Overuse of Sports Facilities Forces Policy Changes and Park Upgrades

Fire & Rescue called to Buena Vista Park for a reported fall, park overuse has created unsafe conditions

The Field of Our Dreams multipurpose field is closed. Only temporarily, the city hopes. The gates are still open to the public, but football posts and soccer nets have been taken down. The field is not currently accepting practice or game play reservations for leagues or traveling teams. Damage to the field has been attributed to overuse, causing "unsafe conditions," according to city officials. The Joe Ramos Center is also under threat of overuse, so they are completely overhauling their reservation policies.

Demand for sports facilities has rapidly increased in recent years, disproportionate to population growth. The need for more sports facilities is not simply explained by an increase in bodies, it is a change in community priorities. Health, wellness, parks, and outdoor recreation have become more important to Del Rio residents.

The city recognized this shift and enacted the Field of Our Dreams project, a 10-year vision still in progress. The City of Del Rio said, this project “was initiated due to the deficit in quality of life in our region, particularly the need for playing, practice, and tournament fields for our youth and adult community.” Multiple ribbon cuttings have been held for the various phases of development. The park first opened in 2022 but surged in popularity in 2024 after the most recent equipment additions. It will grow to include hike and bike trails, concession stands, picnic areas, fitness station, community gardens, and all-inclusive playscapes.

Del Rio football players catch some practice time at the Field of Our Dreams multipurpose field, even though football goal posts and soccer nets have been removed

The brand-new and the historical facilities are in jeopardy. The city wants to meet the demand, but it is not sustainable to allow 100% occupancy 24/7. The grass needs time to breathe, and the maintenance crews need time to work. The city can’t afford to replace the grass every year, and turf would be another multi-million-dollar investment, so for now, the field is closed. Project managers are trying to figure out how to expand capacity without driving down quality.

Del Rio Parks & Recreation Superintendent Lazaro Castro said, we are happy that the public got to come out and enjoy it, but it’s just one of those things where too much of a good thing can be bad.” He explained that 3 baseball fields did not meet the same fate as the multipurpose fields, “they are in great condition, that’s because we really tried to minimize the amount of practice time on those fields. They are strictly game fields, to help maintain the field a lot longer. That way it doesn’t cause us to spend a lot of funds for maintenance.”

Castro said the multipurpose field could reopen after one month, but expects it to take a little longer, and it is uncertain if the existing grass can completely recover. Castro said, “given that its natural grass, grass has a dormancy period, when the grass is dormant, let nature takes its course, when it comes back in the spring, we can rent it out again.” He is following recommendations from a company out of Kerrville, called Texas Multi Chem. The city has a maintenance agreement with them. Castro said, “they come out and treat our fields, supply us with our fertilizers. Other than us doing the regular grass cutting and watering, they come out and apply the chemicals. We trust them and their knowledge.”

In the future, at the very least, you can expect to see more restrictions on multipurpose field access, like what the Joe Ramos Gym has already implemented. Del Rio Operations & Compliance Manager Scot Carcasi presented reservation policy changes for the Joe Ramos Gym to City Council on March 11, 2025. They created a matrix system to prioritize reservation requests, putting city-sponsored and co-sponsored programs first. Not everyone can have all the time they want. Limits are being set. They will try to make it fair, so that everybody, and all ages, can utilize the space. Councilperson Carmen Gutierrez said, “the sports community keeps on growing, the more teams that come in, the more other teams stand to lose.”

Castro said, “the sports community is growing at such a rapid pace, it’s hard for us to keep up with it. It’s great that it is, there is something for the kids to do, and for the adults. Because, for a while, it was lacking. Pickleball, disc golf, the golf course are starting to show some promise, basketball, indoor soccer now, options are starting to become available.”

The city put a lot of work into the facilities last year, but Carcasi said it’s now looking worse. They have plans to improve the other parks & recreation amenities around the city, to better support the community while the Joe Ramos Center undergoes full renovation. There are 34 public parks in Del Rio, according to the official Parks Guide. Castro wants to start with the hot spots for pop-up games, he proposed the GI Forum Park and Buena Vista Park. The city wants to resurface courts, add solar lighting and shade canopies. Castro said, “we have to be very cautious of the budget.”

Del Rio Parks & Recreation Superintendent Lazaro Castro said the multipurpose field could reopen after one month, but expects it to take a little longer, and it is uncertain if the existing grass can completely recover.

The San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) is making improvements to the Cody Wardlaw Gym. Additionally, CISD recently upgraded the Walter Levermann Ram Stadium. Castro said, “the Cody Wardlaw gym belongs to the school district – but the renovations are a joint project between city and school district. Once its complete, to my understanding, it’s going to function as a gym for the district during school hours and be a city gym after 4 or 5pm.”

In the future, the city will have evening access to the Wardlaw gym. Renovations are already underway, but the completion timeframe is unknown. Castro said, “once Cody Wardlaw is up and running, then we can start modernizing the Joe Ramos as well. We can’t shut the gym down now, the leagues and traveling teams would be displaced.”

Del Rio is actively working on enhancing its sports facilities, through projects like the Field of Our Dreams and improvements to existing venues. They need to start implementing reservation restrictions to preserve what they have built and prevent further damage from overuse. The City of Del Rio said these quality-of-life improvements are a community-wide partnership. Stakeholders include the SFDR-CISD, Del Rio Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Board, Val Verde County, City of Del Rio, Rotary Del Rio, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Del Rio Parks Foundation.