Corvallis Gazette Times writer Kevin Hampton wrote an articled titled CHS Softball’s Field of Nightmares. The title pokes fun at the Field of Dreams project for Crescent Valley High School fields. The frustrating failure to develop a new softball field described in the article is hardly the first in Corvallis. When it comes to soccer fields in Corvallis, we have what could be considered a notorious history.

Beaver Blues
In 1994 the Oregon State women's team was ranked 15th in the nation. The team was lead by firecracker Val Williams, was truly talented and exciting. The travesty was that a top team in the country played its home games at the Women's Building field on campus, a location that obviously not designed with NCAA soccer in mind. OSU did seem to notice that without a soccer specific field the program could never be expected to be taken seriously. Two years later, Paul Lorenz Field hosted Beaver soccer games at the field created specifically for the soccer program.

The playing field at Paul Lorenz was great. However the location still had some glaring problems. The soccer season being played in the fall means a lot of rainy days in Corvallis. A simple covering over the bleachers would make attending games far more attractive. Late season home matches can be plain painful to attend with the rain, wind and temperatures in the 40s. The lack of lights until this past season made attending the mid-day home matches during the week very challenging for workers and students. This fall supporters attended the first night matches at Paul Lorenz under the brand new lights and attendance did seem to be up despite a disappointing season. The bleachers could still use a roof though.

Out in Left Field
Our high schools weren't doing much better. Until recently the Corvallis High School varsity soccer field was located in left field of the baseball field. The home team's bench is actually between second and third base with the infield dirt extending onto the field. Fortunately, Corvallis' only outdoor turf field was opened for use at CHS this fall. I can't say anything bad about the turf field. The surface is great. The stands are covered. There are lights for night use. It is the gem of the city right now.

Freddy Krueger Landscaping Services
Roughly ten years ago I remember hearing a lot about a Field of Dreams project at Crescent Valley High School. I don't really know the specifics of that project but the current situation at CV is not very dreamy. The varsity soccer teams share a field with the football team. Scheduling conflicts and football lined fields are the result. With so much field space available at CV it is painful to see varsity soccer matches played on a football field. If money was raised for the Field of Dreams project based on promised improvements for the soccer program, it was wasted.

$30K Down the Pipe
While each high school has had its challenges, the absolute worst project the Corvallis school district has been involved with was at what is now Williams Field, the baseball field used by the Boys and Girls Club across from Cheldelin Middle School. For ten years the Corvallis United Soccer Club squirrelled away $30,000 dollars for the development of its own soccer field. Rather than spend the money on a field that would be owned and managed by the club it was decided to invest the money on an irrigation system on school district owned land. It should be noted the CUSC Field Coordinator at that time was a school district employee. Uuugggh, talk about a conflict of interests. The resulting field was terrible.

Today the irrigation pipe is still in the ground, the club is belly-up and I would wager that a soccer game will never be played at that site ever. I would rather the $30K was embezzled and used to fund a great weekend in Las Vegas. Seriously, how much does irrigation pipe cost anyways?

What If You Build It and They Will Not Come?
Corvallis Parks and Recreation also has its own nightmare. The Willamette Park soccer fields managed by the Parks and Recreation Department are not that bad, noticeably slanted but playable. They are however sitting on a flood plain and the fields tend to be closed do to rain quit a bit. These two fields clearly could not support Corvallis' youth club soccer programs and use for adult soccer and ultimate disc. The solution was to create a new multiple soccer field site at Crystal Lake.

The problem with Crystal Lake Sports Complex is that it is also on a flood plain. In fact, the same one as Willamette Park. As a result the fields, all eight to ten of them are closed for half the year. The city is not even able to host its own Fall Adult Soccer League at the site.

When the field is open, players and supporters can park no less than a quarter of a mile away from the fields. The walk to the playing fields from the parking area is ridiculous. If you get thirsty during your trek you are out of luck unless you packed water. There is not a single water source on the entire site. If you need to use the bathroom you are looking forward to a pleasant visit to one of those mobile plastic outhouses (flushing is not required). I swear I'm going to buy camels and offer a guides to cross the great expanse of Crystal Lake.

The Plight of AYSO
In the fall of 2007 the fields at Adams Elementary will undergo maintenance forcing Corvallis AYSO to temporarily seek a new home. Because of the number of fields available at the single location, Crystal Lake was an obvious first choice. Corvallis AYSO offers playing opportunities to more children in Corvallis and Philomath than any other youth program in the city. Thus far the city has only offered the use of two fields to AYSO and no practice fields. The reduction in available playing space would force AYSO to reduce the number of registrations it is able to accept, turning away children that want to play soccer. In my opinion, this would be a nightmare. Hopefully the city is able to prevent AYSO from having to deny Corvallis' children the chance to play soccer.