*Soccer Players*

[Hector Herrera]

Although I am very fond of the soccer game itself, I just don't like it when I am flying my kites and they just come and start playing on top of my lines or area where I am. Last Saturday, a coach and a bunch of kids came and started practicing, right next to my Patriotic Rev. I landed my kite just to keep the lines low and told the man to move over to the next side of the field, wich it was completely empty...They had 3/4 of empty field to play, but instead they just came over me. I did not give up an inch and after a few shoutings they left to the other side.
I guess, we kite flyier should get more information about "who has the right of way or the right to play"
By this I mean, we should go to the park authorities or whom ever is in charge of an specific park and ask them about the rules or regulations "if any". I am pretty sure that they will say: whoever was there first gets the right to play, but what to do if the players get over you? That's the question.-
This also applies to american football players which are the same as abusive as the others or worse.
Or live with it...

[Jeff]

It's a familiar scene.

I was at a park in my subdivision, it's a very large park. In the late afternoon, several teams of soccer players showed up and started setting up goals and cones. I was all the way at one corner of the area. Some guy starts setting up right under my kite, then walks over to inform me that he has the area reserved. I asked where one might go to get such a reservation, and he told me the Park District. I asked if it was this corner of the field in particular, and he admitted that it wasn't that specific. Well. I had been there a while, and I was getting ready to leave anyway, but as I indicated that I would, I noted to the person that there was about half of this field completely empty. You could have had several teams practice on the south half of this huge space without interfering with each other. There was no reason at all to push me out of my corner. I was a bit ticked off at the lack of common courtesy.

[TheBigKiteGuy]

As annoying as soccer players / coaches are, (especially those with paint) , I prefer them to the rugby players. The rugby players are more aggressive, more in your face and most importantly, always seem to be drunk.

[Babbman]

eave anyway, but as I indicated that I would, I noted to the person that there was about half of this field completely empty. You could have had several teams practice on the south half of this huge space without interfering with each other. There was no reason at all to push me out of my corner. I was a bit ticked off at the lack of common courtesy.

All the commons have become rares...

common courtesy? Gone...
common sense? Gone...

It's all about ME and what I want... screw everyone else as they are not as important as ME!

People seem to go out of their way to be asses to others and when it comes to kids sports, they are very large asses. You were flying a 'kite'... they were doing something MANLY...

It's rather interesting the emphasis and importance that is placed on sports... we just recently had a referendum for raising taxes for the schools here... the entire 6 months before hand were a series of threats if the referendum didn't pass... teachers would be fired, classes cut, after school programs would be cut... but no where was there a mention that any sports programs would be cut or modified. God help us if THAT happened or if those who participate should bear the costs...

[Chris]

As much as a pain as the soccer players can be, they are the reason for some of the great flying areas we have. That being said, do not underestimate the influence of park district soccer moms!! They WILL win in the long run, and we will LOSE! I have seen it happen in the RC community. A local AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) sanctioned field, was recently pushed out from there leased property after a couple of accidents (a plane crashed near a soccer game, shouldn't of happened but it did) and the soccer moms created such a stir with park district officials, that they refused to renew their lease, after twenty something years at that field!

We must learn to work with those folks, or we may find ourselves with fewer places to fly!

[Draftnik]

We must learn to work with those folks, or we may find ourselves with fewer places to fly!

Eggxactly!

Just talked to our park district while I was there. The gal there said that some of the sports rent the fields for practice and games. News to me, that anyone pays for these fields! As paying customers they get pick of the fields. She acknowledged that some folks can just be total asses about it. She also explained that some just have a preference for a particular field and although it's not part of the rental agreement with them, they do have the right to use the field of their choice.

Also, in looking over the AYSO site quick, they have some concerns about the lack of availible field space. I never would have thunk that! So part of what we're encountering might be a sense of possiveness by people in these orgs that are trying to hold onto the fields they do have.

'Nother interesting thing I found this morning was the AYSO list of sponsors. They got some BIG names on that list! But they're not listed in the resources for Illinois State Parks. That could mean their tapping into the parks at national levels? Or are well enough funded the work on different level with the parks?

Thought maybe some of the would shed some light for others.

[Babbman]

We must learn to work with those folks, or we may find ourselves with fewer places to fly!

Maybe not a matter of how to work with them (as that would imply that they are willing to work with us and I'm willing to bet that THAT will never happen) but how to quickly get out of their way and not piss them off?

