Sparta Town Council:
On Monday 5/5/08 the Recreation Advisory Committee,(RAC) recommended change a change to the Sparta Parks and recreation manual that would put our Spring Soccer program at great risk.
The soccer program has been in Sparta since the early 1970's (we have the records) We have grown with the town. We provide a healthy activity at all levels of competition to over 1200 (different individual Sparta residents) over the two seasons each year (app 1000 each season). About 25-30% of those players are "travel" or a higher level of competition. The majority is our "town" or recreation program. In today's world and especially in a town like Sparta we should be doing everything possible to accommodate every sport that a child wants to participate in. We should not be considering any "rule" that has the potential to limit the number of players in any sport.
The recent action of some people from the Lacrosse Club have sought to do just that; they were the major advocates of this "ruling " passed by the RAC. The RAC is a committee meant to help/ advise the Director of Parks and Recreation. Key word - advisory. But it appears that several people have used the RAC to promote the interest of one specific sport.
I'm not saying lacrosse should not have access to fields, or that they should not grow but Ginny Mohr has done an excellent job of managing to accommodate the needs of every sport in Sparta. Soccer made adjustments in our White Lake program this spring so that Lacrosse could have the larger field they requested at White Lake. Ginny also coordinated the use of two HS fields, the Middle School and the church on Rt. 15 for Lacrosse’s use. This provided Lacrosse with 3 full sized game fields and two practice areas for 275 players (8 teams.) Soccer has 3 full-sized and 2 small fields at Station for 24 travel teams, and 18 town teams (app 600 players). We also have 3 "junior" fields at White Lake. We run the program there for 36 teams (about 400 children)
I'm hearing the Lacrosse has chosen not to use the HS fields, in spite of Ginny's efforts to coordinate this. Their online schedule shows all of their games at White Lake. They chose not to use the High School fields. Instead they want exclusive use of Station Park in the spring at the expense of the children who choose to play soccer.
Soccer has worked closely with the Ginny and with Jerry through scheduling and planning and contributions of our resources to light, expand and maintain fields at Station Park. We worked closely with Henry Underhill and the council on both lighting projects. At a meeting with Lacrosse representatives, Soccer representatives (including myself) and Ginny Mohr, Jerry Younkers and Bill (parks worker) Soccer offered to work with Lacrosse to get the town to be able to build more fields (for example the next phases of the White Lake Project.) Lacrosse's answer was no - they want Station, they want the lights there. They said it does not matter that Soccer has been there for years, does not matter how much we contributed to lights. etc. They wanted the fields and did not care about soccer. You may also recall that it was Soccer (myself and Gil) that pointed out to the Town Council during a discussion of the plans for the new White Lake that that the loss of the current White Lake did not just affect Soccer but that Lacrosse would also lose a field. Soccer cares about the children of Sparta; not just the soccer playing children
This new rule would change "priorities" for sports seasons - if approved technically it does not just affect soccer. It means that technically Soccer and Football have "priority" in the fall. This means we could demand the use of baseball fields for practice. Then what happens to fall baseball? What happens to their fields? Does Soccer want to do this? No. We want to leave the Operating Manual as it is and leave the decision of how fields are assigned in the capable hands of the Parks & Recreation Director whose expertise Sparta taxpayers pay for and expect. We want to work with that department, with the Town Manager and the Town Council and with other sports organizations to solve the field needs by growing the system through additional fields, artificial turf fields or lighting fields to provide every Sparta child with whatever sports they are interested in playing. This is not some urban community with limited land - this is a mostly rural community with lots of possible resources. Existing Parks, existing open space land and possible open space that could all become additions to the parks / sports facilities in Sparta.
We understand that this proposed change needs approval by the town Manager and the Town Council. Please do not approve such a change. Please consider our concern for the children of Sparta.
Sincerely,
Sparta Soccer Club Board of Directors
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President |
973-729-5399 |
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VP Travel & Equipment |
973-729-9690 |
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VP Town League |
973-726-5615 |
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Secretary |
973-726-7254 |
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Treasurer |
973-729-7957 |
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Travel Registrar |
973-729-1544 |
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Town League Registrar |
973-459-0962 |
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Director of Fields/Scheduling |
973-729-0850 |
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Director of Training |
973-729-7957 |
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Director of Sponsors |
973-300-0918 |
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Director of Public Relations |
973-726-5992 |
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Director of Travel Teams |
973-729-0971 |
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Director of Coaches |
973-726-9470 |
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Director of Town Referees |
973-726-0879 |
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Director of Town League |
973-729-9440 |