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Yes it was raining hard, yes the fields were most likely crap. But lets talk about notification. The captains didn't receive any notice, the couple people I talked to that signed up for the weather notifications received nothing, the website still says all games are ON but there is a notice on Facebook stating the games for 3 and 5 are canceled posted at 2:56.
This systems sucks. I would suggest that there be a Ref or league rep in charge on the field and that the Ref or rep in charge have a way to access that phone notification system or have the number to someone who does. And if possible to make that call so the people coming for the next starting time could be contacted before they left. And I would further suggest that there should be at least one player on each team required to be signed up to that service AND have contact info for that team. |
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| yeah Ive been signed up for the weather update system since beginning of last season and I have yet to receive a text with a rain out notification. |
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I would have to agree on this one.
I understand that it is a tough situation for the league to cancel games in the middle of the day, when 3 of the 5 timeslots were able to play.
We were scheduled for the 3:00 pm game so I knew that we would most likely have to drive to the field only to find out the game would be canceled. The referees at Parkwood mentioned that the last 20 minutes of the 1:15pm game were unbearable. I'm guessing that at that point in time, the refs and league were prepared to cancel all remaining games.
If an email/RainedOut update/twitter update/Facebook update was sent out at that time, it could have saved some people a trip. But I know canceling games due to weather isn't an exact science - no one is going to be happy no matter what decision is made. |
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| That's just it. I agree with the games being canceled. Our dirt fields would have been shit. I just think we could make better use of the technology that is available. A person in charge makes the decision, a phone call/text is made and captains/ team reps are notified in a timely mater. My players driving to the empty fields from New Jersey, Huntingdon Valley, Manayunk and Feasterville could have saved themselves a long drive in the rain. |
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If you were at the Captain's meeting you would have heard me say that I am phasing out the phone service in favor of twitter. It's much faster and much easier.
That being said, the reason Facebook said 2:56 is because that's precisely when we decided to cancel the games.
The weather is unpredictable and a lot can happen during a long car ride to the fields.
How would any other technology saved your teammates a car ride if we decided just before 3 pm to cancel?
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Had we canceled the 9, 11, and 1 games people would be on here complaining that it wasn't raining.
And re the homepage- if you were able to get online to see the homepage then why couldn't you go to twitter like I asked and see that the games were canceled? |
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I have a recommendation for all of those without smart phones / internet access on their cell phones.
You can sign up to receive text / SMS messages from Twitter. So if you follow @CasaSoccer, you will receive a text message update the minute CASA makes decisions public.
The directions for setting up the text / SMS account are here - http://support.twitter.com/articles/63660
Even if you already have a twitter account, you can establish a new account linked to your phone number. |
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I saw the home page and Facebook post after I got home.
No Tech in the world could have helped if you waited til we were there or should have been there to cancel.
Again, not bitching about the games being canceled. Just wish there was a better notification system in place and it could have been done a little sooner.
Which brings us to the captains meeting and twitter. I was not there and my co-cap didn't mention this. If this works as fast as promised it sounds like a step in the right direction. Perhaps the weather notification system taking up space on our homepage should be removed and replaced it with the basic Twitter info?
And my apologizes are offered. I didn't have all the info then that I have now. |
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If mid-day games are still being played before the decision to cancel the remaining games, I don't see how the notification could have came earlier for the 3:00 games. It was inconvenient that the rain picked up like it did. I do think that maybe an onsite referee could have decided to finish the game while notifying organizers that the rest would be unplayable. Regardless of cancellation timing, we set aside these hours to play soccer anyway. It really sucked having to get up to the field just to turn around, but if it wasn't raining, I would have played soccer for much longer than it took me to drive home.
I wonder if the draft for "Games Cancelled pt 3" is being written. |
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Just spoke to Ryan. The weather radar looks terrible. The forecast calls for an inch of rain tonight with rain and thunderstorms in the morning and afternoon.
He REALLY wants to play, but may call it tonight if we are forced to.
The bad thing for the morning is that even if we avoid the a lot of rain tonight, the radar shows the thunderstorms hitting in the morning... |
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| I feel as though games were definately playable today. Little kids make us look bad a bunch of grown men afraid of a little rain. I havent been to the mudpits personally to look but fields by me were definately playable and resorted to playing some pickup ball instead. I feel the super early cancellation was a bit too premature just bc those complained so mu h about the cancellations last week |
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I don't think it was playing in rain that caused the cancellation. Our fields hardly have any grass on them. After the rain Friday night they were most likely mud and dangerous to play on. Perhaps if the fields were pitched and grass covered we could have played but they are not.
And you are dead on Eryk, pt 3 will not be from me. |
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| plus mike forgot to mention he lives across the bridge in jersey haha.. the fields were crap.. someone took a look for me at 3pm and said they were waterlogged so no.. playing on them would not have been possible |
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| Hence y do we pay all this money to play on crap fields. Id gladly pay more to play on decent grass covered fields |
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| Because almost all the city owned fields are crap. There are a few around that are decent but they have been locked up by a couple youth organizations and they have dibs on them. The league does have some sort of fund raising thing going on to secure better fields but I'm not up on the details and would guess that dream is still a ways off. |
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| Mark Dennison wrote: | | Because almost all the city owned fields are crap. There are a few around that are decent but they have been locked up by a couple youth organizations and they have dibs on them. The league does have some sort of fund raising thing going on to secure better fields but I'm not up on the details and would guess that dream is still a ways off. |
Mark is on point with this one. Most of the fields are unavailable in the area due to youth teams for UJSL, ICSL, MAPS, PAGS, State Cups, Region 1 leagues. I have contacted various clubs and securing a field is near impossible for the capacity of our league(s). Plus some locations require more than what the CASA Waiver agreement stipulates.
The primera division was lucky to get Parkwood this year. In the past, I was given a firm NO, so there must be a new President this year at the club.
The rain is not the issue... it's what the 7 hours of pounding on the field does to its overall condition. The divots/bumpy surface caused during rainy conditions make the fields shitty after the day is over and it all dries up. Most of the youth fields in the city have volunteers that maintain them, so you won't find many decent venues.
If anyone has suggestions to a playable field in a good location, please throw it up on the forum.
http://www.philadelphiaspeaks.com/forum/northeast-philadelphia/17458-new-soccer-stadium-holmesburg.html
The above link is something that hopefully could apply to CASA in the distant future. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
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| There are numerous fids to play in nj that ive seen unoccupied on saturdays. It seems as though playing in nj is an issue to most people bc they r all from pa yet i make the 45 min drive every weekend to play bus bridge toll. I feel i could inquire for the league if theyd like at some of these locations |
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| Also they have 9 fields there. iwhich would mean the games wouldnt have to be spaced out as much. Wed be able to have fewer gamestimes throughout the day so early n late times could be elimanated. Just a suggestion. my teamates and i have practiced here and like them. They are right off 295 in nj. |
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| Also they have 9 fields there. iwhich would mean the games wouldnt have to be spaced out as much. Wed be able to have fewer gamestimes throughout the day so early n late times could be elimanated. Just a suggestion. my teamates and i have practiced here and like them. They are right off 295 in nj. |
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| Also they have 9 fields there. iwhich would mean the games wouldnt have to be spaced out as much. Wed be able to have fewer gamestimes throughout the day so early n late times could be elimanated. Just a suggestion. my teamates and i have practiced here and like them. They are right off 295 in nj. |
where at in NJ? |
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| West deptford. Literally right off exit 20 of 295. The fields are quality i think. Not sure on price and insurance issues though |
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