Ian Mitchell, Communications Director for the Boundary Youth Soccer Association has alerted current and former members and email contacts that the association is at a crossroads – in need of members willing to serve on the board as well as facing the cancellation of the fall soccer season unless more coaches and volunteers step up.
“We regret to announce that our President, Tim Carson, has stepped down effective immediately,” wrote Mitchell in an email sent on July 24, 2014. “Carson was one of the original BYSA Board members and he will be missed,” Mitchell added.
Mitchell went on to announce that Chantel Lovegrove has agreed to take on the role of interim President at least until the groups’ AGM in the fall. “Chantel has done an amazing job at coordinating our Kicks for Kids program (four and under) over the past year and has generously agreed to step up to the plate as President,” Mitchell stated.
He then broke the news that the fall soccer season may be cancelled without at least 12 coaches throughout all age groups being in place. “We also need people to sign up to volunteer for either the Board, as coaches, or general volunteers. We had set a deadline of next Thursday, July 31st to make a decision about the fall. Please visit our Volunteer registration page online at http://www. boundaryyouthsoccer.com/registration/ bysa-volunteer-application-form/.
If you want to volunteer for something other than coach or board, please select “other” and use the text box to detail how you’re willing to help.”
According to Mitchell BYSA provides soccer to over 300 kids in the Boundary year in and year out. “But it is becoming increasingly challenging to do so as it requires an immense amount of work. We anticipate that there will be more turnover on the board leading up to the AGM. At a minimum, we are confident there will be vacancies on the board for the roles of treasurer and vice-president and general directors.
We’ve also been short of non-board volunteer positions such as equipment coordinator, volunteer coordinator, and head coach. Beyond that we are in need of general volunteers for duties such as running the equipment table, barbeque, general tournament help, etc.”
If enough volunteers and coaches can be found the association might offer a five-week fall session on a once a week drop in basis with no practices and no tournament. “This would be offered free of charge to Spring players and at a nominal fee to cover insurance for new players,” explained Mitchell. “It would be a fun session to keep those keener players going, and the drop in format would be much easier to coordinate in terms of the lower registration of players and coaches we get in the fall. But we need the help of the membership to make it happen.”
In closing Mitchell wrote, “We have an amazing Association and we want to continue to provide a great experience to all our kids. Please join us to help make that happen.”