Club sports seek greener pastures

Many members of club teams are upset with their options in light of Murphy Field's closure. With their long-time home now closed for construction of a new baseball field, dozens of club team athletes have been relocated to Hill Field -- a site described by many as rundown. Until the start of this semester, members of several teams, including club soccer, Ultimate Frisbee and men's and women's rugby, practiced and competed at Murphy Field, next to the Schuylkill Expressway near the intersection of University Boulevard and Civic Center Avenue. But the construction of a new 2,000-capacity field for Penn's varsity baseball team -- due to be completed in time for the 2000 season -- has forced them from that site. "Hill is known to not be a great field," said Engineering senior Dan Goodman, president of the Sports Club Council, which represents 29 club sports teams. Recreation Director Mike Diorka said the University is taking several steps to ensure the long-term improvement of the field next to Hill College House at 34th and Walnut streets, which has upset players because of its sloped and rocky terrain. College freshman Andrew Richman, a member of the Ultimate Frisbee team, compared playing on Hill Field to "playing in a swamp," explaining that "it doesn't drain well." Also, athletes have complained about having to practice in much closer quarters than at Murphy Field. "The idea of playing in a little space next to so many other teams definitely does not sound appealing," said Wharton senior Sarah Mulholland, who plays on the women's rugby team. But while Diorka admitted that the field is not of "superstar" quality, he insisted it is not as bad as many athletes make it out to be. "We wouldn't schedule them if we didn't think they were adequate," he said. "They are nothing less than playable." Despite the drawbacks, Goodman praised the University's efforts to help in any way possible. "The Department of Recreation is more than well aware and they are doing the best they can," he said. A possible short-term improvement, according to Diorka, is to bring in portable lighting to Hill. This would help extend the number of hours the field can be used and permit each team to have more practice space. Long-term initiatives -- such as seeding, leveling and the removal of rocks -- are unlikely to begin on Hill Field until the summer. "By the fall, it will be a well-kept field. But that doesn't solve any of our problems now," Goodman said. Officials say that once the baseball team moves from its current location at the soon-to-be-renovated Bower Field, that space will be used by club sports --Emeaning that inconvenience now could pave the way for improved conditions later. The shortage of space has led teams to hold competitions elsewhere. Both rugby teams and the Ultimate Frisbee team are trying to secure the use of the fields at Fairmount Park, and Goodman said they may even gain access to Franklin Field. Construction on Murphy Field began last month. Athletic Department officials have yet to reveal how much money it will cost, or the identity of the donor who gave the money last year to build the stadium, which will be the third-biggest in the Ivy League.