Almost all of the Clague athletic campus has been swallowed up by construction, which will affect Season four sports greatly. Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) recently started their construction on the new Logan Elementary, and fenced the perimeter of the grassy area off of Clague Street, making the soccer field, softball field and the Cougar Trail unavailable to Clague athletics. Plans have been made to accommodate this construction so the sports affected can continue to function this season.
The sports affected by this change are Women’s Soccer and Softball, as well as Track and Field. Soccer and Softball have been moved off site, and Track has been moved to other parts of the athletic campus and occasionally inside because of the weather.
Women’s Softball has been moved to the current Logan Elementary, where they walk to before each practice.
“Softball won’t play any games here at Clague due to construction, (and) as a result, for this season all of their games will be played at the opponent’s field,” Clague Athletic Director Brandon Copeland said. “So, Clague Softball will not play as the home team this season. It would help if players had their own catcher’s gear, softball gloves, bats, cleats, and helmets if they have them. We will provide some of the items mentioned earlier, but don’t have a surplus. So, if athletes bring their own, it helps out a lot.”
Because of this change in practice location, it will also affect the students at Logan. The fourth and fifth graders will now have to have their afternoon recess in the playground at the front of the school instead of the back because that is where the Softball team will be practicing. The front playground is meant to be for the younger grades and is smaller, which is not sufficient for the older grades.
Women’s Soccer has also been affected by this construction, with the entirety of the soccer fields being fenced off and leveled for the building of the new Logan.
“Huron High School was kind enough to allow us to create a soccer field on their freshman practice football field,” Copeland said. “Our Cougars women’s soccer team not only practices at Huron but will also play all of their home games there.”
Although Track and Field will still practice at Clague, they too have been affected by the construction because the construction has taken the Cougar Trail, the usual site of their practices.
“We have lost the Cougar Trail due to the ongoing construction project. The original plan was for the track teams to hold practice at A2 Steam, but the coaches have come together and devised a safe way to practice here at Clague,” Copeland said. “Therefore, for the rest of the season, the track teams will practice here at CMS.”
Although all the construction has affected season four sports in many ways, Clague coaches, staff and administrators have worked hard to find a way for these sports to happen and were able to make a successful plan for these sports to participate in season four athletics.
