Dubfield, founded in 2015 by WHS alum Mitchell Bryk (‘16), is now run by senior Michael Leniart and has become the social media hub for all things WHS sports. What was once only a Twitter account with occasional updates, Dubfield now includes Instagram and Snapchat accounts as well as announcements of game themes, college commitments and team rankings. It also offers game broadcasts, live-tweets and jabs toward WHS rival Scotch Plains.

“A dub is another word for a win, and all we do here at Westfield is win,” said Leniart. “As long as we keep that up, Dubfield is here to stay.”
Leniart, aided by seniors Joe SanGiacomo and Jack Cifelli, has sparked the Dubfield expansion. He has shaped it into a true brand through the sale of  T-shirts, interviews with athletes, and student polls to determine themes for games.
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As a result, school spirit at sports games has increased, and this is credited to Leniart and the social media accounts encouraging students to attend games and participate in themes, which often involve the T-shirts Leniart created. The student sections at games have been growing substantially as Dubfield has gained more followers, with 860 on Twitter and more than 1,500 on Instagram.
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Leniart has expanded this for-profit business through the Dubfield social media, which often advertises his own products. His white “Dubfield Athletics” T-shirts are often worn for white-out themes, and his T-shirts that read “Saturdays are for Dubfield” are a popular item for themes such as blue-out and Westfield wear. Leniart reported that some profits from these products will go toward new Dubfield apparel and further expansion of his business.

“It makes the student section way more energetic and gets everyone involved,” said senior Maddy Davis.
The future of Dubfield looks bright, according to Leniart. He has plans to continue his business after graduation by selling new Dubfield apparel with a website in order to ship new products to the WHS community.

“I’m in the process of getting Dubfield trademarked, and even though I won’t be controlling the social media next year, I plan to create a website with more products,” he said. “The goal is to be able to actually ship things rather than run a business out of my backpack.”

When posting Snapchat stories, Instagram photos and Twitter updates, Leniart must remain conscientious about the message he sends to his followers to ensure each post is suitable for students. However, he reported that “the school administration has been really good to [him] and there hasn’t been any real problems.” He added, “As long as nothing inappropriate gets posted, we’re all good.”

WHS Athletic Director Sandra Mamary likes the high spirit behind Dubfield and the way it covers Westfield athletics. However, she added, “I think the manager of the account needs to be respectful of the entire student body. Because this isn’t a personal account, it’s a student body account, he needs to ensure the posts are appropriate at the school level.”

Dubfield also faces criticism for not covering all sports. Junior field hockey player Hannah Jepson said, “I understand that people might not care about how the field hockey team does compared to other sports. But I do wish Dubfield included more pictures of us, especially when we win big games that are really important to us.”

In response to this, Leniart said, “I do my best to include all sports on Dubfield, but with that being said, I usually do give the more popular sports more coverage just like they would at a big-time Division I college.”
Leniart said he will be passing down his legacy post-graduation to sophomore Nick Martini. “I can tell he shares the same passion for Dubfield that I have,”

Leniart said. “In order to change the culture of our students section we have tried, and will continue trying, to get everyone as excited and energetic for games as possible.”