As of Sept. 29, the Minnie Howard field is officially cleared for use, after almost two months of anticipation. According to the Director of Athletics and Student Activities, Felix Trammell, the school has been waiting to use the field since Aug. 1.

Weather last spring postponed the impending construction. This ultimately led to a hold up in clearing the field.

The field is to be used by multiple athletic teams, including boys and girls lacrosse which will practice and host games at the field in the spring. As of this fall, field hockey is already using the field for practices, though they continue to play their games at the King Street stadium until fall of 2026. 

Previously, field hockey practiced at Witter field, off of Duke Street and lacrosse practiced at the Jefferson-Houston field. 

“Witter [field] was really annoying to get to,” said Darcy Rogers, a junior field hockey athlete. “It could take 20 minutes to get there, making us late to practice.” 

Titan athletes say that the Minnie Howard field is much more convenient compared to other off-campus locations. “It has been good, more accessible than our old field,” said Rogers. Not only is this positive for practice times, but the team also has easier access to first aid in the event of an injury. However, Rogers did note that the close proximity to other students can be disrupting, saying that students sometimes “come onto the field during [their] practice and play around.”

One issue the field hockey teams have noticed is the turf. Freshman field hockey athlete, Jenny Maldonado, said “the turf is pretty thick and [the] field hockey [teams] are the first ones to break it in.” She said, “[this makes it] a bit difficult sometimes to pass the ball.” As more athletes use the field, the turf will become easier to play on. “The turf and field [are] overall good,” said Maldonado.

The field will be inaccessible to the public during school hours and school sport practices. The Alexandria Recreation Department will provide resources for the public to reserve the fields for sporting events and other activities. If the field is not in use by both ACPS and the Recreation Department, the public will be able to freely access it.