Frustrated parents are speaking out about B.C. Soccer’s decision to disqualify two top teams from the provincial championship match last weekend—a hotly debated move that has divided the youth sports community. Saanich Fusion and Okanagan FC were set to face each other in Sunday’s A-Cup finals in Nanaimo until a late-night disciplinary hearing resulted in both teams being suspended for the remainder of the tournament. Officials punished the U17 boys teams for killing time on the field during another game on Saturday—when they were scheduled to play one another, even though both squads had already secured a spot in the title match. Michelle Darling, the parent of a Saanich Fusion player, said the teenagers on both sides were acting on the direction of their coaches. “They were totally on the same page,” she told CTV News. “The directive to the players was go there and have fun.” Her son Max Darling, who was on the bench during the game, said the teams “just didn’t want to get injured for the gold medal match.” The incident sparked a torrent of discussion on social media this week—but even before that, there were upset spectators heckling the young players on Saturday. Related: Top soccer teams disqualified from B.C.’s provincial championship game Darling’s son said parents from lower-ranked teams saw they weren’t competing and began recording them, and in some cases “saying very hurtful comments” or “harassing guys that were taking a bathroom break.” Nikki Strong, Saanich Fusion’s manager and the parent of a player on the team, told CTV News that B.C. Soccer officials were at the match, as was an experienced referee. While Strong acknowledged the game would have seemed “a bit weird, or different,” she said there was no indication at the time that they would face discipline for saving their energy for Sunday’s game. “The referee was seemingly not concerned,” she said. “No cards were given to the coaches, no cards were given to our players.” Strong said the teams were told by B.C. Soccer officials that there were certain requirements that needed to be met for the match, such as having a minimum of seven players per side, and that all were followed. She felt the incident was “actually quite beautiful to watch.” “The vibe on the field was camaraderie,” she said. “We have two opposing teams, they’re smiling with one another, they’re kicking the ball around and having a great time.” The referee’s written report on the game made no mention of misconduct, Strong added. According to Saanich Fusion, the decision to suspend both teams from Sunday’s championship game was made at 1 a.m. that morning. In a statement, the Vancouver Island squad accused B.C. Soccer’s hearing of lacking “due process” and called for “fairness, transparency and compassion,” noting the fallout from the game has taken a toll on the players involved. “Despite being youth, they have had to face intense criticism on social media from uninformed sources, significant reputational harms and considerable emotional distress,” the statement reads. “Parents advise that some players have experienced serious mental health challenges as a result of the disciplinary decision.” Jay Kennedy’s son plays for the team as well, and pointed out the situation could’ve been avoided if the referee had offered guidance earlier in the match; Max said he saw the referee ask the coaches to have players pick up the pace with about 10 minutes to go in the match, which they did. “In our soccer culture, from a very young age, we teach our children: ‘Trust the adults, listen to the adults,’” said Kennedy. “What I would like in the end is an apology, is a recognition that the kids just followed the adults and that they did nothing wrong.” Days after the championship, B.C. Soccer has refused to answered questions about what happened, despite multiple attempts from CTV News to contact officials by email and at their downtown Vancouver office. The technical director of Okanagan FC corroborated some of the details from Saanich Fusion parents, though that team has accepted the suspension. In a statement posted on social media, Okanagan FC called the decision a “profound learning moment for our young athletes, who have otherwise represented the club in an outstanding way across a number of years.” “As an organization committed to upholding the values of sport, we view the team’s actions as unacceptable,” it said. “While we understand the deep disappointment felt by our players and families who worked so hard to reach this stage, we must take responsibility.”
