My journey as a parent started when my son was in kindergarten and able to play flag football. This role extended when I joined the board of the Oxford Webster Youth Football and Cheer league. This is not just a football issue, this is town issue, which includes, baseball, soccer, lassie league, and others. The Town is meeting Wednesday 8/21 to discuss EEE and potentially vote on shutting down all the fields. This is not a safety concern or issue, as EEE can be mitigated to a safe level. This is about our ability to continue playing on the fields, and giving us the freedom to make the decisions on the time of day they are vacated, and allowing our families and spectators the ability to decide. I have personally witnessed the immense benefits that fall sports bring to our youngsters' physical, mental, and social development and feel that keeping the fields open is the best option. 

We have, for years, enjoyed the liberty to use the town's fields for our youth sports, an aspect that not only promotes physical well-being but also creates a sense of community bonding and shared enjoyment, giving our children a healthy environment in which to grow.

Statistics indicate that participation in team sports can lead to better academic and life outcomes for children. According to the Aspen Institute, children who engage in sports have up to 40% higher test scores and are 15% more likely to go to college. They also develop leadership skills and have lower chances of suffering from depression.

We, therefore, plea to the Oxford, MA, Board of Health to continue supporting our children's futures by keeping the town fields open to all youth sports. We believe outdoor sports spaces, like our fields, are integral to promoting broad-based community health, and denying access to them might be detrimental to our youth's development. Sign this petition to hold our town's hands to its promise of nurturing the future of its residents.