Despite being in jeopardy, the local high school soccer season will finally get started today.
With a handful of games already cancelled to start the season, James Clarke, the co-ordinator for the Lambton-Kent Secondary School Athletic Association (LKSSAA), said an agreement has been reached with the Ontario Soccer Association.
“We are pleased to announce that LKSSAA has signed a two-year contract with the Ontario Soccer Association, which will be in place until the end of the 2017-2018 school year,” Clarke said on the LKSSAA website.
“With a contract in place, the LKSSAA soccer season will begin this week.”
Clarke said the convenor of the soccer league was set to draft new schedules to meet the shortened season.
“All games scheduled for Tuesday, April 25 have been removed from the schedule,” Clarke said.
“Thanks for your patience and support during this process.”
Reports say both sides agreed on most details, but were still in talks earlier this week about player discipline and student confidentiality.
Until the deal was reached, sanctioned referees would not have been able to work LKSSAA games, reports say.
The Wallaceburg Tartans boys and girls teams will jump right into action on Wednesday, when they travel to Sarnia Northern.
Janine Day, the athletic director at Wallaceburg District Secondary School, told the Sydenham Current everyone at the school is happy the season was salvaged.
“The athletes and coaches are very happy that the soccer season will continue,” she said.
“Both the teams have been practicing in hope that the situation would be resolved. Both teams are looking to win ‘AA’ LKSSAA for the second year in a row.”
The girls get underway at 2:30 p.m., while the boys ply at 4 p.m.
Both games are being played at Norm Perry Park in Sarnia.
In the LKSSAA ‘A’ division, the Lambton-Kent Cardinals boys team will be at Chatham Christian on Thursday in theit first game of the season, while the girls will be in Pain Court on Monday, May 1.
– Photo credit: Jocelyn McLaughlin
