“
If you build it,
they will come….
”
Ottawa’s 50,000 players looking for more
soccer pitches
BY DereK Dunn
“It’s a problem from city to city, province to
Ever since soccer province,” Scott said. “You are trying to squish
surpassed hockey as the everything into the summer months after a
national sport with a higher day at work; it’s not easy. So this issue goes
participation rate more beyond the efforts of people at Ottawa City
than a decade ago, there Hall. Everybody wants to see more soccer
has been a scramble to find enough soccer fields in Canada.”
pitches to satisfy the growing demand. According to Bob Monaghan of the Ottawa
In the National Capital area, there are International’s Soccer Club and the East Region
now 50,000 registered soccer players vying Soccer League (ERSL), the latter with 640
for space on 675 sports fields and baseball teams in its league, there isn’t anyone willing
diamonds owned by the City of Ottawa. The to take the initiative. Even Ottawa’s Parks and
Ottawa South United (OSU) soccer club alone Recreation Committee isn’t an actual standing
was forced to turn down 190 potential players committee, but a volunteer advisory board, he
last year because of a lack of field time. explained. It has no city councillors among its
Richard Scott, media relations officer at membership. Therefore, soccer is given equal
“There is a demand for
Soccer Canada, said that Ottawa is not alone treatment to, say, baseball, a sport that is
when it comes to having too few soccer decreasing in interest.
more soccer, so the market
pitches. There are 850,000 registered players “They are converting ball fields [two to
will provide more soccer
in Canada, all wanting to play between three per year] and that’s great,” Monaghan
fields."
6 and 8 p.m. during July and August. Every said. “But if someone goes down to the
municipality is dealing with the same committee meeting and says they want the Canada Soccer Association
challenge, he explained. diamond, just because they live nearby and
want to maintain their peace and quiet, they’ll
get their way.”
laCK of will
He added that the city doesn’t have an
“overall direction” to follow when it comes
to creating additional fields. The problem, he
reiterated, is not a lack of money, but a lack
of will.
“Right now we are walking into city hall with
a million bucks and they are saying, we don’t
know what to do with you. People say we are
crazy to want to deal with the city, but that’s
all we can do. You have to rent from the city,”
said Monaghan.
OSU President Bill Michalopulos is less
frustrated when it comes to dealing with
the city. He said that although soccer has
been in Canada for a number of years, it has
primarily been a sport played informally by
CER
ethnic groups. Culturally, it remains outside
S
OC
the mainstream.
T
A
KANA
“as CanaDian as a Double-Double”
B
Y
T
O
“Now it’s becoming as Canadian as a
PHO double-double,” Michalopulos said. “Sure,
20
Ottawa
www.Kickabout.ca
>> sprING/suMMer 2008
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