For the softball and both the mens’ and womens’ tennis teams, this season has been unusually stressful due to the construction, which forced all three teams to play all of their games away or at alternative sites.
With construction leaving a portion of the southwest side of the campus in shambles, members of all three teams have found it difficult to adjust to practicing and playing away from campus.
“We have had a tough time adjusting,” Blair Brooks, freshman catcher for the softball team, said. “It has been difficult, changing fields every day.”
The softball team practiced and played at Alondra Park at the beginning of the season, but switched to George H. Freeman Park, which is located in Gardena, a few blocks north of Target, midway through the season. The tennis teams practiced at North High School in Torrance and played all of its matches on the road.
“Harbor College was our first choice (for using a softball field), but logistically it just did not make sense; I was also surprised at how much Harbor wanted to charge us,” Rory Natividad, athletic director, said.
Despite having a new softball facility, Harbor College does not have a softball team.
Harbor wanted to charge EC $500 per day to use its facility.
While Alondra Park did not charge EC to use its fields, Freeman Park was the best option of the two locations because the fields were kept in better condition, and it provided a safer atmosphere.
“Fields are tough to come by, as there are few open fields and few very good fields,” Natividad said, “Although Gardena is charging us $300 per week to use Freeman park, it is still a lot less than the normal rate to use any field.”
The choice to move the softball and tennis teams’ facilities for the construction of the new structure was because of the locations of the playing areas.
“I think it was because of the convenience of our area being next to the parking lot,” Adam Von Arx, assistant coach for the team, said. “In the long run, it will be good because they will build new courts and have better lighting, but, unfortunately, most of us will not be here to see it.”
The deal for the tennis courts came from a debt owed by North High for using the college’s swimming pools for the past three years.
“We’ve been able to offer them our pools the last three years,” Natividad said. “We’ve been prepared for this two years ago, we were prepared to make the move.”
Although it has been inconvenient for the team, the faculty of North has been very helpful, providing parking and its courts for the team to play on.
“North has been very cooperative, giving us storage space and access to the courts; it hasn’t been a problem whatsoever,” Steve VanKanegan, tennis coach, said. “Parking has been no problem, but the commute for me is a little bit longer.”
Players from all three teams have mixed emotions about playing all of their games away from the campus.
“Last year, we played on EC’s courts with its good surfaces,” Keith Boggero, No. 3 player on the team, said. “At North, the surfaces are very bad, and the wind conditions have been terrible.”
Sophomore pitcher Ginger Martinez said that she is envious of the team that plays on the new softball field.
“I feel like I am going to be missing out,” Martinez said. “I am jealous of the players who get to play on the new softball field.”
The coaches of all three teams are grateful for the all the work Natividad has done in finding them a place to practice and play while the affected areas are under construction.
“Natividad has done nothing but back flips for us to make the transition as smooth as possible,” Susie Calderon, softball coach, said.
While construction is not expected to be completed until May 2009, Natividad said he is confident that the teams can compete and win on any field or court they play on until then.
“You have to adapt in athletics,” Natividad said. “If a pitcher throws you a curveball, you have to be able to hit it.”
