[Lisa Douglas]

Will PHS "christen" a long overdue softball field this Spring?
How did the bidding process progress for the Restroom and Dugouts? I am also curious about the Feb 15th date. Will Coach Napier be there for her team? Will there be a concessions area built into this thing?

[ComfortEagle]

Please specify what school you mean by PHS.

PHS could be Pikeville or Phelps or Paintsville..........

[DALE]

Paintsville. She is referring to the softball field that has been in the works for around 4 years and it is yet to be completed.

[Lisa Douglas]

Yep, that would be the one. (I forgot there are other school's using PHS...) Anyway... this is actually our (3rd) KHSAA sanctioned (5) year plan. So this quest has been more than any ol stinking (4) year deal. WE WISH IT HAD JUST BEEN (4) YEARS!

[oneijoe]

Come Friday, the new field should be completed in ONE month (March 15). That was the deadline given in the January Paintsville BOE meeting.

As of last Thursday (last time I drove around the field), nothing has been done.

I've been told once construction begins, the job could be completed in 2-3 wks. Since I sincerely want that to be true, I choose to remain an optimist.

[Pickle-princess]

I haven't driven by there in ages, is the field ready, do they have lights, what do they have left?

[Lisa Douglas]

They might end up with a date in Federal Court if they're not careful. People are worn out with the foot dragging. Shame on those in the position to make this a reality!

[Pickle-princess]

Lets hope it doesn't come to that. It would be nice to have a field that they can practice on without worrying about other people using it. They have always had to share with Little League or go to Thealka.

[Lisa Douglas]

Well Paintsville played @ Thealka for the first round of 5 year plans by the school and the KHSAA... then they played another (5) year plan there... but this time we had a collaspable(sp?) outfield fence, zero work to the field itself unless the parents did it... towards the end of that (5) year plan those eco-friendly ever sweet smelling outdoor restroom facilities were built, and there were covered dugouts. (This was actually also covering the first year of the THIRD set of (5) year plans with the school and the KHSAA... all we really needed was a concession, lights, and a scoreboard... but then the football folks wanted the extra buildings and lot byt the football field so to even sweeten that deal, they decided to appease the softball contingent by telling them they would also build a soiftball complex in it as well.... (then tried to take it back by saying it wouldn't fit after they'd already bought it... what a mess... )The PHS school bunch bought some portable bleachers that are now @ the PLL field... but still all field upkeep had to be done by the parents and it seemed like someone would steal the pitching thing or something, everytime you turned around... a concession wagon was brought in... and as usual the parents lugged stuff back and forth.... there still were no lights.... no scoreboard.... nothing even remotely equal to the boys facility. No one wanted to shut down the boys just to have things for the girls, but after seeing how Pikeville parents had their lawyer come discuss the intricacies of a federal lawsuit... they had a dandy field pretty quickly... so maybe that's what we should have done... then we wouldn't be having this discussion. I'm just saddened for the sports that aren't football/soccer @ jc.... they have had wonderful success and didn't deserve this for sure.... especially after the school had beenso successful in launching and doing the Cal Ripkin stuff. Oh well, I wish the jc softball folks good luck... and if they're gonna play @ Thealka they might wanna keep a good rake and shovel along with extra "tp" in their trunks!

[Lisa Douglas]

However, don't be too surprised when some big bellied Youth Daddy-Coach has told his "boys" to meet @ the Thealka field to practice (of course he hasn't really even booked it, but just thinks it's there for him and his "boys" convenience) and he gets rude and hateful when it's your turn for the field... The Rec ctr. folks are never available to check out those bookings.... anyway... and the whole thing usually degenerates into something not very nice with people getting very red-faced and angry. Hope this NEVER happens to the jc gals if that's where they are going.

[dawgbyte02]

For what it's worth,on 2/13/08 two softball players for West Virginia Tech through their attorney filed a Title IX complaint against Tech for non-compliance. It appears the Tech baseball team has a bigger budget and much better facilities than the softball team.

