Grand Forks made provincial news this week after it was revealed at the girls soccer team at Grand Forks Secondary School (GFSS) would not be allowed to compete in the provincial tournament on a technicality.
According to a press release distributed by parents of students on the GFSS girls soccer team, some GFSS girls wanted to put together a soccer team, but needed additional players to complete the team. They found two Grade 7 students from Christina Lake Elementary to join the team, after which the team went on to win many games and compete in a tournament in Nakusp. The team then qualified for the provincials.
Mike Phelan, the team’s coach, had formerly notified the West Kootenay soccer commissioner about the younger girls, as well as other coaches, who were not concerned the press release states. When Phelan called B.C. School Sports, the governing body, they became aware the Grade 7 students were barred from participating. The team was then disqualified because they had ineligible students playing in the games that qualified them for provincials.
According to B.C. School Sports’ eligibility rules, schools can apply for an eligibility exemption to allow for a Grade 7 student to play for a Grade 8 team due to insufficient numbers, but the student must play on a Grade 8 only team and must also attend the school for which they are playing.
Bill Henne, parent to two students on the team attending GFSS, said the team was told that other coaches participating in the tournament could write to B.C. School Sports and suggest the decision be overturned. Shortly after that, the GFSS team was fined $200 for having Grade 7 students participate and the letters disregarded, he said.
“Five of the six directors of the B.C. School Sports Board of Directors from the Lower Mainland and one director from Vernon had the opportunity to recognize that rural schools struggle to find enough players for teams like soccer,” said Henne. “One of the BCSS values is ‘supporting the equity of opportunity for students and coaches to participate in athletics’ yet they denied our girls the very same opportunity they cherish as a value!”
Henne also said he did not consider having students as much as four or five years younger than other players compete posed a threat to other teams.
B.C. School Sports executive director Jordan Abney said in an interview the school had not followed policy, and while he didn’t enjoy disqualifying teams, the policy was clear. Abney also said that during the zone tournament, spare players from GFSS were sidelined in favour of the Grade 7 students.
“Putting a 12-year-old on the field with 16-18 year olds is not necessarily in the best interest of the athletes. There are safety and social [considerations],” Abney said.
However, coach Mike Phelan said in an interview that players were on a rotation at all times, and no player would have been left out in favour of another. At various times players sit out based on fatigue, and at one point this year a GFSS student was on the sidelines for an injury, and the decision not to play was in consultation with the student.
Abney said while the accusation has been levelled that B.C. School Sports is urban school focused, the organization tries to accommodate its rural schools through policies and initiatives that allow students from rural schools to jointly field a team.
However, Henne said being able to participate in the provincial tournament would have been in the students’ best interest.
“It’s our kids that are suffering from this decision,” said Henne. “It’s hard enough to get enough kids from rural areas to form sports teams and by this decision, B.C. School Sports is making it even more difficult for rural schools to field teams.”
“We try to field teams and we get persecuted for silly things,” Henne said in an interview. Henne said he wrote a three-page letter to the organization asking for the fine to be reconsidered, but said he was more or less brushed off.
Abney confirmed the team is appealing the fine, but cannot appeal the disqualification.