After a long phase of discussion and planning, the "sports field fencing" project has now been realised, thus ensuring that the grass field can be used in accordance with the rules in the future.
Major damage due to unauthorised use
The University Sports Center's extensive athletic program regularly stresses the turf of the athletic field to its maximum use, especially during the summer months. The various sports, from soccer to ultimate frisbee, rugby and baseball, place different demands on and stresses on the turf. Regular maintenance and temporary closures when overused have prevented permanent damage to the turf. On the other hand, unauthorized use by students and athletes from outside the university outside of regular usage times constituted an incalculable disruptive factor. "Especially on weekends or after the end of the regular working hours of the USZ staff, large groups of up to 50 people also regularly find themselves on the pitch, which is closed off with signs, and some of them even use the pitch without permission in tournament mode," says the head of the University Sports Centre, Ulrike Reinhardt, describing the situation.
In recent years, unauthorised use has become so rampant that the turf had numerous large holes and the condition of the entire pitch was more than inadequate for satisfactory sports use and injury-free training.
Annual lawn renovations
In 2014, a five-figure sum was already invested from saved own funds in the rehabilitation of the turf and the laying of rolled turf segments in completely destroyed areas. The pitch remained closed for eight weeks during the vegetation period to ensure the best possible growth of the new seed. Ulrike Reinhardt comments:
'The result was good at first. But six to eight weeks after the opening of the freshly renovated lawn, almost everything was destroyed again due to uncontrollable overuse by outside users.
In the following years, a lot of work and material was again regularly used to fight for the playability of the pitch, but in 2018 it was finally over because the frequency of injuries on the pitch and the complaints of the course participants in the sports programme became so great that the pitch had to be closed.
Turf game sports severely affected
The grass game sports were left behind. The very limited alternative possibilities in the campus sports hall were no real alternative. Slumping attendance was the result. The campus league was discontinued after its very successful fifth season. All inter-regional tournaments such as the Springbreak in Ultimate Frisbee, Rugby 7s tournaments, and the Ilm-Rooster Cup (Flagfootball) were discontinued. Erstisportfest, Bergfest-Sportfest and ISWI-Sportfest take place without using the sports field. The tournaments of international students and student clubs could no longer take place. Germany-wide competitions such as the adh Open in flag football could not be repeated. The Long Night of Technology also had to be limited to the tartan track of the sports field when using the USZ outdoor facilities in 2019.
Sustainable solution through fencing
A sustainable solution had to be found in order to once again ensure an appropriately playable turf field on a permanent basis. Several options were widely discussed and considered. Closing the pitch every two years for an expensive renovation, which then becomes obsolete again after a few weeks, was ruled out as a solution. Personnel cost-intensive solution possibilities from own means likewise. Ideas for technical monitoring of use did not promise the necessary success or would be too difficult to implement.
In the end, the decision was made to fence off the grass field. A condition, as it is standard with many association sports facilities and numerous university sports facilities. Ulrike Reinhardt:
This way we can make the turf available to the user groups who have a right to expect an intact field. In the event of overuse, the playing surface can be reliably rested. If there is spare capacity, the pitch can be made available for tournaments and competitive events at weekends.
Fencing alone will not improve the current condition of the turf. As part of the fencing, another comprehensive renovation of the turf is planned. The new pitch will then have a real chance of being permanently green. Athletes are already looking forward to the resurgence of playing sports on campus!