I just do not see them compromising on the field and space they believe that they own. And, I'm curious to know what the long time fliers have run into with team sports and especially non-team invasion of your flying area?

Now I am not an ass... contrary to my thoughts... if I am flying somewhere and I see the soccer hoard coming near, I pack up and move or go somewhere else... I don't care for confrontation (unless I'm driving) and I don't like to cause a fuss, especially in a situation that I will always lose

[Jeff]

I'm certainly not interested in getting into fights over it, but I just can't imagine if the roles were reversed doing the same thing as the guy did to me.

If I was a soccer coach, and arrived at a huge field that other people were using a few small sections of, I would simply go to the wide open half of the field that was open and available rather than set up right under a person that was already there, and not bothering anybody. How hard is that?

For example, here is a rough depiction...the red area is me, and the green areas were totally empty. (I love Google Maps )

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& ... 05236&z=18

[akillip]

Well golfers are just as bad, many times we have been flying at one end of the park then begin hearing the thud of impacting golf balls. The city has a driving range just a mile away but they come and hit the balls one way, then hit them back the other way. Most golfers leave with fewer balls than they came with. I'll gather them up and put them in the kite string bag, the golfers see them but they have never asked for them back. During baseball season the baseball players use the area for warm ups before they play there real game. We usually stand our ground, I don't understand why with a park with acres of area to play in they always start hitting balls right where we are setting. Thats my peeve.

[Babbman]

Well golfers are just as bad,

I have a golfer peeve also... in Lisle where I fly at lunch time, there is a driving range less than a mile away. BUT, there is 1 guy who refuses to use it and completely takes over the park and I mean all of it... he is a terrible shot and even if I am standing there flying, he will come right up and just start hitting balls... extremely rude and ridiculous...

[akillip]

Perhaps you should start a golf ball collection.

[Knoted4ever]

i flew my quad, for the first time, at the soccer fields at Bourbonnais. It took me a while to set it up. Winds were very calm and steady for the whole day... just perfect for an SUL. i was flying it, landed it nose down a couple of times, and was able to turn it around and fly away... which seemed cool. However, not five minutes went by... and suddenly the winds came in like the devilish, blustery winds of Jupiter (and stayed that way)... and i had to put the thing away. It was as if a higher intelligence was telling me to stay away from 4-liners! (Tee-hee!)

Afterwards, i flew one of my dualies... soccer players then poured in in droves (and practiced there right by me)... and i politely asked them if they would like me to move to the next area. They stated that no, i was alright right were i was. Later, as i was leaving, a couple of high school boys came up and said that the flying was cool and wished that i could stay longer. When i told them about IKE... they did not seem at all interested, however. My dealings with soccer players has been very pleasant so far!

[Jim Foster]

Last week the park officials planted trees in the middle of the field where we fly and kites have been flown for many years. They did it to keep the soccer players from messing up the grass. We have a meeting with the park officials tomorrow at the park. They want to see a kite demo, and learn just how the trees adversely affect kite flying.

Stay tuned!

Jim

[Mike]

Is this the Costa Mesa park?

[Jim Foster]

You've got it. We are more than upset. If I said what I think, well you can figure that out. Totally politcally incorrect. Totally.

Our meeting is at 2 this afternoon. I'll post again after our meeting.

[Jim Foster]

Well, we met at the park with the "powers that be". Lynn and I flew our Revs and Rod Milburn put up a nice large Rok. We talked and discussed, discussed and talked for over an hour. Long story short, they said they will remove five of the forty trees. The five are the ones bordering the remaining flying area. This will allow one flyer on 100 foot lines to do whatever they want to. It should allow a team up to, maybe, four, to fly if they are careful where they stand. If more want to fly, we will have to take turns.

Look at the bright side. It promotes "team flying".

What a bunch of you know what. All because of a gang of soccer players who tear up the grass and don't follow the rules of the park. Makes me ill.

Jim

[Jim Foster]

Update....

Yesterday they removed the five trees.

Jim

[Nick]

well in most cases it would be all about where u r flying if u r flying at a school then the kids should have the right t be there even if u were there first b\c it was made for them to play on by the school but it u were at a park state park or a town park i belive then it should be who ever is there first unless a game was schuled there \\\\ i am a kite flyer and i am a football player so that is what i think