Fields so close, yet out of reach: West Seattle Booster Club letter-writing campaign seeking ‘equity and safety’

From the West Seattle Booster Club:

Care about equity and safety for West Seattle High School athletes?

West Seattle Booster Club urges you to join their letter-writing campaign! Read the letter below, then write to Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors (MS 11-010, PO Box 34165, Seattle, 98124-1165) and Seattle Parks and Recreation Board of Park Commissioners (100 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, 98109) to help create positive change for (the) sports program. Thank you for supporting WSHS athletes!

If you can’t see the letter as embedded above, it’s here in PDF.

13 Replies to "Fields so close, yet out of reach: West Seattle Booster Club letter-writing campaign seeking 'equity and safety'"

  • mom of 2014 WSHS grad October 22, 2014 (8:01 pm)

    Hip Hooray! Thank you for doing this. I am in full support. My daughter played girls soccer and traveled everyday to Walt Hunley. And I always had same concerns…but never was smart enough to articulate them in such a beautiful manner. All I ever did was complain; which is never a good route to take. But Hooray Booster Club; thanks for being our collective, articulate voice!

    I will be writing to SPS and Parks & Rec to voice my support!

  • Karin October 22, 2014 (8:55 pm)

    Four of the seven Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors are up for re-election in 2015. I’ll be watching to see how they respond to this important issue. The inequity and risk these athletes are subjected to is inexcusable.

  • kas October 22, 2014 (9:24 pm)

    Even as a Sealth parent, I wholeheartedly agree with this. Very well written, and good luck!

  • Lynn October 22, 2014 (9:32 pm)

    The agreement between the school district and parks department is available here: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/publications/jointuse.htm

    It’s in effect through August 2015. This would be a good time to find out which district department will negotiate the new agreement.

  • kas October 22, 2014 (9:45 pm)

    Even as a Sealth parent, I wholeheartedly agree with this idea. Very well written, and good luck to them.

  • dsa October 22, 2014 (10:25 pm)

    Why should parks agree to give the *public* park to the school for nine or more months of the year and deny it from the rest of the public?
    .
    Believe it or not, Seattle Parks is not responsible for the failure of SPS to deliver the sports facilities program the students deserve.
    .
    What is WSH offering up in trade? It better be good. Park space is scarce.

  • Cecelia October 22, 2014 (11:17 pm)

    I’m curious about a couple of things. Why were WSHS games moved from West Seattle Stadium to Southwest complex in the first place?

    Second, how the heck can the southwest athletic complex have no locker rooms for athletes. That seems like such bad planning.

    Also if WSHS has use of the Hiawatha play field till 5 what is it being use for after 5? Are there currently Parks and Rec classes using it? Or is it not being utilized.

    • WSB October 22, 2014 (11:29 pm)

      I don’t know the entire story. But Southwest Athletic Complex is owned by the Seattle school district; West Seattle Stadium is owned by the city of Seattle Parks and Rec Department. Therefore it’s technically “free” for public schools to use SWAC. O’Dea pays rent to the Parks Dept. to use WS Stadium for its home games – which means it’s booked some Friday nights, which is when almost all high-school football games are played. The Hiawatha picture is more complicated. It’s owned by Seattle Parks, but then again so is Walt Hundley Playfield in High Point, where WSHS girls’ soccer home games are played, for example (we covered one just yesterday) … TR

  • Imelda October 22, 2014 (11:47 pm)

    as I recall, wshs also only typically “allows” football and baseball practices there. That would be boys only. Seems like there would be an equity/title 9 issue with this too.

  • J. Lardizabal October 23, 2014 (6:16 am)

    As a counterpoint, if WSHS were granted access to Hiawatha playfield until 7 pm weekdays, then the field would no longer be available to the myriad of recreational youth soccer and baseball teams that currently use it for practice! We only have a handful of lighted turf fields here in West Seattle, and Hiawatha is a popular choice for many teams. Go out there any afternoon/evening, especially during the winter months, and you will see that every inch is being used.

  • parent October 23, 2014 (6:53 am)

    There is no acknowledgement in this letter of the fact that West Seattle Jr Football and cheer rent the field from 5-7pm. This program is for 7-14 year old children, many of whom are low income. The field is not just there not being used. West Seattle High School athletes/parent/administration know this.

  • Tim McMonigle October 23, 2014 (12:51 pm)

    This is a tough one, and I’m really glad the WSHS Booster Club is taking this one on. I’ve been battling this for the past 10 years through three AD’s as my kids have played sports there, but I’ve been trying to work within the field time that is traditionally allocated to schools, which typically ends at 5pm. Football and baseball get priority for whatever reason, which is frustrating. Even a JV baseball practice trumps a varsity soccer game, so soccer players encounter all the issues noted in the letter. They get very little fan support since the kids have to find a way to Walt Hundley field in White Center. At least it’s better than Memorial Stadium, which they had to play games at for years.

    Trying to extend until 7pm brings it’s own set of problems, as in the fall, the West Seattle Soccer Club, WS Jr. Football and CYO all rent Hiawatha during the week after 5pm. It may be more available in the spring though for boy’s soccer.

    It sure would be best if the different sports at WSHS could better share the field, as that would be the best solution for all athletes. It shouldn’t just be about the privileged two sports.

  • WS Alum October 23, 2014 (11:59 pm)

    Great letter, but I don’t think the two sports should labeled as priviliged. They just so happen be the two sports that require the most the equipment and space to hold practices. Have you seen all the baseball equipment that needs to taken in and out of their storage shed? Will the booster club pay for a truck to haul the equipment to and from some other field? And where do purpose they hold there practices? Don’t say delridge…it’s bad enough that Hiawatha field was shorter after the remodel. Every neighbor across the street would complain about the fifty baseballs launch into the yards from North field and then city complaining after their bldg being pelted from the South.
    I feel for kids who have to travel but the simple truth is there are much closer and better options in WS for the soccer teams to find suitable practice and game locations than the football and baseball teams.
    The idea to have Madison converted to turf and add a softball diamond would be a great idea and would solve some of the problems being raised in the letter and help out the youth soccer and baseball programs with another field option.

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