Editor,
I am writing in regards to your front page article in The Chief that was published on Oct. 8 ("Diverse groups compete for $750K Olympic legacy").
For 13 years now, Squamish soccer has been a huge part of my life. I have grown up on those fields, endured the rain and the cold so I could play the sport I love. When I was finally able to play rep soccer, I was ecstatic.
Here was a league that offered everything: we got to travel to different areas in the Lower Mainland, we got more competition rather than just playing the three other house soccer teams in our age group, and we got a longer season.
What I started to notice about rep soccer was that during the winter, we would travel more and therefore would be spending money in the Lower Mainland rather than keeping the money local.
The reason for our travels was that although Squamish has amazing spring and summer grass fields, our gravel fields are not FIFA approved and therefore we cannot play on them during the winter.
The $750,000 grant should be given to the SSA. If we had those turf fields, teams from the Lower Mainland would be coming up to Squamish more regularly.
Soccer Fest, the big tournament held each summer, could take on more teams from different areas of the Sea to Sky and players wouldn't need to pay a high fee to use the turf fields at Quest.
It just makes sense to invest in this needed and overdue cause.
Considering the amount of time soccer players and their parents spend on the fields and the hours of refereeing and volunteering from coaches, it's about time that the Squamish fields accommodate people's needs.
Gabriela Verdicchio
Squamish
