Athletic Fields

Russ Thompson, principal of Van Nuys High School, should be commended for taking a stand and showing he has backbone, a trait seldom seen by school district administrators and board members today (“Playing Fields for Youth,” Sept. 20). School athletic fields are outdoor classrooms and were never intended to be used by the public. City parks were designed for that purpose.

For years the school district hasn’t charged enough for the use of the school facilities. Where does the money go? Not to the individual school. Overuse of athletics fields amounts to abuse because of soil compaction, which is a killer to turf grass. Fulton Middle School’s field is a graphic example.

To say that the kids in the Valley Trojans are at risk is nonsense; all kids are at risk in these times.

Perhaps they should create their own fields, much like Little League has done.

RALPH L. EMERSON, Van Nuys