Woodlawn to be repaired

IU's Division of Recreational Sports will close Woodlawn Field again from Dec. 15 until March 22, 2004, officials announced Monday. \nRecSports said it is closing the field to perform routine maintenance and to prevent extensive damage to the field from usage during inclement weather.\nJimmy Finan, marketing and promotions assistant in RecSports, said the division wanted to let the field repair itself.\nFinan said in the cold weather with the ground freezing and then thawing, it gets muddy, and activity on the field creates mud and tears up the grass. Finan also said part of the routine maintenance includes planting new grass seed in the early spring.\nLast year, the fields were closed for approximately five months to complete extensive maintenance and repairs, which included removing rocks, reseeding, aerating the addition of top soil and repairing manhole safety covers. \nThat was the first time Woodlawn Field was closed in 20 years. \nThe closing and subsequent maintenance resulted in improved grass growth and safer playing fields, Finan said. RecSports then decided the fields should be closed each winter to perform routine maintenance and repairs to ensure better playing conditions during the hectic-use period from late March through November.\nClub sports team members expressed mixed reactions to the closing. \n"It definitely puts a damper on our practices, but once January comes around, we'll be able to practice inside the (Harry Gladstein) Fieldhouse," said junior Kelli Whall, a women's Ultimate Frisbee team officer. \nWhall said she understands the closing for safety reasons, but said it limits the team's options. She said once it gets cold out, the team will have to move practice indoors anyway.\nSenior Kelvin Chin, men's Ultimate Frisbee club president, said he doesn't think the maintenance is that crucial right now. Chin said in the long run the repairs would be beneficial for the field, but he doesn't think the field will be made that much worse by playing on it now.\nHe said even though the Ultimate Frisbee season doesn't start until spring, practicing now on a grass or a turf is really beneficial.\nNot every club sport will face the same level of hassle.\nJunior Andy Leigh is coordinator of the club men's soccer team. He said the field closing won't really affect the team all that much since it practices on a space near Foster Quad. \nHowever, he said one possible consequence of the field closing may be other teams who can no longer use the field try to occupy the space near Foster.\n-- Contact staff writer Brandon Morley at bmorley@indiana.edu.