I have often been struck in recent years by the improvements over time in athletic facilities in Rochester.

When I coached youth baseball in the 1980s and 1990s, even the older kids played on some pretty humble fields. Now, look at the complex east of the Heintz Center with scoreboards, nice fences and dugout-style covered benches.

Around that time, any serious baseball in Rochester needed to be played at Mayo Field. But then Hudson Field -- a facility good enough to host high school section tournaments -- was added. And now all three public high schools have fields that are used for Legion and sometimes high school games.

You don't have to go back to the Stone Ages to recall the time when four football teams -- John Marshall, Mayo, Lourdes and RCTC -- all played their home games at what was then called Rochester High School Stadium, behind JM.

Now, the three public high schools have separate football fields with lots of seating, and Lourdes and RCTC both play their home games at the newest addition to the Rochester facilities roster, Rochester Regional Sports Stadium, on the RCTC campus.

The first artificial turf field in the area, RRSS kept lacrosse teams off the mud last spring and ditto for some soccer teams last month.

It came in very handy last Saturday. Officials at both Kasson-Mantorville and Century looked at their chewed-up, muddy fields and decided to move their home playoff football games to RRSS.

In the case of K-M, it meant playing on the regular home field of its opponent, Lourdes, but coach Ivan Kroulik preferred the option.

"The players, for the most part this season, have played on excellent fields," he said. "This time of the season, playoffs, should be no different.

"(The RRSS) field allowed the skill of the players to decide the outcome."

Century had earlier moved two section soccer games from its field to RRSS. Activities director Mark Kuisle noted that giving up some home games with strong crowds meant several thousand dollars in lost concession revenue for the school's booster club, but the rental fee is cheap and the artificial turf made the games mud-free.

But it could be better.

Ed Hruska, executive director of the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission, has a lot at stake when it comes to sports facilities in this city.

When he goes out to try to attract sports events to Rochester, the quality of the playing fields and buildings is often a decisive consideration for the group's to whom he's pitching.

Many cities of our size have large stadium complexes but most are affiliated with NCAA colleges located in their city," he said. "There seems to be many communities that have nice stadiums -- like St. Cloud, Mankato, Duluth and the

Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area -- but most are college-owned facilities.

"I believe the private-public partnership we have here is the best of all worlds. The community can use it for the same cost as the college -- this maximizes usage and benefits the entire community."

But.

"There are several things still lacking: bathroom facilities , locker rooms, concession area, additional seating -- that will create some limitations in the future," Hruska said. "The plan to add these items and make it a key regional facility for outdoor sporting events -- similar to what the Mayo Civic Center is to sports such as basketball, wrestling and volleyball -- will be addressed in Phase 3 of the stadium project."

Phase 2 was approved in July, funded by a $1,26 million loan from the city of Rochester, to be repaid out of stadium income. Phase 2 puts an inflatable bubble over the playing field (but not grandstand and press box), making it usable for practices, youth tournaments and intramural games, with a ring around the perimeter for joggers and walkers to use free of charge.

Good step, but Kuisle says Phase 3 is important.

"Our community and southern Minnesota really needs to look at a facility that can hold major events," he said. "The Regional Stadium was at almost capacity with the semifinal games for Kasson and Century.

"In order to hold championship games we need a stadium that holds 4,000 to 6,000 spectators. This would also allow our students and community to stay closer to home for state tournament games."

That's why in just over a week, you'll see smaller communities (those in Classes A and AA and nine-man) follow their football teams to Rochester Regional Sports Stadium to see their teams play state quarterfinal games, while Section One champions from the three larger classes must travel to the metro area for their games.

The Minnesota State High School League has begun requiring state quarterfinal football playoff games to be staged on artificial turf. So with RRSS, Rochester is right in step to host some of those games, but not all that regional schools would like.

Phase 3, which would add more seating, locker rooms, public restrooms and a concession stand, will cost an additional $5.5 million.

But it's a long way off at best. Funding ideas, anyone?

Craig Swalboski, sports editor for the Post-Bulletin, tries to give readers a perspective they can't get elsewhere in his "view from the press box."

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