For the upstart Elk Grove Recreational Soccer League, today was "Soccer In the Park", the day where all of their 80 teams along with parents and fans ascended on Kerr Middle School to play their first games of the season.Team photos, vendor tents, and of course, a soccer game were on tap for the new league's 1,000 kids.
"It's real, this should say something," EGRSL president John Hatzis said surveying the crowds of players and fans packed around the grounds of Kerr.
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| The Board of Elk Grove Recreational Soccer League (L to R) |
His organization broke away from the Elk Grove Youth Soccer League over the winter with one purpose in mind - to focus on recreational soccer, especially for the young kids.
His battle with the older soccer group will continue later this week when he and his board members will attend a CSD Board of Directors' meeting to urge them to allow EGRSL to use some of the fields under their control. Hatzis' teams have been restricted to using EGUSD school facilities.
"We're capped out and we know there will be more kids playing for us if we had the (CSD) fields available," Hatzis claimed. "CSD is losing money by not having us use their fields."
Hatzis vows his organization won't be forming a competitive or club division for it's not the vision of EGRSL.
"That's why we have partnered with I.R. Soccer for those kids that want to take their game to the next level," Hatzis said.
EGRSL teams will play a ten-game season this fall.
1 comment:
It doesn't seem fair that these kids in the new soccer league don't have access to Elk Grove public parks, and especially isn't fair if their parents are tax paying citizens in Elk Grove. How can park access be denied to that many kids (80 teams)?
Can you as a reporter, research why they don't have access to CSD parks?
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