We received an email this morning from the City of Allen regarding the illegal use of closed fields by Ultimate Frisbee players yesterday. This reflects extremely poorly on our entire community, and specifically on the burgeoning Allen League Community. The assumption is made, rightfully or wrongly, that league players were involved - because they were upset that league play for this week was cancelled. The city cancels fields after soaking rains during the early spring, because they were recently seeded (which is what makes such beautiful fields in the summer), and abuse of the soft fields can cause de-seeding and thousands of dollars in damage to city property.
City property. City rules. If you don’t like following city rules, the city will just enforce their rights to enforce their rules and start prosecuting the offenders.
Luckily, I’d like to think none of you were involved, and it was just one of the many roving bands of highschool or church group frisbee hooligans that dot the DFW landscape. I will be reassuring the city that no one in our community was involved, and more specifically this was not action by anyone in the Allen League that the city so graciously provides for us. They have been given our blessing and encouragement to begin handing out citations for trespassing and destruction of property to anyone using the fields without registering for them, and especially to anyone playing on explicitly closed athletic fields. Any league player found to be in violation will be immediately removed from the league permanently without discussion. No exceptions.
Renting the Allen Fields WITH LIGHTS is the most affordable option in the entire metroplex, and they are very accommodating for any would-be pickup players. If you need assistance in contacting the Parks and Recreation department to reserve fields, myself, Ryan Krutchfield, Tom Turner, or David Ringrose would all be more than willing to help. We would all even be more than willing to put a post about your pickup game on this website to help spread the word.
If you feel this is unfair or unreasonable, feel free to purchase your own frisbee fields and we will all come play on yours. Until that time, play by the rules or pay the price.
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Tom Richardson
214.240.7502