A The Lady in the Soccer Suit Story:
Turf fields for soccer, football, and other sports have become ubiquitous in the last ten years. I miss the perfectly manicured Bermuda grass fields of yesteryear. Every now and again, I referee in a park with few left. Turf means kids and adults play in all kinds of weather, even pouring down rain. My two-woman Boys JV game with my buddy, Julie Whittington, was in the rain the whole match, and the temperature was 48 degrees. It's not my favorite time to be on the pitch with remnants of the Florida hurricane because we have mostly sunny days in Mid-Atlantic Maryland, so I grin and bear it as much as possible during these kinds of days (we referees have to, it's part of the gig).
The biggest thing on the pitch is player safety - especially on rainy or snowy days. The ball skips all over the place, and players hit the ground more often.
Thankfully, the game ended well, with all players intact and standing strong. Julie had to head up to the stadium for a varsity match, and I couldn't wait to get home for a hot shower, a cup of hot chocolate, and a bag of microwave popcorn as I snuggled on the sofa with a heavy quilt to watch a little TV!
bSoleille!
Terri
