Amory Park off-limits to unofficial sports

The warm weather ushers in springtime for all, but for Boston University students that frequent Amory Park, it also brings warnings from Brookline officials.

The Parks and Open Space Division of Brookline placed new signs at the entrance of Amory Park, stating that anyone looking to play an organized sport needs to obtain a permit through the Recreation Department for the use of any athletic facilities.

Brookline Parks and Open Spaces Director Erin Gallentine said this policy has been in effect for over 10 years, but BU students have not been cooperating with the town-wide rule.

“I hate to say this, but the problems have been primarily BU students, and I’m sure it’s because of [the school’s] location,” she said.

Rangers take down names and information of groups and found that nearly all of the sports user groups have been BU students, Gallentine said.

“I understand BU doesn’t have much open space, but organized sports could damage the park and the field,” she said.

There have also been instances where BU students were using Amory Park, even when the fields were closed, she said.

“We keep our fields closed when they’re wet and can cause long-term damage,” she said.

“On April 2, 21 people were playing on the closed field, which was still wet from the two storms. Nineteen out of the 21 students were from BU. The park was closed to everybody and they disregarded it.”

The Town of Brookline has invested over half a million dollars in Amory field, renovating the park over the last year and a half, Gallentine said.

Gallentine’s records show that this year rangers reported students from BU-associated club teams, including the Ultimate Frisbee, lacrosse, baseball and soccer teams, have been found playing sports without permits.

Eight to 10 BU students were playing football at Amory without a permit after being kicked off of BU’s Nickerson Field, Gallentine said.

“We have had repeated problems with organized activities happening at Amory Park, getting complaints at town meetings, complaints from dog walkers in the morning,” she said. “We have had our park ranger patrolling the area trying to inform that there is a process that [people] need to adhere to.”

A permit, obtained by calling the Recreation Dept. directly, costs $40 for a two-hour block, but fees are being reevaluated, said Gallentine.

Jordan Lavy, a College of General Studies sophomore and member of the Women’s Rugby Team, said she feels there are too few options for BU team sports players.

“Varsity teams get authority over campus fields, which makes complete sense, but it’s hard playing a full-contact, outdoor sport and having to practice in the gym,” she said. “We have a lot of rookies who didn’t know how to tackle and luckily we got Nickerson for the time being, but it’s a park, you should be able to go there.”

Lavy says there is a lapse in communication among the varsity and club sports divisions, which contributes to the lack of field space on-campus.

However, Lavy said she understands Gallentine’s sentiment toward protecting the park.

“You can’t have sports teams tear up the field, especially when it’s wet, and you need people to enjoy it for their own pleasure,” she said.

CAS senior Cameron Weil said that the money Brookline requires for people to play sports on the field is nothing compared to what some college students spend on their other weekend activities.

“I think a team of six kids can afford a $40 permit &- that’s like paying for a beer per person from Sunset Cantina,” he said. “If that’s all it takes for the park to be kept in good enough shape for all to enjoy it, it’s worth it to me.”

Weil also said that students should think about the damage that their activities can have on something that doesn’t belong to them.

“I think you should have a permit to play a lot of games,” he said. “Kids are idiots and have little respect for things that aren’t theirs to pay for, especially if someone else has to clean it up and fix what mess was made.”