OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Fredonia’s Keiliany Diaz (21) celebrates a touchdown during a varsity flag football game at the Orange Bowl last season.

After a “pause” for two weeks to further discuss a proposal for a new sports program at Fredonia, along with two public speakers addressing the topic, the Fredonia Board of Education voted in favor of establishing a modified flag football program for the upcoming spring sports season.

The Board voted in favor of the proposal without a vote in opposition. The recent meeting was held on an evening bookended by school cancellations due to extreme weather.

The program was proposed at the Jan. 7 meeting as part of the consent agenda, but was pulled out of consent for discussion before eventually tabling the matter. That decision upset several community members, including a pair of parents who attended the next meeting two weeks later to address the topic.

First to speak was Andrew Krenzer, a Fredonia parent and resident. Krenzer is also a former Dunkirk varsity boys basketball coach — the last coach to defeat Fredonia in the rivalry.

Krenzer shared his disappointment in the result of the capital project vote earlier this winter, where substantial upgrades to the music and athletic departments were strongly voted down by District taxpayers. Krenzer disagreed that the result of the vote should play a part in the decision to establish a team for this upcoming season, however, because even if the vote had gone in favor of the upgrades, it would have been years before the improvements would be in place for students to be impacted.

Following Krenzer’s prepared speech was Drew Brown, a Fredonia father and youth football coach. As a coach in the village, Brown cited that the Orange Bowl field was utilized by several teams during the fall. He believes using the same field for modified and varsity flag football in the spring would not be as much of a concern as the Board feared.

Brown saw the benefits to many young athletes firsthand as a coach this year. He hopes for the same benefits for many other athletes in the District.

“The lessons learned from the players, from my perspective, were life changing for those young athletes,” Brown said. “… I want those opportunities for these girls. To take that opportunity to play, and learn those lessons through hard work and dedication, from these ladies is a huge disservice.”

Krenzer, too, has seen the benefits from playing sports to athletes in Fredonia. Krenzer’s son, Trenton, has represented Fredonia twice as a State Finalist runner. Krenzer spoke to the success his son has had as an athlete at Fredonia, which began as a modified athlete.

“Without those opportunities, he would’ve never gotten where he is today. Yes, it took hard work, but the difference is he had the opportunity. What we’re asking for is that same opportunity for these young ladies,” Krenzer said. “I want to send them a message. It doesn’t matter what obstacle stands in front of you … we’re going to give them that opportunity.”

Throughout their time addressing the Board, Krenzer and Brown both claimed the District is holding its students hostage over a failed capital project vote. Board of Education member Courtney Gullo later responded to those claims by apologizing to the students in attendance at the meeting for giving that impression.

“That wasn’t our intention. We just really had questions to make sure you have a safe and successful experience, so that’s why we put it on hold for a couple weeks, to get those answers,” Gullo said. “I’m sorry you felt that way.”

The Board of Education initially voted to table a proposal to establish a modified girls flag football team at its previous meeting following the results of the District’s capital project proposal in order to further discuss all athletics concerns with architects from Young and Wright.

The District did its research on what a modified flag football program’s impact would have on the other sports from a participation standpoint. The District believes that fielding a modified flag football team with approximately 22 players would not impact other sports to the point where they could not sustain a team.

In terms of cost, the $3,000 grant offered by the Buffalo Bills is only available to the District if the modified team launches this season. The District estimates a cost of approximately $10,000 to sustain the program in future years, which is more costly than some of the current programs, but less costly than a few others. The District concurs with the recommendation of two coaches for the program.

Board member Sheila Hahn, who initially moved to table the proposal, also stated the District was not holding students “hostage” by tabling the proposal. Hahn highlighted the safety concerns the Board has been inundated with in recent years surrounding Fredonia’s field conditions. She stated a desire for the District to follow a strategic plan moving forward, rather than reacting to opportunities — such as a one-time $3,000 grant for a $10,000 per year program.

In the time between the previous meeting and the latest meeting, the District’s Facilities Committee met to discuss its next steps following the results of the vote. The Facilities Committee decided not to pursue a smaller proposal to address the needs of the music and athletic departments later this year, which the District was prepared to do had the results been closer than they were.

No decision has yet been made about how to address and fund the needs of the departments. Superintendent Dr. Brad Zilliox called the process “an ongoing conversation.”

Part of that conversation is the evaluation of the Orange Bowl and updating the current facility, not only for athletes but also for spectators.

Now that the program is approved, the modified flag football team will plan to practice primarily on the Chestnut Street field, with a few select practices at the Orange Bowl to acclimate to the conditions of the field prior to contests. Practices will be at the main campus if the Chestnut Street field is not available. The team will likely play around four contests this year, likely all at the Orange Bowl. Holding games at alternate locations through agreements with the Dunkirk City School District or with SUNY Fredonia could be an option, but the District’s preference is to host games at its own facilities.