Wauwatosa football field damaged by historic flooding impacts multiple teams, organizations
At least four different teams and organizations use the football field.
TONIGHT. AND TONIGHT WE ARE ALSO ON THE FIELD WITH THIS PERSPECTIVE OF THE DAMAGE TO THE FIELD AT HART PARK IN WAUWATOSA. THE FORCE OF THE FLOODWATER CRUMPLED THE TURF THERE. YOU CAN SEE AT BIG 12 SPORTS. DIRECTOR DARIO MELENDEZ IS THERE AND DARIO. SEVERAL TEAMS USE THAT FIELD FOR FOOTBALL. AND FOOTBALL. DEREK, IT’S HEARTBREAK HERE AT HART PARK AS TEAMS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE MADE THAT FIELD RIGHT THERE. THEIR HOME FOR YEARS ARE RETURNING TO IT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE FLOOD. IT’S A DEVASTATION. OH MY GOD, IT’S HARD FOR ME TO SORT MY THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW. I HAD TO WORK TEN YEARS, RIGHT? IT’S MY BABY. IT’S ALL I DID. I DON’T MESS WITH MOTHER NATURE. RIGHT? MOTHER NATURE SHOWING HER TRUE STRENGTH OVER THE WEEKEND AS HEAVY RAINS AND A FLASH FLOOD ENGULFED HART PARK IN WAUWATOSA, CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FACILITY AND RENDERING THE HOME OF THE MILWAUKEE TORRENT, A SEMI-PRO SOCCER TEAM, INHABITABLE. I CREATED THE TORRENT FOR THE KIDS HERE SO THAT THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK UP TO, BUT SATURDAY AND SUNDAY’S FLASH FLOODING HAS DAMPENED THAT GOAL, CAUSING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES TO MERCHANDISE. ON NEW JERSEYS. SIGNAGE AND EQUIPMENT. ACCORDING TO OWNER ANDRE STAVI. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR HOUSES THERE, FOR SURE IN WORSE CONDITIONS, BUT IT’S A MAJOR SETBACK AND RIGHT NOW I DON’T KNOW IF THERE’S ANYTHING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE YET. TURF. I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG THIS WOULD TAKE. OBVIOUSLY, IT’S NOT JUST US. IN FACT, MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS CALL HART PARK THEIR HOME. YOU GOT BRYANT AND STRATTON COLLEGE, TULSA KICKERS, MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL, AND OF COURSE, THE TULSA EAST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PROGRAM, WHO BOTH PRACTICES AND PLAYS RIGHT HERE ON THIS FIELD. THIS IS MY 47TH YEAR OF COACHING. I YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I HAD SEEN IT ALL, BUT I HADN’T W.F.C.A. HALL OF FAMER TOM SWINDLE, WHO RETURNED AS THE RED RAIDERS HEAD COACH JUST A FEW SEASONS AGO, WAS SHOCKED BY WHAT HE SAW WHEN HE RETURNED TO HART PARK JUST A FEW DAYS AGO. I THOUGHT OUR SEASON WAS OVER. I DIDN’T THINK THERE WOULD BE ANY WAY WE COULD PLAY. THE WATER HAD TO BE AT LEAST FOUR FEET HIGH. IT JUST ENCOMPASSED THE WHOLE PARK. THE FLOOD DAMAGE FORCING TULSA EAST TO OVERHAUL THEIR ENTIRE FOOTBALL ROUTINE. THEY’LL NOW BE PRACTICING EVENINGS AT THE SCHOOL SOCCER FIELD AND PLAYING THEIR HOME GAMES ON THE ROAD AT RIVAL TULSA WEST’S HOME FIELD. THE REALITY IS, WE’VE GOT NINE AWAY GAMES THIS YEAR AND WE’RE ALL JUST VERY SAD THAT IT’S HAPPENED. BUT YOU CAN’T WALLOW IN THAT. YOU HAVE TO JUST MOVE FORWARD. AND THAT’S REALLY COACH SCHWITTERS’S ENTIRE PERSONALITY ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD. NO EXCUSES. HECK, HE NO EXCUSES TATTOOED ACROSS HIS FOREARM. I ASKED HIM, IS THAT GOING TO BE YOUR MOTTO THIS YEAR TO YOUR PLAYERS? NO EXCUSES. AND HE LAUGHED AND SAID, LOOK, I’M NOT SMART ENOUGH TO HAVE A MOTTO, BUT IT’S JUST WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. MAKE NO EXCUSES DEREK, AND WIN FOOTBALL GAMES. AND I IMAGINE THE TEAM’S GOING TO BE EVEN THAT MUCH MORE FOCUSED ON THE UPCOMING SEASON.
Wauwatosa football field damaged by historic flooding impacts multiple teams, organizations
At least four different teams and organizations use the football field.
Updated: 6:44 PM CDT Aug 13, 2025
Multiple teams and organizations that use the football field at Hart Park in Wauwatosa have been impacted by this week’s historic flooding.This includes Wauwatosa East High School’s football team, who practices and plays on the field, FC Milwaukee Torrent, Tosa Kickers, Marquette University High School among some of the organizations that use the field.Big 12 Sports’ Dario Melendez reports in the video above what’s next for them.
WAUWATOSA, Wis. —
Multiple teams and organizations that use the football field at Hart Park in Wauwatosa have been impacted by this week’s historic flooding.
This includes Wauwatosa East High School’s football team, who practices and plays on the field, FC Milwaukee Torrent, Tosa Kickers, Marquette University High School among some of the organizations that use the field.
Big 12 Sports’ Dario Melendez reports in the video above what’s next for them.