Welcome to the Town of Groton, Connecticut

Tournament Regulations

Groton Parks and Recreation

The fees charged for tournaments in the Groton Parks recover costs associated with preparation, maintenance and use of the facility. The policy sets a standard of expectation for Tournament Participants and Visitors which is consistent with the level of service expected from our parks system as a whole.  Fees will be applied directly to the labor, materials and equipment used to maintain and improve the facility and surrounding park area.

The Tournament Organization and Tournament Director shall be responsible for applications, payment of all fees and damages, enforcement of all rules, regulations and ordinances, assuring that all activities are properly controlled, and that a designated person(s) of authority is on site at all time, for all requirements listed in these rules.

Pre-tournament Meeting � Renter is required to participate in an onsite, pre-tournament meeting 30 days prior to event to finalize all activities associated with event.

Availability

Facilities will be available for tournaments from April 1 to October 31 annually. Minor calendar adjustments may be considered depending on the days of the week which April 1 and October 31 occur. Special requests not within the time frame may be considered.

Modifications

The Parks and Recreation Dept. reserves the right to modify or waive any policy or fee it deems necessary in the best interest of the Town.

Reservation Priorities

The following priorities have been established to ensure fair distribution of facilities:

  • Groton Parks and Recreation Programs
  • Returning Organizations/Users in good standing
  • New Requests
Reservation Procedures

  • Returning tournaments must have applications filed with the deposit by the last working day of December to have the same tournament date(s) for the New Year.
  • Requests for Tournaments should be submitted to the Department a minimum of 120 days in advance of the event.
  • Requests shall be in writing on the appropriate Tournament Application Form with the following information:
  1. Name of the Tournament Organization
  2. Name of the Tournament Director with contact information
  3. Sanctioning Organization
  4. Requested start date, end date, times, make-up/rain dates and number of fields/courts
  5. Anticipated number of teams with age groups
  6. Team fees and team guarantees (minimum # of games played)
  7. List of sponsors and co-sponsors
  8. Field, pitching rubber and base line dimensions
  9. Any special needs/requests pertaining to the facility
  10. Not-for-profit Status
  11. Vendors
  • Incomplete requests received could result in the request being denied. If two or more organizations request the same time, date, fields, the stated priority list will apply.
  • Tournament schedules must be submitted to the Parks and Recreation Dept. no less than 5 business days prior to the tournament date.
  • Field layout requests must be submitted to the Parks and Recreation Dept. no less than 15 business days prior to the tournament date.
  • Only Parks and Recreation Staff are allowed to prepare the fields/courts unless approved in advance and in writing. If prior approval is obtained, preparation will be limited to hand tools only.
  • Certificate of Insurance as determined by the Parks and Recreation Department naming the Town of Groton as additional insured must be provided 40 days prior to the event.
  • Confirmation of approved tournament dates will be mailed or emailed with a receipt of deposit paid.
Tournament Deposit Schedule

120 � 90 days tournament request 

  • 25% deposit is due 90 days prior to the event.                              
  • An additional 25% payment is due 60 days prior to the event. 
  • Final balance is due 30 days before the event.
                             
90 days or less tournament request

  • 50% deposit due at time of request
  • Final balance is due 30 days before the event
Security Deposit/Damages

  • The required Deposit is based on the number of fields/courts reserved. Security deposit fees are $100/field/day or $25/court/day.  Security Deposits are due with payment of first deposit.
  • Any portion of the deposits not used will be refunded or applied towards the balance of fees due. The Parks and Recreation Dept. has the sole right to determine whether there has been any damage or misuse of Town Property. Field inspections will be completed the following business day.
  • The use of the facility for a purpose other than those approved on the Tournament application may result in an assessment of additional fees and/or damages, and may also result in cancellation of the remainder of the Tournament and future use of the facilities.
  • The facility will be left in a clean and neat condition. If it is necessary for Park Staff to provide cleaning services following a Tournament, additional fees will be charged.
Cancelation/Refunds

  • The following fee schedule will apply to Organizations canceling a tournament:
  1. More than 60 days prior to the Tournament: Refund full tournament deposit
  2. 8 to 60 days prior to the Tournament: 60% of tournament deposit refunded
  3. 7 days or less prior to the Tournament: Full Tournament deposit Forfeited
Further, for the following calendar year, the organization does not receive first right of refusal of the same date. If the canceled date can be rented by another organization, the full deposit will be refunded and the first right of refusal becomes that of the new renter.

