Intramural soccer on the field at Laclede and Vandeventer is a good experience. We have lights to play under, fences to corral loose balls, goals with nets and wheels for easy movement, referees, and even a lined field. I’m very thankful for all these amenities.

There is one factor keeping the experience from being a great one though: the state of the field’s turf. Heavy use has left this little rectangle of campus quite battered and bruised. The soil is loose and very sandy. The ground is lumpy. Most of all, the remaining grass seems to be disappearing at an alarming rate. You don’t have to be Dan Donigan to know this combination is not conducive to soccer (or any sport for that matter).

Why should anyone care about the intramural field though? For one, the field gets a ton of use. It’s hard to walk by on a nice day without seeing someone playing football, kicking a soccer ball, practicing lacrosse, throwing a baseball, or making pledges do pushups on the field. Also, as the field gets worse the likeliness of injury increases. The sandy nature of the soil offers little footing. Plus, it’d be nice to see a school with a storied soccer history like SLU provide a quality pitch for the entire student body.

There are many things that could be done to improve the quality of the field. Obviously, more TLC would help the field immensely. Some will argue that SLU doesn’t have the manpower or budget to do any more for the field. How about maintaining a few less flower beds and instead redirecting that energy towards the field? SLU’s landscaping staff is a force to be reckoned with; I know they could work wonders if the priority was there. If increased maintenance of the field is undesirable, then what about another alternative? According to a report on ESPN.com, a synthetic field usually costs around $500,000 to buy and install. That’s only 17 students’ tuition. We can cram 17 more into Reinert, right? Synthetic fields save money on maintenance and watering. Plus, they can last up to 15 years.

While the intramural field may always remain the tattered corner of the botanical garden that is SLU, I hope I’ve at least gotten people to think about it. I dream of a revamped intramural field every time I catch myself drooling while running past Hermann Stadium and the adjacent practice field. Improving the quality of the intramural field would truly enhance the SLU experience for numerous students.

Kevin Crookshank
Senior