NEWS
July—September, 2014
Volume 1, Issue 3
Little League State Championship to be Played Here!
Inside this issue:
PJBL Signups Going
on Now!
like this one adds a whole new dimension to
our experience base. This will broaden our
appeal as a destination for baseball tournaments.” Chafin added that when the Sports
Complex first opened in 2011 it did host the
Little League tournament for 11-year olds.
2
Miracle Movers Field 2
to Open Sept. 20th
Clarks Creek Nat.
Closed thru Sept.
3
Annual Maintenance 3
to Close Rec Center
Tennis Courts Now
Feature PIckleball
3
Rec Center Calendar 4
June thru September
Splash Island Hours
Change August 6
The Little League Major Boys State Tournament is anticipated to draw 3,500 to 5,000
spectators in addition to the 14 teams.
4
Need more detailed
information?

Visit the Town’s website at
www.townofoplainfield.com

Pick up a copy of the Spring/
Summer 2014 Program
Guide!
The Al & Jan Barker Sports Complex was chosen to
host the event in part because of its ability to host
several games a once.
Plainfield will host the 2014 Little League
Major Boys State Tournament July 19-24. The
Al & Jan Barker Sports Complex has been
selected as the site for the tournament.
“We knew when we built the Complex that it
had the potential to host a big event like this,”
said Clay Chafin, Plainfield’s Director of Parks
& Recreation. “We’ve already demonstrated
it in soccer with two Westside United Invitational Tournaments under our belt. But now to
be able to host a prominent baseball event
Robin Brandgard, Town Council President, said
the tournament provides an opportunity to
show off Plainfield. “We anticipate many
families here for the tournament will visit
Splash Island, be exposed to our trail system,
eat in our restaurants, stay in our hotels, and
shop in our stores. We hope it will give them a
reason to return.”
The tournament is free and open to the public.
The winner will go onto the Great Lakes regional tournament, which will also be held in
the Indianapolis area, as Indiana’s representative.
The winner of the regional tournament then
advances to the nationally televised Little
League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Puppy Pool Party Returns September 6 & 7
While Splash Island closes to human visitors on Labor Day, that
doesn’t mean the party’s over. Canine friends have their chance
the next weekend. The 8th annual Puppy Pool Party will be September 6 & 7. Times for big dogs (over 35 pounds) and small
dogs (up to and including 35 pounds) will be staggered as in
previous years. See the Town’s website for additional information, including hours. Fees: Minimum $10.00 per dog. $7 will
support the town beneficent fund and $3 will support the Hendricks County Humane Society’s HOPE program (Help Over Population End) NOTE: All pets must have proof of current vaccinations the day of the event! Paper certificates are required –
RABIES TAGS ALONE ARE NOT ACCEPTED .
Plainfield Parks & Recreation News
Page 2
Plainfield Junior Basketball League Sign-ups Going on Now!
The Plainfield Junior Basketball League is now registering students who are either
residents of the Town of
Plainfield, are a part of the
Plainfield public school system, or attend St. Susanna
Catholic School. League play
will begin in November.
“This is the second year for
co-ed play,” said Clay
Chafin, Director of Parks &
Recreation. “We decided
last year that the interest in
girls’ basketball alone
wasn’t enough to run a fall
league exclusively for them,
so we are expanding the
The synthetic surface Miracle
Movers Field is being completed now and is set to
open on September 20 in
conjunction with the Quaker
Day festival.
“During the grand opening
ceremonies we’d like to introduce all the kids who have
signed up to play in the Miracle Movers League and let
them play an inning just for
fun,” said Clay Chafin, Director of Parks & Recreation.
“League play will then continue for the next three to
four weeks.”
The number of players will
be capped at 80. There will
be two leagues, one for ages 11 and under and the
second for ages 12 through
21. Games are limited to 90
minutes.
Registration forms and volunteer forms will soon be available in the Parks & Recrea-
season this year. League
play begins in November
and ends in March before
Spring Break. Unless registrations dictate otherwise,
the program will be co-ed
for grade levels 1st through
6th. For those in grades 7 &
8 and 9-12, girls will play
against girls and boys
against boys.”
some of our open gym time
to get the make-up games in.
This should help if we end up
having another bad winter.”
Registration for those in the
non-resident category will
begin September 22. End
registration date for everyone is
September 28. The coaches sign up/
informational meeting is September
29; evaluations are October 18.
Anticipated start date is Nov. 3.
Teams are divided into five age
groups: 1st & 2nd grade; 3rd & 4th
grade; 5th & 6th grade; 7th & 8th
grade; and 9th through 12th grades.
Questions may be emailed to
[email protected].
This year PJBL will have their
season extended from
November until March
(ending before Spring Break).