  • If play is shortened by inclement weather, fees for games played will be applied.
  • Failure to comply with the Tournament Policy will result in the cancellation of reservation(s), forfeiture of all fees/deposits and forfeiture of the right to use Groton Parks and Recreation facilities in the future. Permits are also revocable at any time for violation of the Policy or Town Ordinances.
  • The Parks and Recreation Dept. may revoke any permit granted if it is determined that the application for the permit contained any misrepresentation or false statement, or that any condition set forth in the policies are not being complied with, specifically if the safety of the participants in the activities of the applicant or other patrons/visitors is endangered by the continuation of the event.
Use Regulations

The Tournament reservation is for the designated field(s)/court(s) only. Use of the facility is limited to the activity specified on the permit. If the facility is utilized for a purpose not designated on the approved permit, charges will be assessed.

Sport Field Rules

  • Alcohol is not permitted on playing fields, in player controlled areas or in the vicinity of youth sport activities, to include parking and spectator areas. Tournament Directors have the authority to remove unruly spectators.
  • Smoking is prohibited at youth sporting activities
  • Captains/managers are responsible for the behavior of players and spectators.  Spectators are not permitted on playing fields or player control areas.
Inclement Weather Policy

  • The Parks and Recreation Dept. reserves the right to relocate play to fields other than those booked due to inclement weather.  The decision to start or continue a tournament rests solely with the Parks and Recreation Department�s designee.
  • Department staff reserves the right to close a facility in the event of inclement weather.
  • In the case of inclement weather, Groton Parks and Recreation will relocate or reschedule the event for another time or facility if available (of equal or lesser value).
  • Inclement weather rescheduling by the Tournament organizer must be done within 7 business days AFTER the postponed event.
  • Refunds will not be given in the event of inclement weather
  • The responsibility for removing athletes from a practice/game area due to the threat of lightning lies with the Tournament Director.  Play will be resumed 30 minutes following the last lightning strike. The last lightning strike will be determined by either the detection system or visual confirmation. A 30 minute time frame will start with each additional lightning strike.
Traffic and Security

  • At the discretion of the Police Dept., Police personnel may be a required additional cost for the Tournament organizers and/or Director.
  • No vehicles are allowed on Town of Groton or Groton Board of Education fields or property, other than parking lots, without written permission noted on the use permit issued by Groton Parks and Recreation Department.
  • Vehicles may not be driven or parked on turf surfaces, sidewalks, service drives or emergency zones. Only parking lots may be used for loading and unloading.
  • Golf carts and/or utility carts are not allowed without prior approval in writing. Drivers must possess a valid driver�s license.
  • Overnight RV parking is prohibited.
Transitions � Due to traffic issues with entering and exiting tournament areas, tournament organizers should stagger games minimally by 20 minutes (example half of the games would start at 8:30 a.m. and half would start at 8:50 a.m.).

Concessions

  • The sale of t-shirts, hats, photographers and other novelties must have prior approval and is subject to a vendor fee. Vendors must obtain proper license from the Town of Groton Police Department 860-441-6710
  • Food vendors must have approval and are subject to a park vendor fee. Applications can be obtained through the Parks and Recreation Department. Vendors preparing food items must obtain a permit from Ledge Light District.  860-448-4882                               
  • Fire Marshal's approval is needed if a food vendor will be on the premises using propane tanks. It is the food vendor's responsibility to contact the local Fire Marshal.
Medical

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Nurse or Athletic Trainer will be required during all athletic events, at the expense of the hosting organization.

Signage

Groton Parks and Recreation may allow the installation of temporary signage during events. Each sign/banner/display must be given approval prior to posting. All signage must be removed following the designated event, and must not alter or damage property.

Tents

All tents, awnings, canopies and temporary structures must have prior approval by Groton Parks and Recreation. Limited tents will be allowed on the playing surface. If your event requires tents, they must be secured with sand bags or water barrels. Stakes are not allowed on athletic fields or the surrounding area. No tents larger than 20 x 30 are permitted.

  • Apparatus or equipment may not be located at the facility unless the use and location of such equipment has received prior approval.
  • Games, booths, bands, DJ�s, etc.  are not allowed without prior approval in writing.
Trash 

The hosting organization is responsible for the cleaning of bullpens, dugouts, sidelines and surrounding field area after each, tournament game and/or sporting event.

Organizations may be required to rent additional dumpster(s) based on anticipated event attendance.

Bathrooms

Tournaments hosted at parks that do not contain public bathroom buildings would be required to rent port-o-lets at the expense of the hosting organization.  Tournaments held at parks with public bathroom buildings may be required at the expense of the hosting organization. to schedule additional cleaning service depending on the size of the tournament.

Loading and Unloading

Vendors, tournament organizers, etc. using vehicles to transport supplies must have vehicles removed from the pedestrian areas at least two hours prior to the start of a tournament. Likewise, vehicles removing items may not be in pedestrian areas until 30 minutes after the end of the tournament.