Board approves field holds for new Lowell Youth Field Hockey season, with custodian fee caveats

The City of Lowell Board of Parks on June 24 approved a package of field reservations to accommodate a new Lowell Youth Field Hockey program that has registered more than 100 girls across first through eighth grades.

Natalie Welch, who asked the board to revisit requests for practice and game fields on behalf of the program, said the league enrolled over 100 girls and planned two practices per week for older players and one practice for younger groups. "We have over 100 girls that are registered for our first season," Welch said, adding that the teams had applied for Machado Field, Riley and Shedd Park as potential sites.

The board front‑loaded the most urgent item — a request to reserve Collyer (Cawley) Stadium’s soccer field for game Sundays from Sept. 13 to Nov. 8, 2026. A board member moved and the board approved Item A, which the motion described as the Collyer soccer field on Sundays, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., with no residential youth fee and a custodial fee of $3,600. The chair called the motion carried.

Members spent substantial time on custodial coverage and fees. Jeff, a parks staff member, explained that custodial overtime or coverage gaps could change the final charges; the board agreed that holding dates now and returning in August with confirmed game dates would let staff adjust charges or credit fees for dates the program ultimately does not use. "If you take the dates and then realize the week before you're supposed to start you don't need them ... you're still stuck paying us the fee," Jeff said, and the board described options to credit that payment toward next year’s permit if dates went unused.

The board also approved Item B (Aug. 17–27 weekday practice dates) with a $1,600 fee and approved Item C (Shedd Park, Sept. 1–Nov. 5, Mon–Thu, 5:30–7:30 p.m.) with no fee after discussing conflicts with high‑school schedules, lights at some venues and shared use with other youth leagues. Item D (Viscato/Cawley field) was withdrawn because Lowell High School needed the space.

The board emphasized two operational points: the high school has scheduling priority, and custodial availability determines whether programs pay the custodial fee or receive a waiver/credit. Welch said the league would return in August with the confirmed league schedule so the board could finalize the exact dates and fees.

What happens next: the field permits approved June 24 are effective as held, but the youth field hockey organizers will return to the board in August with firm game dates so staff can reconcile any unused dates and apply credits or fee adjustments if custodial coverage changes.