Let's Play under the lights

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I'm posting this to try and get some info about scheduling some of the younger ages, 12s and 14s, under the lights during some of the tournaments.

I realize that if the lights are turned on, then that incurs additional tournament expenses. There are also tournaments at fields without lights. However, we were at Milford last weekend and our 11U got the chance to play under the lights. They were so hyped. They thought that was the coolest thing. It was also cooler temperature wise.

There are a couple of big tournaments coming up soon that have lighted fields. I noticed that the older girls are scheduled for under the lights.

Is this a rite of passage? Are we trying to save the older girls from skin cancer? Is it because we know that 16-18 year olds are almost impossible to get out of bed before 10am? Is this so the recruiters do not get too hot or sunburned sitting in the bleachers? By golly, the 12s and 14s are mad as heck and they are not going to take it any more. They demand field parity!!!

Seriously though, what is the train of thought on why the younger girls are not scheduled under the lights when possible?

 

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If someone will help me with the cost of lights at my high school field, I'll get the 12s and 14s plenty of games under them.

I'm thinking maybe the TDs figure the younger girls go to bed earlier, but I don't know. My 16-U team plays for the third time this season past 11 p.m. this Friday, in addition to another night game that evening. Almost half of our games will have been under the lights by the end of Friday.

 

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I can only speak for when I was doing it. We always saved to older teams for the later games. You never know when weather, injuries, etc will make the games even later. They tend to stay up later anyway.

The games I remember the most from when my DD played were a couple of VERY late games in Nationals and NSA States that went into the weeeee hours of the night on Saturday. Getting to the hotel at 4 and back to the fields by 7:30 was a blast. If I were a younger team I would keep it as a "rite of passage". Your time will come - and it is not always fun!!!

I always though an overnight tourney would be a blast. That way Joe could play ALL NIGHT!!!!

 

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The Gapss tournament has 2 fields with lights.... Since we are a showcase tournament, we feel the 16s and 18s should get the center stage for lights. Absolutely nothing against the 12s and 14s, or 10s, but in our tournament they have to wait their turn to get to the lighted diamonds.

JoeA, I lit 2 diamonds in the past 3 years at a total cost of $60,000. Not a cheap endeavor. But I agree with wvan, lights are sweet to play under, it is less hot, and the girls are pumped up. Last year we played at 3am in the morning to get the games in (rain), and to be honest I thought the teams were more pumped up than the teams that played at 8pm. Lights also give you an opportunity to get more games in. Personally, I think they are worth every cent, as we also use them for our select/rec leagues, and those kids love them. They keep the game fun for the girls.

Mike Flanagan
GAPSS

 

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My high school field has lights and i dont know how much they cost but i know that they are sweet to play under. last year when i played for my junior high one of our games was going to be canceled becasue the high school OHSAA regionals were held at our school so we got to play at like 10pm instead and it totally rocked.