EDITOR,
Recently the powers that be at the Squamish Youth Soccer Association (SYSA) made the decision to eliminate the house league for the senior kids U13 and above. They have decided on making one team each for U13 through U18 and these teams would be joining in with leagues in the Lower Mainland requiring travel every other weekend. This move will alienate many families who previously relied on the affordable and accessible house league for recreation for their teens.
The SYSA’s mandate is to provide youth in Squamish with the opportunity to play soccer. For many years they have done this very successfully and for that I applaud the association in their efforts. This recent decision to eliminate house league play after U12 is contradictory to their mandate. Taking away house league play will effectively limit access to soccer for many kids 12-18 years of age.
SYSA has been successful for many years in providing an affordable sport for Squamish youth to participate in. I know of many kids who come from lower income families in Squamish who take great pride in participating in the house league activities. Unfortunately, this will no longer be true for many U13-and-older kids who will not be able to participate because their parents can’t afford the extra time and expense involved in travelling to a soccer game in Richmond or Mission. There are also parents who work on weekends, and grandma drops the kids off to soccer. I can tell you right now, grandma is not willing to drive to Vancouver. Nor would I want her to.
My husband and I have been active volunteers with the association for the past four years — four years of coaching and team managing. We have really enjoyed the association and have supported it with our time given to our teams. These changes to the house league are shortsighted and exclusive in my opinion and we do not support them at all. You are not meeting your mandate of providing kids in Squamish with an opportunity to play soccer. You are alienating the lower-income and single-parent families who have counted on soccer as being something affordable and accessible. To say I am disappointed in the association’s decision is an understatement.
Laura Modray
Squamish
