Like the specialized turf it uses at Hamber secondary, the 麻豆传媒映画Hawks Field Hockey Club is bursting at the seams.
The steady growth of the club鈥檚 junior ranks hasn鈥檛 been impeded by the worn-out, 10-year-old synthetic turf, said Hawks president Ian MacKenzie, at least not yet.
鈥淥ur program is basically at a maximum,鈥� he said.
The turf is the only one of its kind in Vancouver, and the Hawks can look forward to having it rebuilt within the next three years. The 麻豆传媒映画Park Board has budgeted $10.6 million of the 2015-18 capital plan for building new fields and courts and renovating existing ones, including the synthetic turf at Hamber which was last replaced in 2005.
The field surface, which is like a carpet laid on a foundation sand and dirt, is ripped and starting to buckle or lift in places, said MacKenzie. Sprinklers have stopped working, which is a problem because the game is played on a water-logged surface.
鈥淚 hesitate to say it鈥檚 unsafe because if I use that word, they will not let anyone use the field,鈥� said MacKenzie. 鈥淚t is potentially dangerous. It鈥檚 a tripping hazard and it affects how the game goes because it鈥檚 not an even surface.鈥�
The field at Oak Street near 33rd Avenue is also used by Field Hockey B.C. and occasionally by lacrosse and soccer clubs as well as the secondary school.
鈥淭here are places on each of the sidelines where whatever is underneath the turf has washed away and it鈥檚 like walking over carpet that is covering a hole. Not every sprinkler is working anymore. The last time we spoke to the city, that would require them to rip up the turf to get to the sprinklers. If it鈥檚 dry, it deteriorates even faster, it gets rubbed off even faster,鈥� said MacKenzie.
The Hawks are looking to the Park Board to do more than replace the turf at the end of its lifespan. The club is asking the city to build a second field hockey pitch.
鈥淭here is some discussion about Oak Park,鈥� said MacKenzie, who believes the all-season gravel pitch at Oak Park, directly south of Hamber on 57th Avenue, is a strong contender. The park counts several grass soccer fields, three baseball diamonds, a basketball court, separate roller hockey court, and two tennis courts as well as a water park and field houses. The gravel field also has lighting.
The Hawks want to expand, but field hockey isn鈥檛 played on just any pitch. At the international and elite levels, field hockey is plated on a carpeted surface that is more like AstroTurf than the plasticized blades of 鈥済rass鈥� used in modern multi-sport fields. And, the field is wet, meaning it is irrigated if it hasn鈥檛 rained.
鈥淲e are putting many, many kids 鈥� too many 鈥� on the field at once just to be able to keep them all going,鈥� MacKenzie said of the club that launched in 1895.
West 麻豆传媒映画has one dedicated hockey field, Surrey has two and Wright Field at UBC is used by the Thunderbirds and occasionally the Hawks.
At Hamber, 鈥渨e are fully booked,鈥� said the club president. 鈥淚t is our limiting factor. We鈥檙e having to turn people away because we don鈥檛 have field space to expand our program.鈥�
Budget details
The 2015-18 capital plan includes $10.6 million for sport fields and courts in addition to $5.2 million for playgrounds, waterparks and skateparks.
The city will build a new outdoor track and field training facility at a still undecided location. They will install one new synthetic turf field and will upgrade selected grass fields, diamonds and tennis courts. The artificial turf at Hamber and Point Grey secondary will be replaced. An outdoor recreation feature 鈥� still unspecified 鈥� will be created under the north end of the Cambie Bridge.
The budget sets out money for a range of programs and projects, explained park board communication manager Margo Harper. The plans are identified by community users as well as the 麻豆传媒映画Sport Network and 麻豆传媒映画Field Sport Federation.聽
