High school soccer remains a second-string sport

Representatives of the Sault Amateur Soccer Association, the City of Sault Ste. Marie, and the public and separate school boards will meet today to discuss the upcoming high school soccer season.

One thing they won't be discussing is John Caputo's campaign to have soccer advanced from its current status as an exhibition sport.

Caputo, a trustee on the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board, has been fighting to have soccer recognized so local high schools can participate in NOSSA and possibly OFSSA.

But Caputo and his fellow trustees learned last night that soccer will continue next year as an exhibition league running from August to October 1.

City competition only

Soccer competition will take place entirely within the Sault, with the championship fought at the City level, Superintendent of Education John Stadnyk told the Huron-Superior board last night.

The decision stems, among other things, from a lack of available soccer fields for a fall league.

It's expected that the exhibition league will be denied use of Strathclair Fields next season, with play limited to the Tom Tipton and Alexander Henry High School fields and the occasional Saturday game at Queen Elizabeth and at local elementary schools.

Another factor in the decision to deny soccer status as an officially sanctioned high school sport, trustees learned last night, is the unwillingness of the Sault Ste. Marie Men's and Women's Athletic Associations to support the effort.

No release time for teachers

"We cannot stretch our - or the volunteers we work with - efforts any further at this time," say Ken White and Wendy Piper, presidents of the respective men's and women's groups, in a letter sent to officials of the two school boards.

"Not long ago, boards were forced to withdraw the release time for teachers due to provincial funding," White and Piper say.

"In spite of this reduction of support and loss of release time, the athletic associations continued to offer the same level of programs as they did before the loss of the release time.

"Even when many areas of the province were without a viable sports program, our local associations continued to offer the current level of programs.

Declining enrolment

"Currently we are facing declining enrolment, which when added to the problems caused by the reduced funding and reduced time needed by convenors to co-ordinate programs, an environment has ben created where it is very difficult to maintain the current level of sports," White and Piper tell the boards.

The exhibition league will continue to be run by the Sault Amateur Soccer Association, with high school names being used by teams.

The association will provide referees, team jerseys, coaches, schedules and insurance.