I am writing today to make our community aware of a growing issue that is affecting our children. While my concern for unity within our community has been building for some time, recent events have made me realize the urgency in sharing my concern with the community to try to resolve this problem.
The weekend of April 1-3, 2011, the two soccer teams that I coach were denied the opportunity to play in a local tournament, the Yavapai Cup, though they had been registered to play in this tournament for months. This tournament is defined as an open, non-discriminatory tournament, and the tournament regulations state that all teams must be accepted. However, the reprehensible behavior of a few individuals in particular and their “reasons” for denying the Vardar Soccer Teams (Boys U-12 and Boys U-14) the opportunity to play are unfair and suspect.
The rules for entering the Yavapai Soccer Tournament are clear and they were satisfied by the Vardar Soccer Club. On Thursday, March 17, 2011, I called the Tournament Director to confirm Vardar’s acceptance in the tournament. The evening of March 17th, I received a return email informing me that the two Vardar Teams had not been accepted into the tournament. My attempts to find out why were met with dissimulation and vague answers.
Not satisfied with the answers (or lack thereof) I was being given, I contacted the Arizona Soccer Association under whose jurisdiction the Yavapai Soccer League (YSL) lies. My purpose in doing so was two-fold: first, I wanted the Vardar Soccer Teams to be allowed to play in the tournament, as these young players, parents, coaches, and families had made detailed arrangements to play in the tournament, and second, I wanted to shed light on the treatment to which the Vardar teams were being subjected.
Arizona Soccer Association opined that while they did not endorse the decision from the YSL, they were not successful in forcing YSL to give fair and equal treatment to the Vardar Teams. Ultimately, the YSL leadership reluctantly told me that the Vardar teams would only be conditionally accepted with certain stipulations that were discriminatory and unjust. Consequently, these two teams were ultimately denied of the opportunity to play in the Yavapai Cup, leaving the teams discouraged and disappointed. Neither I nor the Vardar teams deserve to be treated in this ignominious manner that brings discredit to the tri-city area and our sports programs.
The weekend of April 1-3, 2011, the two soccer teams that I coach were denied the opportunity to play in a local tournament, the Yavapai Cup, though they had been registered to play in this tournament for months. This tournament is defined as an open, non-discriminatory tournament, and the tournament regulations state that all teams must be accepted. However, the reprehensible behavior of a few individuals in particular and their “reasons” for denying the Vardar Soccer Teams (Boys U-12 and Boys U-14) the opportunity to play are unfair and suspect.
The rules for entering the Yavapai Soccer Tournament are clear and they were satisfied by the Vardar Soccer Club. On Thursday, March 17, 2011, I called the Tournament Director to confirm Vardar’s acceptance in the tournament. The evening of March 17th, I received a return email informing me that the two Vardar Teams had not been accepted into the tournament. My attempts to find out why were met with dissimulation and vague answers.
Not satisfied with the answers (or lack thereof) I was being given, I contacted the Arizona Soccer Association under whose jurisdiction the Yavapai Soccer League (YSL) lies. My purpose in doing so was two-fold: first, I wanted the Vardar Soccer Teams to be allowed to play in the tournament, as these young players, parents, coaches, and families had made detailed arrangements to play in the tournament, and second, I wanted to shed light on the treatment to which the Vardar teams were being subjected.
Arizona Soccer Association opined that while they did not endorse the decision from the YSL, they were not successful in forcing YSL to give fair and equal treatment to the Vardar Teams. Ultimately, the YSL leadership reluctantly told me that the Vardar teams would only be conditionally accepted with certain stipulations that were discriminatory and unjust. Consequently, these two teams were ultimately denied of the opportunity to play in the Yavapai Cup, leaving the teams discouraged and disappointed. Neither I nor the Vardar teams deserve to be treated in this ignominious manner that brings discredit to the tri-city area and our sports programs.
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