Boards in play for elite soccer teams Falice Chin Calgary Herald - Saturday, July 1, 2006

After controversy surrounding the use of boards in indoor soccer, parents, coaches and minor league organizers have reached a compromise. Boards are here to stay for the younger teams, but not the under-14 and under-16 premier teams, the Calgary Minor Soccer Association announced Friday. "We know at the very high, elite level the kids can play the game and are after skill development," said association executive Daryl Leinweber, "whereas at the lower level, they're just there to play the game." Soccer dad Jeff Sands has mixed feelings about the compromise. "I'm happy because not all teams got penalized," he said. "But I'm sad for those teams whose games won't be exciting anymore." Earlier this week, Sands launched a writing campaign against the association's proposal to move back the boards and create a rule against using them for rebounds in the 2006-07 season. He said parents were given only two choices in the final meeting on Thursday evening: Either get rid of the boards for under-12 and over or just the under-14 and under-16. The group of 30 parents voted unanimously for the latter. "We had a democratic process," Leinweber said. "At the end of it all, we had a group hug." Scott Irons, 17, who plays for NorthWest United Dons, said the status quo won't help children develop the skills necessary to compete in outdoor soccer. "Personally, I don't like the boards," he said. "They develop bad habits by making people rely on them."