Current and Future Field Demands Utilizing the information gathered from the demographic summary, plus the analysis of existing fields and the input from the various stakeholders and user groups, the following summarizes the current and future field demands. Trends The City of Rowlett is in a similar situation as most cities in the United States where the demand for youth athletic fields is greater than the supply. However, the demand for fields tends to peak in the spring and early summer for diamond fields and in the fall for rectangular fields (football and soccer competing for the same fields). There are virtually no communities that have more developed athletic fields than they can schedule and use. Sports field development is trending to more “multi-purpose” field types, where space is limited, areas are not reserved for only one sport. The way a field area can be engineered and designed can lend to more multi-purpose use by paying close attention to light placement, grading and drainage, and sun angles. Multiple sports such as lacrosse, soccer, football, cricket, and ultimate frisbee can all be played on multipurpose field types. Standards There is no actual standard but many communities use a range of one diamond field and, rectangular field per 2,000 to as much as 6,000 of population. With this ratio, the City of Rowlett sits in the middle with a ratio of 1 diamond field per 3,100 of population and 1 rectangular field per 2,952 of population (counting only organized fields and not open areas) based on a 2017 City population of approximately 62,000. In most communities the primary concern is finding enough locations for youth field sports teams to practice more than it is having enough game fields. Recommendations Moving forward it is a recommendation of this Plan that the City of Rowlett conduct an in-depth Athletic Field Use and Demand Study with thorough user group participation. This study will go beyond the scope of this Plan and should explore current utilization rates, potential growth, tournament potentials, and financial implications of sports field development.
38 CITY OF ROWLETT
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