Youth football organizers say Hagerstown denied access to Fairgrounds Park; council to put request on agenda

Matt Rempe, who said he represents the Hagerstown Headers youth football organization, told the City Council on May 26 that the city denied a request to host the proposed "Hub City Classic" youth football tournament at Fairgrounds Park.

"Why is football singled out? Why are children being denied access to public facilities for the sport they love while every other sport is welcomed?" Rempe asked, later adding: "This feels discriminatory, it feels selective, and it feels like an abuse of power." He said the event would feature roughly 30 teams (ages 6–14), bring hundreds of visiting families, and deliver economic benefits to local hotels, restaurants and vendors.

The mayor then invited a Parks and Recreation official (introduced by the mayor as "Eric") to explain the denial. A Parks and Recreation official said the decision was based primarily on field configuration and maintenance needs — the fields were built and set up for soccer and need recovery time after heavy use — and on a scheduled softball tournament that weekend, which creates space conflicts at Fairgrounds Park. The official said staff had recently reviewed the request and that the softball activity would occupy significant space on the same dates.

Councilman Anderson asked that both the youth football request and the rental-licensing comments raised by another speaker be brought back to a future council agenda for fuller discussion. The council agreed to add the youth football request to an upcoming agenda so members can consider scheduling, field-preparation needs and any changes to facility-use policies.

What happens next: the council will consider the request in a future meeting; the Parks and Recreation rationale as stated in the meeting transcript remains the city's explanation for the denial. The council did not record a formal vote on this particular procedural decision during the May 26 session.