Last Saturday, I texted the lacrosse team, hopped in my car, and drove to Christ Church. After a tough loss the day before, our team wanted to get some extra practice in. We decided to have an optional practice on Linda Reeves Field. We asked our coaches and got permission to practice on Sunday. You would expect the school to support this sort of thing, right? A bunch of high-school students doing more than they are required to so they can better represent the school is what Christ Church should stand for; however, our efforts were quickly stopped by school security.

CESS currently has a policy that students may not use the fields to practice without a coach or parent with the students. This policy presents a problem. Coaches and parents, many of whom have jobs, can’t take two hours out of their already busy day to watch students practice. Students, on the other hand, often have an abundance of free time over breaks and weekends and would like to use that time to practice the sport they play.

Other schools in Greenville, such as J.L. Mann, have a very different policy. Students at J.L. Mann may go to their practice field without a chaperone and practice whenever they want. This is the sort of policy that CCES should adopt. Students who want to get extra practice in should be encouraged by the school, not against the rules.

One of the reservation administrators may have about opening up the fields to Christ Church students is the possibility of injury, and the resulting lawsuit. While injury is highly unlikely at a shoot around the possibility does exist and it would be insane to assume that some parents wouldn’t sue the school. Their is also the risk that some students could vandalise the field, equipment, or other school property.

I would like to propose that Christ Church opens its fields to all CCES to use, but with several conditions. Firstly, while on the field without a chaperone, students are responsible for their own actions and bodies. Students must get a signed form from a parent that holds students and parents responsible for an injury, not the school. This will protect CCES from a lawsuit if someone gets hurt at school.

Students must also tell their coach when they will be using the field and how long they will be their. In the event that school property is damaged, coaches will have a record of who was using the field and equipment.

This is only one proposal for how to allow students to use the fields, and I’m sure that their are many others; however it remains true that CCES should change its policy. Hopefully, students will be able to come to Christ Church to get extra practice.