Also, grade levels from first
through sixth grade will
feature co-ed play, unless
registration dictates otherwise.
Running a longer season will
also allow make-up games
to be scheduled over a longer period of time. “We had
a lot of winter closures last
year,” Chafin said. “We
ended up having to suspend
Miracle Movers Field Set to Open on September 20
tion’s Online Registration section of the Town’s website.
“We are especially looking
for volunteers to match one-on
-one with each player,” said
Chafin. “The volunteers will be
asked to commit to participating on Saturday afternoons
for each game. This will mean
we will need a ton of volunteers, but we strongly believe
it’s important that when a
volunteer is assigned to a child,
that they be a consistent part
of the child’s experience for
the duration of the season. We
want it to be a great experience for both the league players and the volunteers.”
the league will be offset by
the generosity of some companies,” added Chafin. “We
have already have had interest expressed by local companies to be sponsors for this
league.”
Registration for each player
will be held to $20/child for
the three or four week season.
The Miracle Movers Field is
located at the Al & Jan Barker Sports Complex on South
Vestal Road.
“A lot of the cost of operating
Volume 1, Issue 3
Page 3
Clarks Creek Natatorium Closed for HVAC Update
Clarks Creek Natatorium was closed on June 17 and will be closed through
sometime in September. The closure become necessary as the Plainfield
school system and the Parks Department have been working together to address deficiencies in the air handling system. During the closure the HVAC
system will be replaced. In addition, some other minor improvements will be
made to enhance the aesthetics and functionality of the facility.
All programming has been moved from Clarks Creek to Splash Island, either
indoor or out, while construction work is performed in the natatorium. Programming is generally expected to remain at the same date and time, just a
change in location. However, there may be exceptions.
For any updates or changes, call the Rec Center at 839-POOL (7665).
Recreation & Aquatic Center Closes for Maintenance in August
The Recreation & Aquatic
Center closes every year for
a week in August to handle
annual maintenance tasks and
other duties that can only be
accomplished when the facility is closed for a consistent
amount of time. This year, the
indoor aquatic center will be
closed August 9 through 17 and the Recreation Center will be
closed August 11 through 15. “During this time we’ll be refinishing the gym and locker room floors, seal pool tiles, and performing regular maintenance tasks,” said Nate Thorne, Deputy
Director of Parks & Recreation. “We also plan to use the time
to do some training on our Emergency Action Plans.”
The Aerobics and Cycling class areas, which had been scheduled for a September closure for additional maintenance, will
now not need to be closed. They were deemed satisfactory.
Tennis Courts at Franklin Feature Pickleball
Pickleball may not be a common household sport yet, but in
some circles it’s a craze. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a sport
that is played on a court about the size of a doubles badminton court, 20 x 44 feet, using paddles instead of racquets. A game can be played with two players (singles) or
four (doubles). The entire court is used whether playing doubles or singles.
The yellow lines differentiate the pickleball court from the tennis court
boundaries at Franklin Park. To learn what the sport is about, visit the
courts during open play on Mondays , Wednesdays or Fridays.
The tennis courts at Franklin Park have been adapted so
pickleball can be played on them. Open play is Mondays at
6 pm, Wednesdays at 9 am and Saturdays at 9am. During
those times paddles and instructions can be furnished for first
time players to learn what the sport is about. For information,
contact Steve Rink, 557-2205, or Larry Rudy, 839-4308.
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= Splash Island Family Waterpark open
regular hours (M-S, 10 am to 6 pm;
Sunday 12 noon to 6 pm. Wet Wednesdays 7 to 10 pm.)
15
30
(Green dates) Wet Wednesday August
hours, 6 to 9 p.m.
(Blue Dates) Puppy Pool Party (see article
on page 1)
Splash Island Hours Change After August 5
We’ve had a great June at Splash Island, and we’re off to a
good start in July! But when the Plainfield School System goes
back to school on Wednesday, August 6, Splash Island’s hours
will no longer be daily. From August 6 until Labor Day, September 1, hours for the outdoor water park will be as follows:
Saturdays:
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sundays:
12 noon to 6 p.m.
Wet Wednesdays:
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On Monday, September 1 (Labor Day), the Splash Island
Family Waterpark will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That’s
the last time for human swimming until 2015 (but for canines,
see page 1 about the Puppy Pool Party September 6 & 7).
With so little time left to enjoy the summer pool schedule, plan
on coming early and often!
Among the fun times at Splash Island this year has been the
Summer Swim Team meets. This photo was taken at the meet with
Meridian Woods. The swimmers are warming up in anticipation of
swimming in their events. (photo courtesy of Nate Thorne)
Plainfield Parks & Recreation Department, 651 Vestal Road, Plainfield, IN 46168, phone 317-839-POOL (7665); email: [email protected]