The soccer field at Clinton’s Royal Lane Park used to have a problem with vehicles in the adjacent parking lot being damaged due to stray soccer balls. Silas Bradley decided to make it his mission to correct that problem.
Bradley constructed a backstop system behind the soccer net in order to keep soccerballs from flying over into the parking lot. He finished constructing the giant net in August. He had the help of Jonathan Allen, the City of Clinton’s Recreation and Parks director.
“I would like to thank Mr. Allen from the Parks and Rec department for helping me make this happen,” Eagle Scout Bradley stated.
Bradley is from Troop 80 and he received his Eagle Scout rank upon completion of the project.
The Boy Scouts Eagle Award is the highest award that can be given within the Boy Scouts. A member of Scouts BSA can earn more than 150 awards, from rank advancement, merit badge or individual awards. The Clinton City Council extended a congratulations to Bradley recently along with best wishes.
“It could really cause a danger for balls that were kicked over to cause damage to cars,” Bradley explained. It was additionally a “danger for children who might chase their ball into the parking area,” he noted.
Bradley saw this danger and decided to work with Allen to prevent it from being a recurring one. Allen was able to help the Eagle Scout measure the area and decide the spacing for the large backstop net. Allen also provided any answers to questions that Bradley had during the project and was the one who approved for it to be set up.
Allen discussed the backstop’s installation with City manager, Tom Hart, who agreed to the project.
“This system consists of four holes that needed to be dug and there’s poles that hold a net that create the backstop,” Bradley explained.
The poles stand 20 feet into the air and the City of Clinton was able to provide an auger to help the small team drill four holes into the ground between the soccer field and the parking area. They are essentially flag poles to which the net is connected and can be raised or lowered depending on the need. The net expands 60 feet across the field.
“The good thing about it is the type of netting system that can be taken down during the winter,” Allen explained.
Plus the net can last anywhere from two to five years.
After the soccer season is officially over, the net will be taken down in order to preserve it during the winter months. It only takes two people to take the netting down since it is hoisted up like a flag. The net will go back up once soccer returns in January.
Bradley hopes the placement of the net will be an effective solution for the foreseeable future.
“There was a lot of damage that was occurring,” said Bradley, a soccer player himself. A goalkeeper, Bradley was often the one to retrieve any stray balls that went flying over the standard fence outlining the field.
More than just a net and poles, there are actually metal sleeves in the holes, into which the poles were placed. The sleeves make it possible for the system to be temporarily taken down as needed, such as weather conditions.
Bradley, with the help of fellow scouts, mixed concrete to surround the sleeves.
Allen explained that the system has been holding up well since its placement in August. The overall process took about 10 months starting from when the soccer player and would-be Eagle Scout first approached Allen with his safety idea. Since it was being installed on city property, there had to be approval before the project could be initiated.
“I think it turned out well. It is serving its purpose,” Allen stated. “We have gotten a lot of good public feedback so far.”
The net can be found at soccer field number three at Royal Lane Park.
“I really hope that it can continue to serve the city in the future,” Bradley explained.
The city provided Bradley with a commendation in response to his project, with Mayor Lew Starling recognizing the youngster’s hard work. He noted that the backstop project would serve the City of Clinton, as well as the Sampson County community.