[Lisa Douglas]

Well, no one has EVER wanted to do such a thing here. The repercussions for the boys is a really stupid way to do things and it's a sad thing that that is the only thing that actually gets anything done. We have all just been so hurt over how our girls have been treated. I admire Pikeville's parents for just going ahead and taking the bull by the horns... they have a nice facility for their girls.... and a nice facility for their boys... and our kids deserve likewise... they've certainly earned it over the years of success.

[Pickle-princess]

Well, no one has EVER wanted to do such a thing here. The repercussions for the boys is a really stupid way to do things and it's a sad thing that that is the only thing that actually gets anything done. We have all just been so hurt over how our girls have been treated. I admire Pikeville's parents for just going ahead and taking the bull by the horns... they have a nice facility for their girls.... and a nice facility for their boys... and our kids deserve likewise... they've certainly earned it over the years of success.

Why is is a stupid repercussion, if it were the boys field that wasn't ready, don't you think that there would be somone causing a ruckus.

[Ugot2BkidN]

Where is the Feild goping to be located at?

[slingblade93]

I agree this is awful, Martin Co. is in the same shape if not worse. The girls have to play on the cal ripken field which btw is a county field, and causes the cal ripken kids to miss ballgames. The high school does not have a boys field either, it is also owned by the county, and is right beside the sewer plant. How does a school get away with not furnishing a field to either the boys or girls. Then when they do get to host any kind of tournements the parents work on the fields not the county. It happens everywhere not just Paintsville.

[Lisa Douglas]

Hey Pickle... it's just a "stupid way to do business"... Boy or Girl... punish one to get more for the other.... I say cut fed funding and watch them move.... that makes as much sense as closing one til the other is in compliance!

I am aware of the Martin County issue... just don't want to bash them... heck, you know their parents want better and considering all the coal that's been yanked outta their backyards and millionaires made... one of the turkies would build 'em a dog-goned baseball deal! But i didn't want to say that....

[Lisa Douglas]

Pickle... as soon as the softball thing is completed, you KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE A PUSH TO BRING BASEBALL INTO COMPLIANCE... and they'll have a case... but the school will use the angle that the baseball team has a field... funny part is, the current field is no longer able to host sanctioned tournaments because of the dimensions behind homeplate.... and that will backup the case to bring the field into compliance.

[slingblade93]

Hey Pickle... it's just a "stupid way to do business"... Boy or Girl... punish one to get more for the other.... I say cut fed funding and watch them move.... that makes as much sense as closing one til the other is in compliance!

I am aware of the Martin County issue... just don't want to bash them... heck, you know their parents want better and considering all the coal that's been yanked outta their backyards and millionaires made... one of the turkies would build 'em a dog-goned baseball deal! But i didn't want to say that....

They tried to and the school would not accept it because they said they would lose grant money.

[Lisa Douglas]

Well, that's about the most retarded thing I've ever heard of.... it would seem as thouggh the gov't would appreciate private companies offering to make donations in the form of land for the school to utilize... or if the school bought the land the private benefactors building the needed facilities.... how bout if a company donates the land and builds the thing.... and donates it to the school.... or like with Memorial Field... leases it to the school for 100 years.... Oh this makes my BP go up... when we see what all gets done in central kentucky for all those kids and our kids have just as great a need... well wait a sec... Caudill Lumber donated the jumbotron to Letcher Central and the State came in and tried to "*****" that deal but it didn't work... what did they do?

[OMG]

i think in every situation like this its never really personal towards anyone, and its sad but they basically base everything on revenue...who brings in the most money for the school? and thats who they spend money on year after year, regardless of title IX because there are many loop holes in the system...unfortunately girls sports generally do not get the respect they deserve and its a sad situation.

[Lisa Douglas]

Well, not since my daughter was in the 7th or 8th grade, have we charged admission for a softball game..... (there were those games @ the minor league field where they put folks @ the entrance of the parking lot to try to collect it.... ) When we were @ Thealka, the last year... there was admission and we counted heads... @ those games there was an avg of 50-60 folks on hand... don't recall the price of admission but figure that if it was like 2 bucks a head, that would cover the umps wages.... well, if you don't even send anyone to collect admission I guess that makes the case that softball can't pay its way... same thing was true for several baseball games as well... there is always enough folks @ those to cover umps... even if you have to climb the hill to collect from those up there...LOL!!!

