Sports Teams to Limit Use of Lighted Fields

Youth and adult sports teams could be shifting their nighttime practice locations and times midseason under a new energy-saving schedule put together Monday by the Irvine Sports Committee.

The threat of rolling blackouts and escalating energy costs prompted city officials to ask the committee to look at ways to cut back on energy use, including a plan to consolidate practices so there are fewer lighted fields in use during peak evening hours, said Chuck Reid, community services superintendent.

Youth soccer season is winding down, and adult softball teams are getting geared up for play, he said. To avoid using all the city’s 20 lighted playing areas on any given night, officials are asking the soccer teams getting ready for playoff or all-star games to share lighted fields for practice.

Adult softball games scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. will instead start at 7:45 or 8 p.m. to avoid using field lights when electricity is in high demand, Reid said.

“All we’re doing is consolidating teams onto fewer fields,” he said. “They’ll still be playing, but we’ll save on energy use between 4 and 8 p.m., which seems to be the most critical times.”