Youth Field Striping Instructions
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WHEN DOES THE FIELD STRIPING NEED TO BE COMPLETED?
Field restriping will need to be completed during the spring and fall Youth Soccer seasons for all Fields by the Friday of each calendar week, in advance of scheduled weekend games. Fields are normally mowed by late morning on Thursday, so it would be ideal to target Thursday or Friday after mowing as schedules and weather might allow.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I USE?
There is a tan, metal lock-box at each of the Carlson and Cronin Field locations that contains 2 striping machines and a supply of marking paint. The paint supply should be restocked periodically throughout the season, but please contact a Booster Parent to escalate if the supply is not adequate, running low, or cans are persistently clogging.
Carlson Field
The lock-box is located in a fenced enclosure at the Northeast corner of the main parking lot adjacent to the Baseball Field.
There should be a black, magnetic key box hidden on the underside of the lock-box near the skid in the front-left corner.
Insert the retrieved key into the padlock of the lock housing, turn the key clockwise, and pull the padlock towards you to open.
Use the WHITE paint for all 6 fields.
To lock, push the lid down with force of your body weight, and push in the padlock to close. Remove the key from the padlock, place inside the magnetic key box, and hide under the lock-box.
Cronin Field
The lock-box is located at the East (Main Street) end of the Running Track.
There should be a black, magnetic key box hidden on the underside of the lock-box near the skid in the front-left corner.
Insert the retrieved key into the padlock of the lock housing, turn the key clockwise, and pull the padlock towards you to open. Slide the metal latch to the left as indicated by the “UNLATCHED” arrow and lift the lid.
Use the WHITE paint for the larger, “outer” field layout and the ORANGE colored paint for the smaller, “inner” field layout.
To lock, close the lid, slide the metal latch to the right as indicated by the “LATCHED” arrow, and push in the padlock to close. Remove the key from the padlock, place inside the magnetic key box, and hide under the lock-box.
HOW DO I USE THE STRIPING MACHINE?
Unfold the handle of the striping machine and hand-tighten the wing-nut at the base of the chrome shaft. Hand-tighten the wing-nuts to secure the handle to the base of the machine.
Load the machine storage compartment with a box or individual cans of marking paint. Each Field will require between 4-10 full cans depending on the size of the layout.
Shake the marking paint vigorously according to DIRECTIONS on the can reverse-side label.
Remove the plastic cap and slide the can upside down into the rounded, metal loading area with the plastic spray head oriented parallel to the wheel axles for the widest spray pattern.
Using the center of the arrow on the front edge of the machine as a guide, walk along the existing lines of the Field layout, squeezing the trigger on the handle to activate the spray.
The can should start to “hiss” and the spray pattern will narrow/lighten once the paint begins to empty from the can.
Video Tutorials
Watch this Field Painting 101 video from Pioneer Athletics for a step-by-step guide to striping a field with an aerosol striper.
Watch this YouTube video posted from the Annville-Cleona Youth Soccer Club in Pennsylvania for basic instructions on how to line a soccer field.
THE FIELDS LOOK GREAT, NOW WHAT?
Store any unused paint in the lock-box. Collapse the handle of the striping machine(s) and replace in the lock-box.
Emptied cans and cardboard boxing should be removed from the location. As directed on the Town Transfer Station website, empty paint cans should be disposed with household trash.
FIELD STRIPING TIPS
- Consider wearing old shoes as you should expect some over-spray from the ground
- Consider wearing gloves as the can may drip paint when loading and unloading the machine
- Pre-established field lines are more visible on an overcast day or when looking away from the sun
- Follow DIRECTIONS on the can reverse-side label to unclog any cans or try a different can, if persistent