By Michael Letendre
Look what’s happening over at Bristol Eastern this summer.
If you’re driving down King Street and just happen to glance at the softball field at BEHS, you’ll see some poles buried in the ground, surrounding the player’s bench area.
Dugouts, long overdue at Eastern, are being constructed to help complete the facility.
A protected area is important for all softball coaches and players and that’s just one of the many functions a dugouts provides.
Dugouts are a place where reserve players can sit, managers can coach, trainers can help give treatment, statisticians can compile numbers (all without fear of getting hit by a foul ball) and is a place gear can be safely stored during practice and game play.
Dugouts keep things organized and gives protection from the elements and, perhaps, even keeps unruly fans from interacting with the players.
Those dugouts help shade players from extreme sun, wind and rain while baseball and softball equipment can cost several hundred dollars and need to be watched.
It’s a perfect area for expensive gloves, cleats and bats to stay safe.
Plus, an errant foul ball can get hit anywhere and a dugout protects the players from those types of projectiles.
Dugouts are also a place where teams can establish a little camaraderie between teammates and coaches.
It is extremely important that dugouts are constructed at Bristol Eastern and the softball field upgrades are just the start.
Over on the baseball field, the facility will also get some badly needed improvements during the coming months.
Dugouts are going to be constructed on Clem J. Roy Field and the fence around the outfield will finally be completed.
Currently, the fence basically stops just outside the right field area.
These are important projects that need completion as just about every other facility the athletes from Bristol Eastern competes at has and enjoys.
As always, stay tuned for more updates from the facilities at BEHS in the pages of TBE.
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