Jim Thorpe Boys Soccer parents recently received the team’s schedule for the season.

They were upset to find out that the team will only get two games under the lights in the school’s stadium.

Kristen O’Neil addressed the school board Wednesday night. She said that the varsity team will play all but two home games on a practice field at 4:15 p.m., when many parents can’t attend.

She said it was discouraging after the team fought two years ago to get more time in the stadium.

“Those kids work just as hard as any other sport and they’ve earned the right to have their games at the stadium. It’s an all sports stadium, it’s not just a football stadium,” she said.

O’Neil said last year the team was forced to hold its senior night on the practice field because some of their games in the stadium were canceled due to field conditions.

She said it’s unfair that junior high football games take place in the stadium while the high school varsity team is forced to play elsewhere and earlier in the day.

Junior varsity soccer games are sometimes cut short because it gets dark and there are no lights on the practice field.

Parents said they just want the opportunity to have a PA system, concession stand, and possibly lights so the games can be held in the evening.

“If we’re going to be relegated to the practice field, invest in it. Get some bleachers, get a better announcement system so we can announce these kids,” O’Neil said.

Superintendent John Rushefski, who took over in July, said his administration had to make a tough decision in the interest of turf management.

“There’s an interesting thing about the Jim Thorpe football field, it’s probably the only field that has a stream running underneath the field. And it’s the lowest part of the land,” he said.

Rushefski said he thinks soccer is a wonderful sport and hopes to see more games played on the stadium field. But he supported the decision to schedule the games at 4:15 p.m., with the hope that some can be moved to the stadium if it’s not affected by runoff.

“No one’s saying only two — we’re saying two and maybe more. Let’s see what the turf looks like after September,” he said.

Building and grounds director Ted Larizzio said there were situations last year where boys and girls soccer teams played on consecutive days and the weather was poor. As a result the field was extremely muddy by the time the Friday night football game was played.

Board members say the field has been an ongoing problem for the district since it was built in 2001. It was renovated in 2011 to place additional drainage pipes underneath it, but problems persist.

Board President Pearl Downs-Sheckler said she has supported installing artificial turf at the field for many years. The district hosted a sales representative from a company specializing in turf fields last year. The representative said it would cost the district at least $1 million for a field.

“That field has been a contention of conversation here, about going turf, but the funds just aren’t there. It would be wonderful if we could, then you could do whatever you want, but we’re in a deficit,” Downs-Sheckler said.