Yukon News story from November 7, 2001, page 41.
© Yukon News 2001, posted with permission.

By Jillian Rogers
News Reporter

Imagine running full speed into a water fountain. Or a metal bar jutting out from the wall.

These are some of the injuries that occur every year during the indoor-soccer season in Whitehorse.

The reason for the injuries is that the fast-paced game is being played in gyms not designed for the sport.

On Monday night, Whitehorse minor soccer made its pitch to city council for an indoor soccer facility.

And more than 30 soccer moms and dads, players and coaches filled council chambers to show their support.

Our family, including Whitehorse minor soccer, the Yukon Soccer Association, Whitehorse co-ed league, masters’ teams, women’s soccer teams… are prepared to work with the necessary levels of government to see (the facility’s) construction,” WMS president Brian Gillen told council.

As well as the physical hazards of playing in school gyms, the sport has no room to growth due to the lack of venues, he said. In the last five years, indoor soccer has grown 60 per cent, and it now exceeds Whitehorse minor hockey in terms of player participation. As a result, players and teams in minor soccer and other leagues are running out of gym space and time.

Soccer takes up 109 hours of gym time per week at city schools that’s 35 per cent of the time available.

The next most popular sport is basketball, which takes up 20 per cent of the available time.

Gyms are booked months in advance, which makes it tough to organize tournaments for Outside competition.

A report, commissioned by minor soccer, was completed this spring to determine whether the city needs a soccer centre. But the big concern among city councillors was the cost of building such a facility, and then operating and maintaining it. Next month, the minor soccer association plans to release a report outlining the building and operating costs. According to economist Luigi Zanasi, building a facility with two soccer arenas, change rooms, a licensed eatery, a spectator area and a running track would cost more than $5 million.

The total annual operating expenses would be in excess of $200,000.

By increasing user fees slightly and with revenues from advertising and the concession, the annual operating deficit would be about $100,000. But, said minor soccer director Doug Hitch, those skinny numbers don’t factor in proceeds from any other user groups. The multi-use soccer arena could accommodate anything from dog shows to basketball to ultimate Frisbee, he said. Depending on its design, as many as 40 special events and sports could be held in the complex, he said.

The construction of an indoor soccer facility would alleviate some of this pressure” on existing facilities in the city, agreed Gillen. Gillen asked council to be creative” with the surplus in its budget and with the money the city is expected to get from the federal government if Whitehorse is chosen to host the 2007 Canada Winter Games. No final decision has been made about the facility’s design or location. But there are a few options.

If it were added to the Takhini Arena, the overall construction cost would be reduced by $2 million.

The other option is to house it in a new building adjacent to F.H. Collins Secondary School.

Gillen suggested the city rethink the design of the flexi-hall at the multiplex on Hamilton Boulevard which, as it stands now, is smaller than Porter Creek’s gym and can only house one soccer arena. One councillor noted that user fees would have to go up to help pay for an indoor soccer facility, and this would still leave teams playing in gyms.

Soccer claims to have the cheapest sport going, so you’d have to raise your fees up to the equivalent of at least minor hockey,” said Duke Connelly.

But Gillen isn’t worried about higher fees, noting that players will pay more if it means using a safer facility. According to an Alberta study, interest in indoor soccer surged after new facilities were built, said Gillen.

Now, I don’t question that higher fees definitely discourage participation,” said Gillen.

However, even in the case of doubling the fees, as in the case of the Red Deer, Alberta, centre, participation still increased.” Connelly also speculated that residential property taxes would have to go up to pay for the centre.

I don’t buy that,” said Gillen.

I think there are other ways to do this. The whole question of the monies that are planned to build the infrastructure for the 2007 Canada Games.

The facility we would like to see would be able to host those sports, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Why build a flexi-hall that’s smaller than we’re used to when you can build something that would work for us and work for many other groups?” If the centre is built, and open for 30 hours a week, that would take care of the minor soccer demand.

Then there are the adult leagues, the co-ed leagues, the women’s league, the rep development,” said Gillen. But the facility would ease the pressure of all user groups.” Councillor Linda Casson, who is a soccer mom, said she would support building an indoor soccer facility if everyone can work together to make it cost-effective and cost-efficient.

After his presentation, Gillen said he wasn’t surprised by the skeptical reaction he received from council.

I certainly knew council would be concerned about costs $4 million to $5 million is quite an expenditure.

But we hope to get some indication from council that they would like to move forward and get into the real planning. The roadblocks are always dollars and cents, but I hope that council recognizes the numerous benefits to the city. It’ll create jobs and create a venue for tournaments involving Alaska, Alberta, BC, and we will then be able to run tournaments for soccer and other sports and bring more money into the city.” The Yukon Soccer Association plans to make its pitch for an indoor facility to city council next Tuesday.