[dawgbyte02]

Just a note on fields in general. The University of Tn who were in the championship last year-2007- plays at the knoxville city park on an upgraded little league field. The womens basketball program is the top revenue earner. In addition this will be the 10th year of fastpitch softball at UT. The coverage of the college world series has done wonders for fastpitch nationwide but we still have a long way to go at all levels.

[oneijoe]

No apparent work done as of 2/15...

Still waiting for lights, dugouts, bleachers, and press box.

Weather will be no excuse for a delay in completion. This has been a relatively mild, dry winter.

My optimism is starting to fade...

[Lisa Douglas]

Next move?

[oneijoe]

Next move?

Nothing until Mar. 1 ...

[Pickle-princess]

I did drive by the field of dreams the other day, but couldn't figure out where the bleachers or the concessions will be.

[oneijoe]

Nothing done as of 2/22/8...

:confused:

[Lisa Douglas]

so... what are you gonna do?

[tigerturds70]

I really do not understand all the fuss about the PHS (field of dreams) is all about. It appears to me that the school system has bent over backwards for the softball team. First Jim Roe bought the property for the field.... the boys dont own the field they play on. 2nd Mr Samons has developed said property into a fine looking field and athletic complex. And 3rd all this for a school sport that wouldnt even break even financially if they went undefeated and won the state title. But yet the school system is supposed to "break the bank" and build this in years that the state is supposed to cut funding andlay off teachers. Perhaps our priorities are out of line I thought we sent our kids to school to get an education.

[oneijoe]

I really do not understand all the fuss about the PHS (field of dreams) is all about. It appears to me that the school system has bent over backwards for the softball team. First Jim Roe bought the property for the field.... the boys dont own the field they play on. 2nd Mr Samons has developed said property into a fine looking field and athletic complex. And 3rd all this for a school sport that wouldnt even break even financially if they went undefeated and won the state title. But yet the school system is supposed to "break the bank" and build this in years that the state is supposed to cut funding andlay off teachers. Perhaps our priorities are out of line I thought we sent our kids to school to get an education.

Let me inform you, point by point...

1. During Jim Roe's time as Super, the BOE did indeed buy the property. Of course, it then remained an undeveloped bog, suitable only as a football practice field for many years. It was like buying a lot, yet not building a house to put on it.

2. School system "bent over backwards for the softball team" ?? Do you mean things like: 1) giving the softball team the hand-me-down baseball uniforms and calling them "new", 2) hiring a coach for the team that had never coached softball at ANY level previously, 3) allowing the football team to CONTINUE using the softball field for practice after it was developed (blocking sleds do NASTY things to infields, not to mention chewing up the ground with cleats when the ground was muddy), 3) not moving to finish the facility for softball until the very end of the KHSAA deadline (5 years)... ??

3. "...all this for a sport that wouldn't break even financially..." That's an often used argument against women's athletics. Fortunately, the federal court system enforces Title IX which, among other things, says school sports don't exist for the purpose of creating profit. Rather, they exist for the benefit of students, male AND female. Think about that before you continue your "we have our priorities out of line" argument. It IS about education.

4. The "break the bank" argument holds no water, either. Over the ~16 yrs. Paintsville has had organized softball, the school system has rarely given the team more than a fraction of what ANY major men's sports team received. It's time to make up some of that disparity.

The -funny- part is...if the BOE would have put a much lesser amount of $$ into the field at Thealka 10 yrs. ago, and brought the facility up to tournament standard (lights, legal fencing, etc.), I doubt any of this would have ever been an issue. The softball parents so many years ago just wanted a legal field for their daughters to use.

Of course, it's FAR too late for that now. There were too many times the money was there and diverted for some "emergency" use (weight equipment, gymnasium reconditioning, etc).

On the bright side, work HAS commenced at the softball field. Since the work can be done within 2-3 weeks (information I've been given), things are looking better than they did a week ago.