BC Soccer dispute could sideline thousands of youth players
BC Soccer should be focused on the provincial championships, which kick off Thursday for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Instead, most people involved in the sport are talking about a power struggle that could lead to the suspension of all tournaments, games and even practices.
"Unfortunately right now, BC Soccer is currently not following a directive of Canada Soccer, our governing body, and this may lead to sanctioning from Canada Soccer to BC Soccer,” said BC Soccer’s executive director Jason Elligott in a pre-recorded video message to members.
“In simple terms, the directive is to change BC Soccer's voting structure to be more equitable."
Despite BC Soccer having about 15,000 adult members and approximately 95,000 youth members, voting power is split 50-50 between the two groups.
Canada Soccer, the federal governing body that oversees provincial and territorial organizations, wants the split to better reflect the number of players in each category.
According to BC Soccer, British Columbia is the only province or territory that is not in compliance with the directive.
"This is not an ask, this is a mandate. And so we need to be in a position to somehow make this change,” BC Soccer president Gayle Statton said in the video to members.
Changes to BC Soccer bylaws require two-thirds majority support from the membership.
A June 1 vote on changing the voting structure did not achieve that majority.
According to Statton, it is the adult league members who do not support the change.
None of the adult league organizers contacted by CTV News would agree to speak on the record about the stalemate.
BC Soccer also declined an interview.
While the adults behind the scenes try to negotiate a resolution ahead of a November deadline imposed by Canada Soccer before it may take punitive action, up to and including the suspension of all sanctioned soccer activities in B.C., it is the youth players caught in the middle who stand to suffer the most through no fault of their own.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.