This was in the paper today

Incident on the pitch frustrates parent
By Harpreet Sidhu - Kamloops This Week - June 26, 2008


Two soccer teams are battling for a win.

There’s an extra tap, an extra push.

The teams are composed of nine- and 10-year-old boys. The referee in charge of keeping the peace is a child himself.

As the game progresses, the pushing continues and it’s not always connected to the ball. From the sidelines, parents and coaches are shouting — some with words of encouragement, others with cries of frustration with what they are seeing develop on the pitch.

That’s what happened during a game in Kamloops two weeks ago and one parent is not happy with how things ended.

With a few minutes remaining in the game, while the play was near one goal, something else was happening near midfield.

One player tripped another and proceeded to kick him in the stomach.

The one official on the play missed the call because he was watching the ball. The game was finally halted when the mother of the player who was kicked noticed her son could not get up.

When the final whistle sounded, the coach told his player to apologize for tripping and kicking his opponent.

The boy did as he was told.

But what shocked Kari-Anne Flatmark, the mother of the boy who was hit, was what the boy said during his apology.

“He said he was sorry, and then said he took him out because he tackled one of his teammates,” said Flatmark.

She first brought the issue up with Kamloops Youth Soccer Association mini-director Mark MacKenzie, who spoke with both coaches involved.

Flatmark wasn’t impressed with the response she received by e-mail:

“I have finally been able to contact both coaches and the referee,” MacKenzie wrote.

“All three admit that they missed the incident in question but after the incident was brought to their attention, no one is disputing that something similar to what you describe actually transpired.

“BOTH coaches feel that the incident was inappropriate but BOTH coaches also feel that the discussion and subsequent apology by the player in question to your son had put the incident to rest.

“I have also been assured by the coach of the offending player that he will again talk to said player at the next available opportunity to remind him that this type of behaviour is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. As far as KYSA is concerned, this incident was and is continuing to be dealt with appropriately by the coaches in question.”

Flatmark’s problem stems from the fact the punishment would have been more severe had the attack occurred at school or anywhere away from the field of play.

“I don’t know how far I want to take this,” Flatmark said. “The mother of the kid didn’t say anything. If that was my child, I would be disciplining him.

“There is fighting on the field and, in this case, I thought that Mark blew me off as a crazy mom. The crime doesn’t fit the punishment. If it was my son, I would personally punish him. That’s my biggest problem.”

Flatmark said both teams were playing a very physical game and the referee, who was also young, didn’t have any help. “There were no linesmen on the field.”

Her son, Alex, 10, is the captain of his team.

“There is this kid. I tripped him and talked to him and he got mad,” Alex told KTW.

“And another kid stood up for him and he came over and pushed me and tripped me. That made me really mad.

“He was pulling on my shirt and that made me really upset.

“I felt really upset and shocked and then all the parents were yelling and stuff. And the parents on the other side started to laugh. They said I fell over.”

One of the parents who saw what happened was surprised.

“A kid just got up and kicked another kid in the stomach. And the ball wasn’t there. I was surprised to see it. It shouldn’t happen. The ball was away and I don’t know what he was trying to do,” said the parent, d who didn’t want to be identified.

“I was sitting there and this kid came and kicked him in the stomach. I don’t know what happened before that and I know the mother was really upset. I just thought it was kind of odd to see something like that. I know she was really upset.”

Alex returned to the field for his next game, but his mom is still wondering about next season.

“My son’s played for three years here. The kids are getting more competitive. I’m surprised with the aggression on the field. I don’t think the refs are given the help they need.

When contacted by KTW, MacKenzie said the incident has been dealt with by the association and he had no comment.

Mom wants to know why more wasn’t done after son kicked in stomach

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