Are public tracks a thing of the past?

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  • registered

    jamin

    Member since 09/24/2013.

    8,284 posts. Last post 7 months ago.
    8 years ago 12/27/2015 10:05pm EST
    re: Seriously Jamin

    Seriously Jamin wrote:

    Why should a HS track be open to you, that makes no sense?

    Well, not just me, but anyone who might want to use the track or football field for recreation. There are a couple high schools in my hometown that, in past years, I've worked out on, while other people from the community were playing flag football or Frisbee or whatnot. Those same fields are now locked off whenever I go there. I even saw an SUV with a bunch of kids pull up, get out and walk to the field with a football, then walk away in disappointment when they saw that it was locked up.

    Of course, I realize that you don't necessarily need an marked, astro turf field to play football, and don't necessarily need a track to train for track events.

  • registered

    sc runner

    Member since 01/19/2008.

    1,020 posts. Last post 6 days ago.
    8 years ago 12/28/2015 1:27am EST
    re: jamin

    I believe most, if not all, public school tracks in my area (none with high end surfaces btw) are open for public use. Before the high school football stadium was turned over to a local college and remodeled the gates were left open to that sometimes as well. When I visited relatives in Charleston, SC the local high school track was locked. My grandfather said it had something to do with vandalism.

  • Calling it like it is

    Anonymous Poster

    8 years ago 12/28/2015 1:31am EST
    re: Seriously Jamin

    Seriously Jamin wrote:

    You have to be kidding! What are you going to ask for next, maybe take a few classes at the high school also while you are at it and eat in the cafeteria. Why should a HS track be open to you, that makes no sense?

    Does your local high school not give classes? What the hell does it do?

  • registered

    gobluesasquatch

    Member since 06/08/2010.

    138 posts. Last post 1 week ago.
    8 years ago 01/02/2016 10:45pm EST
    re: Calling it like it is

    I think it depends on your community and how the athletic facilities are funded. I live in Arizona and our schools fields and track are locked up almost all the time. We've had incidents ranging from destructive vandalism to former students tearing up the field during a pickup game of football. The former is one of the reasons I make sure everyone is gone when I leave and every gate is locked. The latter - no harm was meant, but man, that field was trashed (it had been raining that day).

    I had a local community college fitness group come over last summer during my practice. I would have let them stay if they had actually contacted someone from the school. They claimed they had, but no one knew about it, and when I asked them to go up and talk to our front office staff, they refused, got upset, and stormed off. I mean, I want to have people use the track, but when I'm in charge of high school kids ... you just don't know who else is out there. It's a CYA world unfortunately.

    Now, I was back home in Michigan over the winter break. My high school track was recently resurfaced, in part through community funding. They have a turnstile to prevent vehicles or equipment from getting in, but the stadium (community funded - not the schools), and the track are always open.

  • God are you a sissy

    Anonymous Poster

    8 years ago 01/03/2016 2:41pm EST
    re: jamin

    jamin wrote:

    Tried to do a track workout today, while schools are on break. Thought it would be the perfect time. All the high schools in town had their tracks closed off. I was going to hop the fence but the sign said that doing so would be trespassing and violators would be prosecuted. I don't get it.

    Do you really think they will prosecute you for running on a track? Just say you live in the community and wanted to use the track. I do it almost every day and no one says a word. Actually one time someone did and I said I forgot my key and that I have a permit to use it. No one was there as it was mid summer and the person (I think tennis coach) dropped it.

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