school. — , b ry Andy Fraser’ Handsworth fighting soccer? _ football sat excessively dangerous. Not yet at least. What they are . ' sport offers the opportunity “However: no one is saying saying is that soccer should have an equal opportunity. There is no valid réason for io a one -‘Sport—to- ‘be in com- Petifion against another. Soccer’ asa s developmental for individual and team skill. There. is. nothing wrong with football, properly coached and administered. There is: nothing wrong with An awkward situation appears to be developing This seems to-be forgotten i in. ‘in the sporting ranks at Handsworth Secondary many instances. School in North Vancouver over the absence of 5 : soccer from the school program. : The latest ‘report had a " group of interested parents’ appearing in front of the local school board to put’ forward their reasons why they believe’—a—soccer asking that program should be instituted at the school after having ~ received a written report titled ‘An inquiry into the feasibility of a - soccer program at Handsworth’ prepared by the Athletic Advisory Board, of the From what we can gather, - there appears’ every possibility of a confrontation between the proponents of the round ball game and those, including the school athletic teachers, who favor _. the game with the oblong pigskin (or whatever they make it out of now). ‘NO NEED’ To put it simply, the parents group wants ‘to see soccer at the school while the athletic advisory board states that they are“not at all certain that there is any real need, educational or otherwise, for a Handsworth soccer program or team.”* This attitude is frustrating the parents who want soccer. They claim they do not want to disturb any existing athletic activity at the school, but simply to provide the option of soccer which is being played at every other secondary school on the North Shore. With the ever increasing popularity of soccer taking hold all across North America, there has been ~~ more ...and-——more-- -con- ~frontations’” cropping: up between, the advocates of soccer “and Tootball. “For ~ some not properly explained, reason, cach, scems to be intent on destroying the other. | Au When this happens, then TOO SMALL “If Willie Johnston or Alan | .Ball went to try out for the ‘there are bound to be problems. However, in the Handsworth case, no one from the soccer side is football team at Handsworth the coaches would probably take them aside for a little — ‘chat and tell them ‘that they ‘the’ football program be Cropped or curtailed. But the football types at the high school give the impression of not wanting soccer in their school. They claim that the two Sports’ “can not co-exist.” _ SOCCER TOO COSTLY? Strangley enough, the school athletic types claim _the cost of soccer is pretty heavy. They are obviously not comparing it to a football team. _ They also state that ‘the football program at Hand- sworth has been a particular target for soccer advocates.” Yet with this particular group making an appeal for soccer, they state “We do not suggest that any team need be dropped. We ask only that a more equitable distribution of the athletic budget be made to allow more students to compete in _ an inter-scholastic league.’ Apart from strange talk about costs, and _ the detrimental effect soccer would have on football, the school athletic types really do not give a valid reason why soccer can't be in- troduced... The purpose of an athletic program is not to produce winning teams at the school level, nor is the function to create a small number of top _salibre athletes, nor to feed any egos. _ » . se The school prgram should be for the benefit of the students and not. the coaches, nor the parents. ‘chiropractor Swimmers for. ‘the North. ‘Vancouver Cruisers Summer: Club, Darren Woodley: and.’ Lauren Robertson-were the ‘aggregate winners for their age groups at the Regional . ‘B’ swim meet: held ‘last weekend . at. the . North Vancouver Recreation _ Page B3, Avgest22, 1979 - North Shore News “pack and 100 free and a fifth in the 200 1.M. ‘Lee. -Gremon was. runner- up for’ the 15 and over aggregate. with four second place finishes; the 100 free, 100 or breast, 50 fly and 200 I. . soccer, properly coached and administered. “There appears. to be a substantial number of parents. and ‘students in- terested in seeing soccer introduced at Handsworth, 2 = She 100 back, 100 breast _ There appears to bé'seven teachers at Handsworth who . are. members of the Athletic were just too small for this game..Rugby types would no doubt say the same. And wouldn't that be a loss? . What about the little guy? What about the student who would rather play soccer? “ Should he be forced not to participate in an inter- scholastic - program either because he is too small? Should he not have the same opportunity as other kids at every other secondary school on the North Shore? | There appears to be a Strange fear by the school athletic authorities of the soccer program killing off the football program. It is a strange fear. If the soccer program did take over because more students were interested in soccer than football, then so what? Isn’t that saying something in itself? ~ And on the other hand, maybe the two programs could exist. They do in many other schools on the North Shore and across Canada, and in schools of the same enrollment. Mind you there are some places where the two sports have not co-existed. There is a community in Northern Ontario where a launched an intensive study into football injuries. The school board picked introduced to an area where the average person wasn't sure whether the ball was stuffed with air or Icaves. Soccer is prospering. LOOKING FOR TRUSTWORTHY AUTO TECHNICIANS? 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It makes one wonder what. is the purpose of athletic - programs in schools. It also makes one wonder who the programs are set up for. Lenda hand... to clean} our land was teammate ‘eter Klassen, with a first in the 100 free, seconds in the 100 breast and 200 I.M. and a thirdin the 50 fly. Laura Robertson won the 11 and 12 girls aggregate trophy with firsts in the 50 fly. fly, and fifth in the 50 breast_ Taking first place finishes for the Cruisers were Suzanne Horvath in the girls ¢ight and under 50 metre fly, and Carole Leonard who was first in the girls 13 and 14 50 Sailing Lessons Come cut to sea with us in our 26° Thunderbirds. CCM Super Tack Skates All sizes & widths Professional Quality _ up the: study and did more J ~ investigation. Football is no longer played_.Sotcer was. With “‘Tuuk’’ Blades Only $ 1 sO. DENIS KERNS comes to Larry for a professional fitting — Go where the Pro’s go! 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