Friday Night Lights is an evening when students dress to a theme, showing school spirit and supporting their peers on the football field, with stadium lights shining bright and cheers echoing through the stands.
Ryan Faux, a junior who plays safety and halfback with five years of experience on the Varsity Football team, shared his feelings on losing the tradition of Friday night lights.
“I think it’s disappointing because you only get one opportunity in high school,” Faux told The Prowl
Friday night lights is an experience most high school students get to share. It helps boost morale and school spirit, but without it, fewer people attend football games, leading to less unity between students. Football games tend to be more fun when played at night. However, since South Windsor High School does not have field lights, games must start earlier, at 4:00 PM, to accommodate the schedule.
“Playing with the night lights is kind of special,” Faux commented when explaining why he values the Friday night tradition
The players on the team want Friday night lights. With more cheering it motivates them to play better prompting more wins for the school.
Although it’s on school grounds, the surrounding houses have expressed their opinions on why it’s too disruptive to the town to run due to the lights and the noise it would produce.
When asked about the public discussion surrounding the issue, Coach Rich Mabey offered a strong perspective on the conflict between local homeowners and school operations. “You live near a school and that presents various circumstances and challenges that should be known prior to being there. I do not believe that these houses should have much say at all – if it is good for the community then it should happen,” Coach Mabey told The Prowl.
Many in the school share this sentiment that when people move to a house that surrounds the school they should have expected sports games and lights.
Coach Mabey then explained how the atmosphere of night games could boost performance and community connection for multiple sports.
“I think our student athletes in soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, track and field and football would love the opportunity to play under the lights for their moms and dads, grandparents, siblings and other community members. I think it could enhance their performance for sure!” Maybe said.
With South Windsor being one of the only high schools without a lighted field, it causes missed opportunities for athletes to have a night where they are supported and cheered on by their peers.
“This is a huge miss by the South Windsor community and back in the Fall of 2017 – our football team earned a home playoff game for the first time in school history against Naugatuck and had to go play the game at East Hartford High School!” Maybe told The Prowl. This should never have happened and the fact that we are the only school on our schedule every year not to have a lighted field is not right.”
Many coaches, players, parents and students hope to implement Friday night lights soon.
