Interscholastic Athletic Audit
Chester Union Free School District- Athletic Facilities Informal Audit
November 1, 2022
The purpose the informal audit is to examine all practice and competitive spaces utilized by the Chester UFSD athletic department teams and assess quality, deficiencies, short-comings, safety concerns, etc. in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of baseline facility appropriateness to-date. The informal audit is intended for the Superintendents use, to be shared with others at her discretion. There were no costs or fees associated with this informal audit.
There are essentially 11 venues utilized by Chester UFSD teams for either practice or competitive purposes. Six (6} are located on grounds or in facilities owned by the District, and five (5} located at facilities owned/operated by an outside entity.
District-owned venues and sport affiliations are as follows:
Maple Ave. Gym: B/G Modified Basketball, occasional B/G JV & Var. Basketball practices, off-season Wrestling, off-season/rainy day baseball and softball practices
Maple Ave. Fields: V & Mod. A Football practices, B. Var. Soccer, B. Mod. Soccer, JV & Mod. Baseball, Var., JV & Mod. Softball
Academy Fields: G. Var., JV & Mod. Soccer, B. Mod. Soccer, B. Var. Baseball
Elementary Fields: B. Mod. Soccer, G. JV Lax (to add Var.)
Academy Gym: G. Var., JV & Mod. Volleyball, G. Var., JV & Mod. Basketball, B. Var., JV & Mod. Basketball, B & G Wrestling, G & B Var. Outdoor Track practices
Academy Cafeteria: B & G Wrestling practices
Outside-owned facilities and sport affiliations are as follows:
Washingtonville HS: B & G Outdoor Track & Field
West Point: B & G Indoor Track & Field
Carpenter Field: JV & Mod. Baseball, Var., JV & Mod. Softball (all occasional and subject to availability)
The Rock: Var., JV & Mod. Baseball, Var., JV & Mod. Softball (all occasional and subject to availability)
Chester Commons: Var. & Mod. Football, Var., JV & Mod. G. Soccer, Var., JV & Mod. B. Soccer, G. JV Lax (to add Var)
Maple Ave. Gym/Locker room:
Offers appropriate second gym facility for upper-level basketball practices and modified games Provides restroom facilities for baseball, softball and soccer venues
Provides indoor shelter for emergency needs during outdoor contests on Maple Ave. fields Provides space for rainy day practices for outdoor sports such as softball, baseball, etc.
Provides space for off-season team work-outs when available and not being utilized by in-season teams
Locker room not conducive to storage of football practice gear (ex. small size lockers do not fit shoulder pads & helmets)
Limited toilets for larger team use
Limited end line space on basketball court (NFHS rules state 3 feet minimum) to conduct Var/JV basketball contests
Baskets on court end lines are not retractable making side-by-side volleyball courts unavailable for game use
Maple Ave. Outdoor Fields:
Slope of field area requires ongoing B & G manpower hours to address water pooling, wash-out areas that result in loss of clay, etc.
Anticipated new scoreboard - positive addition
Foul ball issues on baseball field with north end neighbors
Maximum length of field for football practices is only 70 yards, shared by two teams
Only one end zone/goal post area for red zone practice situation and PAT/ field goal kicker practice split with two teams
Easy access to all fields for emergency vehicles Limited formal spectator seating
Proximity to building allows shelter for student-athletes in the event of emergency or inclement weather
Academy Outdoor Fields:
Good facility for both baseball and soccer contests Limited formal spectator seating
Scoreboard visible to both fields
Additional cap/netting needed on backstop to minimize loss of baseballs
Proximate to Academy for emergency safety planning purposes (inclement weather)
Easy access for emergency vehicles, increased signage needed to direct emergency responders to field Ample parking available
Waste from wildlife (Geese) significant on entire field area
Elementary Fields:
Size constraints of land available makes layout of fields challenging Requires shuttle buses for student-athletes to get to facility
No storage onsite
Academy Gym:
This is the most up-to-date facility and is conducive to all sport contests and practices.
Recent updating of championship banners has enhanced the environment in celebration of prior student-athlete's accomplishments.
With limited end line clearance, a dual volleyball match (side-by-side courts) cannot be played in this facility, however, practices can be configured in this manner.
Seating meets student body/spectator needs Ample parking available
Sound system, scoreboard, public address system all appropriate for competition venue Emergency Action Plan follows building plan
Carpenter Field, The Rock and Chester Commons
Each site requires transportation of both student-athletes as well as equipment.
Off-site locations are not conducive to student body support as spectators must travel.
All sites are subject to availability and schedules must be developed in conjunction with many entities including: club teams, town teams, other school districts, etc. This results in uneven scheduling without any real 'home' venue for many teams. Complicating the scheduling of contests, any weather cancellation requiring a rescheduled game poses difficulty as other groups are already scheduled in.
