Keep the balls in.
That was the goal behind Shuswap Youth Soccer Association’s recent request to the city to raise the fence at the east end of the sports fields at Little Mountain.
Brent Moffat, chair of the SYSA board, wrote to council, noting the soccer balls sometimes go far into the forest. For the select and rep teams, which host more than 50 teams in the Thompson/Okanagan region over the course of six to eight weeks of the playing season, the loss of balls disrupts the flow of the game and is costly for the club, he wrote.
Rob Niewenhuizen, director of public works, told city council that staff met with the association and they would like the current eight- to 10-foot fence raised about eight feet. He said the cost to do the whole length would be about $8,000 and the association said it might be able to contribute funds.
Another request had come earlier from the school district, asking that a gate be installed at the sports fields to alleviate the bottle neck that occurs as cross-country racers attempt to run from the fields onto the trails.
Council advised staff to see how much the soccer association could contribute and suggested the request be submitted for consideration during budget deliberations.
