Dear Editor,
We are two soccer players and we want Maplewood’s fields to stay open. Maplewood and South Orange are closing their fields on November 9 for repair and stopping soccer teams from practicing and playing home games.
One reason is that all the kids should be able to continue with sports — not just high school kids. The high school players can play on the turf but younger kids don’t have access to Underhill for practice.
If players can’t practice they can’t get better. Our soccer seasons are not over. We need to practice so we can get better. We each have big games this weekend and we need to be ready for the challenge.
If the fields are closed, then kids might start making bad decisions to play inside. COVID-19 can spread more easily inside than outside. It is better to play outside than inside to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. If the fields stay open, we can practice outside and stay safe.
These are the reasons why Maplewood should keep the fields open so we can practice and be safely ready for our games.
Amelia Connolly, 8
Maplewood
Cougars U-10 Pro
Rylan Connolly, 9
Maplewood
Cougars U-10 Elite
