End zone view of Witter Street Fields, shown here as Ireton's boys lax practice on a blustery February afternoon.
Alexandria’s Witter Street fields opened to Bishop Ireton and the public Wednesday as the boys lacrosse teams took to the new artificially turfed pitch to begin tryouts for the 2013 season.
“This is just great!” gushed Ireton head coach, Jon Reed as the more than 50 boys worked out on their first day of tryouts. “You can’t beat this, I’ve never had so much space to work with,” added junior varsity head coach, Mike Blaine.
The Witter Street project is more than ten years in the making, part of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project. Because of that association, the normal process of construction was even more complex. The fields were built to address the City’s loss of Jones Point fields with the construction of the new bridge. The current park has two rectangular, artificially turfed playing fields, a Bermuda grass softball field on the far east end of the complex, and approximate 100 vehicle parking lot on the far west end of the facility. Once the project was completed, the ownership was transferred to the Virginia Department of Transportation, who then went through the process of transferring the control to the City of Alexandria. Just adding the scoreboards from Ireton required a request for a change to the scope of the project to be sent to Richmond.
Lights are another important addition to the recreational space that sits behind Duke Street businesses such as the Land Rover dealership and the animal hospital on the north side of the park and the railroad lines on the south side. Two scoreboards donated by the Bishop Ireton Athletic Booster Club remain in the City’s warehouse awaiting award of an installation contract.
“Our boosters donated the scoreboards last May,” commented Ireton athletic director Bill Simmons. “I know it is driving them nuts at the City parks and rec offices, the contract to install the scoreboards is still not awarded, the traffic signs have not been installed, but the turf has been completed for nearly a year. No one knows how much these fields are needed more than our friends in the City recreation business.”
While the playing areas on the rectangular fields was finished some time ago, the Bermuda grass has been carefully grown, the pavilions, including heated rest rooms, are now completed, and the lights carefully aligned to light the fields but not the neighboring living areas. The streets and parking areas are finished, though signs to direct traffic flow remain to be placed. There are no plans for seating areas in the park, but officials envision player benches on the north side of the field and spectators to sit along the south side of the fields, noting they will not have to cross the fields and will be closer to rest room facilities and pavilions.
“One key aspect for our excited community is to be aware of the traffic plan.” said Simmons. “When you enter the park, a lot for parking will be on your right. Fans can park on the right side of the street around the fields, but traffic is one way flowing into the park and round the fields in a counterclockwise manner. You come in and go down past the softball field and back up the north side (Duke Street) of the drive to return to the Witter Street entrance.”
Ireton will have use on the west field which is the closest field to the parking area from 3-6pm Monday through Friday in the spring. That field is lined for soccer, girls and boys lacrosse. TC Williams will have girls soccer on the east field and the Titans will call the new softball field home for the 2013 season.
“It’s been a long time coming.” said Simmons. “This is going to a big help to our spring and fall athletic teams, in fact, this was the biggest factor in our ability to add field hockey to the athletic program. The City of Alexandria and Mac Slover in the recreation office has been unbelievably supportive of Bishop Ireton on this project and with all our programs. We really owe them a big ‘thank you’!”
Processing your request, Please wait....
