Lawrence senior Addison Battis stands between a pile of weeds and the damaged grass at the Lawrence field hockey field Aug. 16 in Fairfield. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

FAIRFIELD — By their senior year, high school athletes know the ins and outs of their home field. Addison Battis certainly does, much to her chagrin.

A Lawrence High School senior, Battis knows every blade of grass on the school’s field hockey field. Now, she barely recognizes the field, which is unplayable after scheduled work that began in late spring was never completed.

“Some people say we have a home-field advantage because we know where all the potholes are, but we honestly can’t even say that now because they’re everywhere,” Battis said. “It’s always been bad, but this is definitely the worst it’s been. It’s never been to the point where it’s unplayable.”

Earlier this spring, Maine School Administrative District 49 hired Sports Fields in Monmouth to reseed and level the field. The district paid Sports Field $5,479 on May 30 for the work, according to invoice documents provided to the Morning Sentinel through a public records request. On July 18, the district paid Sports Fields another $600 for more seed work. But by late summer the field was still bumpy, with weeds, dirt and large patches of dead grass throughout. On the south end, spots are visible in which grass seed was put down but failed to grow.

Now, less than a week before the regular season opens, the Bulldogs are without a home field, which has enraged some players, coaches and others in the program.

The team practiced at Purnell Wrigley Field, a youth baseball facility in Waterville, last week. The Bulldogs practiced at Colby College this week. During the optional summer program, the team played at Thomas College, which came at a cost. Lawrence field hockey booster Kim Niles said the club paid nearly $1,000 for those practices, which, coupled with another $1,000 spent on preseason tournaments, just about drained its funds.

Lawrence senior Addison Battis’ field hockey sticks are placed next to one of the many holes at the Lawrence field hockey field. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

“When we looked at the (Lawrence) field, we knew right then and there that no one had cared for it and that it was not going to be played on, and that’s when it set in that, like, no one cares,” she said. “We shed some light on it (at the Aug. 15 fall sports informational meeting), and the girls just let them know that they’re very upset; they feel like second class.”

A Sports Fields representative declined to answer questions about the Lawrence field work. Instead, the company directed all inquiries to Lawrence High.

Lawrence Athletic Director David Packard said the school called Sports Fields earlier this summer to raise concerns about the work.

“For some reason, (the grass) just did not come in,” he said. “We’ve called them and said, ‘Hey, it really doesn’t look good,’ and they said, ‘OK, we’ll come back and look at it.’” 

MSAD 49 Superintendent Roberta Hersom said in an email that the district did not have a contract with Sports Fields. She also said the district is doing all it can to make the high school field hockey field playable.

“While the district’s efforts to improve the condition of Lawrence High School’s field hockey field have not yet achieved the results we need, we continue the work to make the field playable,” Hersom wrote. “Though it is a disappointing situation for the team, their families and the school community that our LHS field hockey field is not ready for the start of the season, we are  fortunate that area high schools and local colleges and organizations have graciously agreed to help Lawrence. … At this time, we are prioritizing our efforts on getting the field in playable condition.”

Lawrence is now working with Turf Doctor in Augusta. The new company began work on the field this week with aeration, seeding and fertilizing. Scott Washburn, Lawrence High’s facilities director, said that an intense watering program “over the next several weeks” will be needed to restore the field to a playable level.

Washburn added that the school hopes to have the field ready for the field hockey team to play on later this season. But Packard acknowledged that there are still too many variables to know exactly when or if the field will be ready for play this fall.

Lawrence senior Addison Battis stands next to a pile of dirt and weeds on her team’s field Aug. 16 in Fairfield. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

The field situation has left many in the program frustrated, Lawrence field hockey coach Shawna Robinson said. The Bulldogs are slated to play three home games at Messalonskee and two at Thomas College. Sites for other home games are still to be determined.

“I texted (Packard) and asked him if we were going to have a field this summer so I could plan my summer things, and he said, ‘Yes, it shouldn’t be a problem,’” she said. “Well, I went down there in June, and I knew it was going to be a problem because I saw that they were doing construction on it. He texted me on (June 10) and said I would not have a place to practice once again, and I told him that was very unfortunate.”

In her 19 years with the Lawrence field hockey program, Robinson said she’s never felt the team had an adequate playing field. The grass at the field, she said, has never been cut to the proper specifications of an inch and a half in length. Although she said she’s raised those concerns in the past, the issue has persisted.

“The rulebook says it’s supposed to be an inch and a half long, and it never has been, and we’ve (raised those concerns),” Robinson said. “Me and Mr. Packard have had many conversations about that. I’ve had coaches from other schools comment on it, so I’ve brought that up.”

Senior Maddie Niles agreed with her coach.

“It’s never been right, and it’s hard because field hockey is a sport where the field makes a difference,” Niles said. “You need a certain playing surface to be able to execute the way you want to, and it’s just kind of frustrating for all of us girls because we see that even the practice football field is getting mowed before ours. It’s just very frustrating because we’ve proved ourselves — we’re a good team — and the school district doesn’t care too much, I guess.”

Some in the field hockey program said the inadequate playing field is part of a larger respect issue. Despite winning regional and Class B titles in 2022, the team does not have banners highlighting those accomplishments in the school’s Folsom Gymnasium.

“We never got anything for them; (the girls) ask where it is, and we’re told (by school officials that) it’s being made,” Robinson said. “It’s just so disheartening. … We get senior gifts every year, but (last year’s seniors) chose to donate it back to the program and have a sign made to hang under our scoreboard to say that we were state champions (in 2022). That shouldn’t come from them; it should come from the school, and it didn’t.”

Packard, though, said field hockey hasn’t been unfairly singled out in that regard. Lawrence is going through a new company, Wight’s Sporting Goods, for its most recent banners, and other title-winning teams — the 2023 Class A girls basketball and 2023 Class B North football teams — have also yet to receive banners. 

“They’re trying to duplicate the same work that the old company did so that it looks the same,” he said. “We need somebody that can be able to duplicate it. We’re not going to put anything up that doesn’t look exact; they need to be done right and look the same.”

The Bulldogs return several key players from last year’s 8-7 team, and they’re eager to see what they can do on the field — even if it’s not the one where they usually play their home games. Lawrence opens the season Thursday against Leavitt. The game is tentatively set to be played at Winslow High. 

“It’s a lot to deal with, and I think it’s definitely hard on us, but we’re a team that can persevere,” Maddie Niles said. “We’re just trying to think positively about the situation because going about it in a positive manner is the best thing we can do.”