Parents demand answers as Lawrence football field remains closed
Parents in the Lawrence school district say the team has been forced to play its home games off school grounds because of the field’s condition.
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The Lawrence High School football team is facing another season without a home game.
For the second straight year, the Golden Tornadoes will not play on their home field. The team is scheduled to play all eight of its games on the road this season.
Parents and community members voiced their frustration at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting, saying the players deserve the opportunity to play in front of their home crowd.
“Give these kids that want to play, give them a chance,” said Mike DeRosa.
Ilyassha Shivers, whose child played football last season, said having no home games puts an unfair burden on families.
“To not have any home games at all and the only way to see your child play is to travel, which is very unfair,” Shivers said.
The Lawrence school district told News 12 that erosion caused by Superstorm Sandy damaged the football field. District officials say they are waiting for approval for a FEMA-funded project that would repair the land and replace the field.
Parents say they understand the field needs to be repaired, but they questioned why the football team cannot use another field in the meantime.
The district recently made improvements to a field at the middle school, which parents say will be used by the high school soccer team.
But football players will not be allowed to use that field.
“These kids, their morale has already been beaten down. Give them a home, let them have some home games. Soccer has about 10, so where is the fairness?” DeRosa said.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, board members said they do not want the football team playing on the new field because football would create more wear and tear than soccer.
The board also said it is committed to getting the high school’s football field repaired.
District officials pointed to what they described as greater interest in soccer than football, citing Amityville’s decision not to field a football team this season.
Amityville school officials, however, say injuries are the reason the district did not field a team this year.
A district official also pushed back against the idea that keeping football off the middle school field is a slight against the players.
“We want to give ownership to the boys and girls playing football. We want to give ownership to the boys and girls playing soccer. Not playing football over there is not a referendum on anyone whatsoever,” said Heshy Blachorsky, the president of the Board of Education.
