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By: Lilly Rayl & Josephine Buckley 4/9/24
Softball season at EJHS has officially started! If you hear softball, you probably think about the fields too, right? Most of our fields at Edgewood are in pretty decent condition, but our softball field could use an upgrade. It doesn’t need to be done immediately, but other teams come to our school and play on it, so it should be in a condition that is easily played on without any problems. We don’t want our school to be a place other teams don’t like because of the playing conditions. You may have noticed the recent update for the baseball field and how nice it looks, but what about the softball fields?
In the Leadership Training Manual for Athletic Administrators, in regards to Title IX, it states that, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” There is also a general rule of thumb stating that the difference between the amount of money spent on men and womens sports and the facilities should be less than 5%.
The baseball field backstop.
The softball field backstop.
Bleachers for the Baseball field
Bleachers for the Softball field
So is our school violating Title IX? After speaking with Mr. Matt Irwin and Dr. Jerry Sanders, the school facility directors do not believe that Edgewood is breaking the standpoint of Title IX. Dr. Sanders states, “I don’t think we are in violation of Title IX. Title IX says you have to have equal opportunity for sports. We let boys play baseball and girls play softball. We also provide girls with a softball field and boys with a baseball field.” The baseball field renovations were included in a $7.5 million bond to improve the athletic facilities around the football and baseball fields, among other facilities in the district. The softball field, while receiving minor improvements, was not included in that major renovation budget. There were more recent updates on the fields too. Mr. Irwin said, "Last year, the administrators did a walk through with one of the softball players and listened to their ideas about improvements. We have made many comparable improvements to both baseball and softball fields including new wind- screens, new equipment sheds, and new nets for batting cages as a result of that conversation. When we were making improvements to the softball and baseball fields, the high school softball coach was heavily involved in those plans." Another improvement that Dr. Sanders wants to make is turf for the fields stating, "Our long term goal is to turf both fields, which would cost around a million dollars, but would be very beneficial in making sure teams get to play during the rainy season." Although it is true that both fields are indeed playable and some changes have been made, there is a clear difference between the baseball and softball fields.
Under Title IX, the girls and boys teams must have equal quality and size locker rooms. The boys do have a locker room that is very spacious and easily accessible, while the girls don’t even have a locker room. Title IX also says the playing fields and quality must be equal. From the pictures, it’s easy to see that the softball field is broken down and clearly more unkempt than the boys facility. The last couple of things Title IX states is that boys and girls must have equal spectator seating, access to restrooms, and other amenities such as concessions. The boys have an amazing seating setup, with accessibility for wheelchairs and lots of room. The boys also have restrooms with a path, (making it wheelchair-accessible) right next to the stands with upgraded, well-kept bathrooms. Lastly, the boys have a big tower with live reporting and a huge backstop fence. Their concession stand is also in a building right next to the field. Meanwhile, the girls have limited seating with no pathways or access to the field or stands. This means the field is not wheelchair accessible at all. The restrooms for the girls are across the entire field in a building with little maintenance. An unfortunate instance occurred when an opposing player got stuck in the girl’s restroom for 20 minutes without anyone knowing where she was during an EJHS softball game. For concessions at softball games, EJHS students have to set up a table behind the field in a spot that can easily be hit by foul balls, because of the small backstop. The girls don’t have a reporting tower at all, and once again a table has to be set up for commentating. The difference is clear between the two fields, and the softball field clearly deserves an update to meet the quality of the baseball field.
Concession stand with less maintained bathroom facilities that is located behind the softball outfield.
Announcement/concession tower located directly behind the baseball backstop.
Inside the baseball dugout.
Inside the softball dugout.
Many people agree that the softball field should be updated, and after speaking with higher voices of the school, more answers were given. Mr. Sieglin, the Jr. High athletic director stated, “If you look at the baseball and softball facilities, they are incomparable. Baseball has a locker room, the dugouts have been done, and the netting behind home plate is more adequate safety-wise. It’s not safe for girls or spectators in general in that facility. It should be the responsibility of the school corporation to get the funds to pay for the field. We just need people to get their voices heard. If more people speak, action could be done.” It is also noted that a group of softball seniors had come to a school board meeting within the last 4-5 years, stating the differences between the fields. No action has been taken since. Upon speaking to the high school athletic director, Mr. Bland, many thoughts and notes were taken. He stated, “I am in charge, athletically, of the softball fields. Another part of it is also prioritizing and making points for all of the facilities. We have budgeted out companies and the costs of what it would take to get the fields comparable. The cost is definitely salty, but the board has looked at the field and we are currently discussing things related to the matter.”
Mrs. Ayer, the head coach for the softball team, thinks an update for the softball field is needed. “I don’t think the field itself is in a terrible shape, but the layout of the field is a safety concern.” Ms. Schooling, a 7th-grade teacher and assistant coach, agrees saying, “I feel like it’s been in the same condition for the last 10 years, maybe even longer.” Around the time the baseball field was last updated, Ms. Schooling was in high school and played softball. She and her teammates saw the new additions to the baseball field and didn’t think it was fair they couldn’t have the same equipment and facility. Both coaches agree that the softball field needs new dugouts and bleachers.
After interviewing some members of the 2023 softball team, there were mixed opinions on the field. Eden Norton, a third base player, stated, “The field’s not very good. It’s really bad quality. I slip on the field and it’s pretty embarrassing.” Braylin Bentley, a pitcher, stated, “I think the field needs to be a bit longer. It’s kind of short.” This means that the field is probably not in normal proportions, making it harder to play. Alainah Peter, a catcher, states, “If it rains, it gets super slippery and it’s hard to slide.” Another player, Hailey Taylor states, “They barely mow the grass and there are a bunch of holes you can trip and fall into during the game.”
The Locker room and bathroom facility near the baseball complex.
The softball fields are a problem that needs to be solved within our school. Based on the fact that the quality of the field is much worse than the baseball fields, and that the playing conditions make it skyrocket in difficulty to play on, the matter has become a must-have. The change wouldn’t need to be immediate, but the assurance that there is a plan in action for the field is critical. At EJHS, we want our school to have a good picture and for us to be good hosts. Having a 10/10 football field, baseball field, and cross-country course is great, but what about the fields that girls from across Indiana come to play on? Due to the facts stated throughout the article, we believe that getting our softball fields renovated to the other fields’ standards is crucial. As a result of bringing these concerns to light, there are plans to sit down with coaches and players and talk about ideas to improve the softball field to make sure they are meeting the needs of the teams. Stay tuned!
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