AU clubs and intramurals are going to lose field space on the Tenley campus as the Washington College of Law transitions to its new location.
The University plans to add two buildings to Tenley campus, The Eagle previously reported. Either building could be placed where the soccer field is currently located, according to Ryan Amato, the intramural sports coordinator for AU. It is also possible that the buildings will be placed on a portion of the field, which will make the field too small to practice on, Amato said.
“Green space has been designed into the Washington College of Law Tenley Campus plans,” Maralee Csellar, associate director of media relations, said in an email. “However, there will not be a playing field for organized sports. All intramural, pickup sports and other organized sporting activities will take place on fields to be determined.”
When the soccer field is demolished, club and intramural sports will both use Jacobs Field for practice, because it will be the only field for everyone to practice on, David Shirbroun, frisbee team captain and junior in the School of Public Affairs, said.
Club and intramural sports teams, including soccer, rugby and frisbee currently use the soccer field on Tenley campus.
The AU men’s frisbee team uses the field on Tenley about three times a week in the fall, Shirbroun said. Currently, the team is using Jacobs Field and Fort Reno Park, located in Tenleytown, he said.
The Massachusetts Avenue fields, located near the current Washington College of Law campus, are also available to AU club and intramural teams but has limited availability, according to Amato.
While some members of intramural and club sports believe moving the law school was a good idea, they feel that the athletic facilities need to be fixed because club and intramurals do not get anything from the University, said Thaddeus Baringer, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences and the captain of the men’s rugby team.
“I just hope the University knows what it’s doing,” Shirbroun said.
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