Chabot Spectator

Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Graham. Paige The discerning scowl of mens and womens soccer head coach Tony Igwe.

The Chabot soccer team is now going to be taking its act to the football field.

Starting in May, the Gladiator football field is going to begin undergoing renovation. What is the school going to do to the football field?

Green grassy atrificial turf will replace the real grass that has been a Chabot tradition for more than 40 years.

Adding soccer lines to the field will force the Chabot soccer and football teams to share the new field, a decision that was finalized by Chabot College President Robert Carlson.

Tony Igwe, the head coach both of Chabot's men and women's soccer team said that he was, "happy that the athletic director and dean are going to allow his soccer team to use the field."

Igwe added "At first they just wanted it to be a football field. They felt that the soccer lines, like the penalty box, would confuse some of the football players."

Athletic Division Dean Dale Wagoner commented on the issue saying "We're going to use blue lines on the field so that you rarely see them."

Wagoner added, "We also wanted to get the most use out of the field. There's form and there's function, we wanted to err on the side of function."

Wagoner also explained "The project began as a $1.2 million project, funded by the Measure B fund; now it's coming in at about $1.4."

Danny Calcagno, the head coach for the Gladiators football team, said, "I'm happy that the soccer team will allow the football team to play on the new Astroturf field."

Calcagno added, "On a personal level, I'd prefer the new field just be used for football because the field is a football field, not a soccer field, but again, I'm just happy that we are going to be using it and that the soccer team is letting us use it."

Besides using the field for just Chabot soccer and football Igwe wants the new field to be used for the community.

Igwe told the Spectator "During the spring and summer, club teams can come, rent, and use the new field. This will make money for the college." Igwe is also excited that his soccer teams will be able to play later games under the lights.

Igwe said "Most of the games start at 4 p.m. Now we can schedule late games and this will allow the parents of the players to come after work and watch their kids play."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools