BAYS is excited to announce that Field B (lower lit field at Broadneck Park) is being converted from cool season fescue grass, to "Latitude" Bermuda grass. "Latitude " is a different variety of Bermuda grass than the "Patriot" variety that's on Field A (Upper lit field at Broadneck Park). The new "Latitude" variety greens up about a month earlier and stays growing and green about a month later into the fall season.
The fescue grass currently on Field B just can't keep up with all of our field use and demands so we're having the entire field sprigged with the Bermuda grass. It should take about 8-10 weeks to establish the field and it should be ready to use for our Fall '17 soccer season. Field B will be closed for the summer.
When completed, Field B should be much more durable to use, and should be great for our different sports programs. It will be durable enough to handle Lacrosse use in the spring seasons.
Broadneck Parks Field A is in great shape and will continue to grow and heal worn areas like soccer and lacrosse goal areas. We will be sodding any areas on Field A that need it after the June 17-18th Hogan Lax Tournament. We plan on keeping Field A cut to 1" tall for the upcoming soccer season, and letting it grow longer in late fall so it's more durable for the Spring '18 Boys and Girls Lax seasons. Field A will be closed for use from mid June-mid August.
Broadneck Parks Field C (Horse Farm Field) will be open for permitted use over the summer. This spring we had 8 tons of quality screened topsoil placed on Field C to fill in lots of holes, dips, and irregularities on the field. Theirs lots of spots missing grass on the field, but the existing Bermuda/Fescue mix is spreading and the fields better than it has been for years. Field C is irrigated, just like Fields A & B, and we do plan on converting it to Bermuda at the end of the Spring '18 sports seasons. We need to keep at least one field open for use this summer, so Field C is it.
BAYS also uses fields at Browns Woods and Mago Vista Parks, and the fields at most Broadneck peninsula public schools. We do have all school and park fields on a scheduled seasonal maintenance program that is BAYS sponsored. The schools don't have Irragation systems on their fields, and fertilizer and chemical use is not allowed, so it's limited what we can do. Our program consists of core aeration seasonally to improve root strength and seeding or sodding worn areas to encourage new growth in worn areas like goal areas or center circles.
BAYS has also purchased two new basketball backboards and goal systems to replace the original outdated backboards in the Broadneck Elementary multipurpose gymnasium. The new systems are at the school waiting to be installed by the AACPS facilities department.
BAYS is losing our practice/game field and gymnasium at Arnold Elementary school and our practice/game fields at Severn River Middle School effective immediately due to the Arnold Elementary renovation and relocation to SRMS. This loss has already effected our Girls and Boys Lacrosse program and will also effect our Fall Field Hockey and Soccer programs. We plan on permitting and using more field space on Broadneck High Schools fields 6 & 7 to help compensate for our lost space.
While BAYS does pay for professional services for some of our field maintenance programs we are dependent on Volunteers for Bermuda field grass cutting. Bermuda fields have to be cut 3x a week from Spring to Fall. BAYS purchased a special reel mower used to maintain the fields but we're always looking for volunteers to help with cutting. Our increased use of Bermuda fields will increase our need for volunteers, so please help if you can.
Any questions, comments, or concerns are always welcome. Please contact Shane Smith at
VPOperations@broadneckyouthsports.com.
