it. Make practice ball fields for the season for these wonderful up and coming children! Rather see a child on a ball field than in front of a TV or out doing stupid stuff because they are bored.
Well, If I was told wrongly.... Then I was told wrongly by the GCAA!!! I called them directly discussing the softball registrations earlier this summer. I asked him what the status of the fields were, he proceeded to tell me that it was all volunteer, no tax dollars and such. But I was also told that IF there was an open field, I was more than welcome to use it. Because the fields I encountered at the Elementary school, has a sign on it for NO TRESPASSING...So where in the 40/42 area are kids allowed to go play? they don't have a public ballfield, they don't have a community swimming pool, they don't have anything as far as I'm concerned. Where I grew up, we had 6 local fields within two communities in which were PUBLIC fields, but if a coach came and said there was a practice or game, you vacated. Common courtesy. No wonder Joco is made fun of so much. These kids don't get the freedom to just get outside and play, and not just with their next door neighbors, but with their classmates. They're not allowed on school property, they're not allowed on the ball fields, they're not able to do much! I say it's time we change that and grant these kids a place to LEGALLY play and grow. That's my Rant!
I agree, I think it would be great to have a place for kids to play like that. The answer is simple. Once our area gets incorporated and the elected leaders at that time establish a true Parks and Rec department then those are nice things that become available to kids in our community. I too grew up in an area that had these things... but they were all in city limits or were otherwise maintained by a Rec and Parks department. JoCo does have these things... you just have to go to Clayton or Smithfield (both are actual towns with city government and taxes to pay for these nice things.) Like most things in life, this all comes down to money. It takes money to build and maintain these facilities. That is why the schools are putting up the No Trespassing signs and why GCAA has had them up in the past (normally those signs are vandalized or torn down)... the more traffic you have on the fields, the more maintenance that is required (and money). And it is not just normal wear and tear... there is also pure vandalism. Parents who don't watch or haven't properly taught their own children about not destroying or defacing things just because they can. When you open these places up to the general public it ALWAYS happens that they get vandalized. Kids get bored with "just going out to play". So vandalism is an easy distraction for them. And having to fix what they destroy is a simple waste of money. And since these places can't afford to have a babysitter or security guard around all the time, these places would just rather have a rule that the general public is not invited. When you have a paid membership (like GCAA), if the property continues to get abused or vandalized, then fees have to be increased to help cover these costs. When these things continue to happen, parents may eventually get the hint and may watch their children a little closer. So if you are this passionate about it... then you may want to help the others that have been trying to get this area incorporated. Once that happens we can all pay a little extra on our taxes and maybe we can have things like a Parks and Rec department, a police station, a paid fire department, and all of the other nice things that money can buy. Otherwise we continue to sit and wait for Clayton or Garner to annex us to collect the tax money and maybe provide services for us. Personally, I think that is just a matter of time... our area is too big of a possible tax base for somebody not to be licking their lips at the idea of scooping us up to help fill their coffers. That's not a rant (or any other emotions)... that's just facts.
Personally, I'd rather have a Volunteer Fire Station....but that's just because I'd like to one day join. Otherwise, I don't stand a chance. And I know these things take money, but what about getting Grants and such from the government? isn't that an option? Or is it because we're not a Town, but more a township that we can't.... I'd be happy to help rebuild, refurbish, and repaint the ball fields behind Cleveland Apt's. If I knew I could use em. Maybe we could band together and start a fundraiser to get this stuff accomplished? Raise some money? I'll do some of the leg work for something like that.... If the community would let us use the park facility, maybe we could have a concert, games, etc like we did for 4th of July...but all the proceeds go to refurbing the ballfields and making things a bit nicer for us all to use. It's a great facility, just needs the bathrooms redone and a coat of paint really (from just walking around) Anyone with me?
