Something Has To Change

For the last few years I have seen our University of Saskatchewan Huskie soccer program say the exact same thing over and over. "We need to get more fans in the stands," says Bryce Chapman. "We need to tie our team into the community and get the young soccer kids out to the game," he keeps saying. Now that Tom Lapointe has become the new women's head coach it has turned from a solo into a duet with both of them singing the same song. It would be music to your ears...if anyone actually listened.

Which of course they don't. And the reason I know they don't listen is that although the same song is sung over and over I never see any changes made....and by they I mean the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and Huskie Athletics. I totally agree with the lyrics to Bryce and Tom's song, it's the system that has to change. Now I don't know for sure who makes up the schedule for the season, but whoever it is, they are part of the big problem.

The problem is that they schedule the games at a terrible time: Friday at 12:00pm for the women's game and then 2:00pm for the Men's game. Now I don't know about you, but I have to work on Friday afternoon until 5:00pm. I think the majority of the people in Saskatoon, including all the kids that play soccer, are busy Friday afternoon and cannot make a game at 12:00pm.

You don't see this with any other sport. Football always plays their games Saturday afternoon at 1:00pm (with the odd exception of a Friday night game under the lights). Volleyball and Basketball is always played on Friday and Saturday evening starting at 6:00pm. All ideal times to go watch the game with your family.


Now I realize soccer is a little different. Basketball and Volleyball always play double headers against the same teams...one game Friday and one Saturday. Soccer plays one game on Friday and then that team travels to another university nearby and plays them the next day. This travel time may affect the scheduling, but it can still be worked around.

Here's what I suggest the schedule should look like:

Saturday afternoon 12:00pm - Women's game
Saturday afternoon 2:00pm - Men's game (remember, we have lights at Griffiths so this is fine)

Sunday afternoon: 12:00pm Women's game
Sunday afternoon: 2:00pm Men's game
Teams then travel home after the game.

This schedule change would allow local kids and families a chance to actually see the team in action. This would not only inspire the players as the stands would be more full, but it might help the soccer coffers through the small $5.00 admission charge to get in and maybe one day we could actually offer some scholarship money to the players.

I'm tired of all the talk and no change happening. The truth is that until those Friday afternoon games are rid of the soccer program will never truly be able to engage the community and attract the large soccer crowd this city has.