Westfield Youth Football -Westfield Public Schools Field Regulations-File FC-R-2

I am writing on behalf of the Westfield Youth Football organization regarding File FC-R-2, Use of Westfield Public Schools Field Regulations. Specifically, we are requesting reconsideration of number 4 which currently does not allow music to be played over loudspeakers, nor "play-by-play" announcing, except at option of school for scheduled football games, although player announcements are permitted.
Westfield Youth Football plays in Westfield a total of four weekends per year, except when they qualify for playoff games. Each of these weekend days entails three one-hour games. . The Westfield Youth Football program has become more and more integrated with the public school football program, purchasing equipment to be shared between the programs: utilizing high school players to assist in training our youth players: and providing a specialty made Bombers’ helmet to the Westfield High School football team where our youth football players run out in unison with their high school counterparts. In addition, for the first time ever, a Community Day has been scheduled by Westfield Youth Football to celebrate our connections with the high school and community at large.
The other four games of our season are played in surrounding towns. At each of these fields, play by play announcing and music are allowed when the facility played at has such capacity. The players enjoy this immensely. It gives them and their families great pride. It saddens our players, families, fans and the other teams we play against because we cannot reciprocate, even though Bullens field is equipped to do so. Westfield Youth Football players practice five nights per week during August and four nights per week in September and October in preparation for these games. These young players work hard and want to show off everything they have learned at these games; they would love to have their successes acknowledged. We do not have school bands that play throughout our games as the High School does. We do, however, have a cheerleading squad for each division which has an approximate five minute half time routine that we would love to show off. Girls as young as first grade spend many hours learning and practicing these routines, and we have been told by families and fans that they would love to be able to hear the music that goes along with the routine.
As our program involves nearly 200 students of the Westfield Public Schools, we respectfully request that this policy be reviewed and revised to meet this request, or at a minimum, allow Westfield Youth Football be included in the "exception for scheduled football games".