Rental and transportation costs are incurred when using each of these 'home' facilities.
Chester Commons:
The Chester Commons field is in extremely poor condition with uneven surface area, old equipment along the back side of the field, and goal posts that do not meet NFHS specifications.
There are limited toilet facilities for teams with one 'port-a-potty' near the field. Additional facilities are located up a wooded hill where no back-lighting exists, making this unsafe during night games. One facility for two entire teams is not realistic, especially given the number of student-athletes on each team.
There is no back lighting at this facility making supervision a challenge.
Students must be bussed to the facility, and in order to ensure shelter in emergency situations, such as inclement weather, wildlife sighting, etc. a bus must stay at the facility for the entire contest.
Reliability of lights has been an issue at this facility, sometimes resulting in the need for make-up games. This is cost prohibitive for both the home and away teams. (Official's payment, additional transportation costs, supervision costs, etc.)
Limited cell service and no emergency phones at this facility. Limited public address capabilities at this facility.
There is ample parking and seating capacity for spectators.
At the time of this audit, we were unable to evaluate the quality of field lines/dimensions or goals for Lacrosse as it is currently out of season.
Carpenter Field:
Fields are in very good condition and appropriate for most levels of baseball and softball. Field time is limited during Little League season (must be off fields early).
Must compete for field space with other non-school teams
The Rock:
This is an excellent facility for softball and baseball contests.
Because of the venue's popularity with other local districts and teams, only official games are typically played at this venue, thus essentially making the contest an 'away' one for Chester student-athletes.
There are significant costs incurred with both facility rental, insurance and transportation when using this facility.
Must compete with other teams/entities when scheduling time at this facility
Washingtonville HS and West Point:
Both facilities require transportation for student-athletes and all contests are essentially 'away'. West Point is the only local option for indoor track and field and is the site of most Section IX events
• For Chester student-athletes, current practice spaces for both indoor and outdoor track and field are essentially created from any available space and give limited 'game time' experience to relay teams, hurdlers, etc.
• Without appropriate and safe practice areas, student athletes are limited in field event participation (disc, shot, javelin, hammer)
Thoughts and possible solutions, short and long term:
Short Term:
Explore Capelli's facilities as an alternative to the Chester Commons. This would need to be done early in order to ensure the best availability, cost negotiations, and time slots for Chester teams.
Research goose issue to find possible mitigation solutions for Academy fields
Cap/fence baseball areas at both the Academy and Maple Ave. to address errant baseballs, spectator safety, neighbor concerns, etc.
Renovate Maple Ave. locker rooms to accommodate team storage/changing areas as opposed to current configuration of classroom changing areas. Add additional toilet facilities
Replace fixed baskets on the north and south ends of the Maple Ave. gym to retractable ones to allow for more flexible volleyball space.
Emergency Action Plans for every facility, either on or off campus, should be developed immediately.
Long Term Suggestions:
Engage and architectural firm to help develop a comprehensive building project to bring as many sports as possible onto a Chester owned facility. Partial cost off-set by transportation savings, rental fees, etc.
Investigate available land adjacent to Chester Academy, including land behind current upper parking lot, east side of upper parking lot, and west side of upper athletic fields.
Capital Project priority should include a multipurpose synthetic field that could accommodate soccer, football and lacrosse for all levels. Such a multipurpose facility would allow for two contests per day, thus reducing number of different facilities needed on a daily basis for both spring and fall seasons.
An ideal facility should include a track around the field with at least 6 lanes for competition purposes and lighting for game field area, track and back spectator area (safety).
• Multi-use facilities result in fewer rescheduled events and require less daily maintenance.
• A multi-use facility as described would also lend itself to graduations, ceremonies, field-days, etc.
• On campus events would allow for greater student body participation with more visibility of programs
This Informal Athletic Audit was performed by Jim Osborne and Roberta Greene during a site visit on October 24, 2022. Our thanks to high school principal, John Flannagan and Director of Facilities, Matt DeRosa who accompanied us as we visited facilities. This document is by no means a comprehensive analysis of each facility; that work would require the services of a licensed professional engineer and/or architect.
Jim Osborne is a former Athletic Administrator in Orange County, subsequently serving as the Orange Ulster BOCES OCIAA Athletic Coordinator. Jim is a past president of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) and continues to serve as secretary for the Section IX Athletic Council.
Roberta Greene (Robbie) is a former Athletic Administrator in Orange County as well as a former superintendent. Since 1996 she has served as the female Section IX representative to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), a role she continues to hold today. As a NYSPHSAA Executive Committee member, she is also a member of the Handbook Committee, Investment Committee and Compensation Committee for NYSPHSAA. Robbie currently serves as the Executive Director of the Mid-Hudson School Study Council.