Soccer authority wants autonomy

The PCPRA Board voted “Motion made by Mary Cooper to absorb the baseball, soccer and cheerleading associations beginning in calendar year 2013, seconded by Brad Armistead, motion passed 5-0.”

What? Makes sense?

The Pike County Youth Soccer Association (PCYSA) was never advised, alerted, consulted, or otherwise communicated with regarding this decision by the PCPRA!

PCYSA was founded in 1989 by private citizens who had a desire to provide organized soccer in Pike County. Our first playing fields, affectionately known as “The Apple Orchard,” was privately owned, and, generously made available in order to get soccer in Pike County up and running. Over the years, as PCYSA grew and needed room for expansion, we reached out to the County Recreation Department and formed a partnership that has been ongoing ever since. Currently, PCPRA provides PCYSA a home at the Pike County Soccer Complex through a User Agreement that is renewed annually. This arrangement has been working well as PCYSA does not require PCPRA to fund the management of soccer in Pike County. PCYSA does depend on PCPRA to provide the grounds and facilities needed to safely conduct organized soccer, although, as the members of PCYSA are taxpayers, we feel we are vested in PCPRA’s ability to provide those grounds and facilities. Without taxpayers (PCYSA members), PCPRA would not have the ability to engage in this partnership.

Pike Soccer's membership averages 450 children signed up annually. That translates in to 600 adult taxpayers. Currently, soccer is the fastest growing sport in the United States. Girl’s soccer is the fastest growing sport in the world. Our hope is that the Pike County Government and PCPRA understand these facts, and work with us in the successful public/private partnership that has been working so well.

Our plan is to increase membership by 30 percent over 3 years. If, under the current agreement between Pike Soccer and the Parks & Recreation Authority, Pike Soccer expanded membership by 30 percent, how would the County Government accommodate that growth? If the County Government were in control of soccer, would they even consider expanding the program? Wouldn't their annual budget dictate the size and quality of the program?

Our fear is that once the Government takes over soccer, they would, out of budgetary necessity, neglect or do away with soccer as, unfortunately, was the case with our "Pride of Pike Celebration." Currently, we see PCPRA as attempting to centralize authority and use us as a collective to fund other ventures that they deem to be of higher priority than soccer. For these reasons, Pike Soccer sees the County Government as a threat to our existence as a quality, long standing, and independent sporting organization.

Pike Soccer is also concerned about the precedent that would be set by this action. If the County Government takes over Pike Soccer, wouldn't this action also require the County Government to then take over events such as the Kiwanis Club's "Tour de Pike", The Shamrock 5K Run, Slow Exposures, and all other recreational activity that occurs on public grounds or waterways?

Pike Soccer values the public/private partnership. We truly want to continue that relationship for the common goal of providing an affordable, high quality soccer experience.

PCYSA is opposed to the idea of having government manage our affairs for us. Pike Soccer is also sensitive to the desires of all taxpayers that do not want to see taxes raised. As long as private citizens manage organized sport and the County provides a place for those organized sports to gather, we feel that balance addresses the desires of a majority of taxpayers.

We all see our American society becoming more and more dependent on having the government doing things that they should be doing themselves and that trend must be opposed. If we become so overly dependent on government to manage our everyday needs, we will eventually become slaves to our dependency.

If this entire issue is because of the County’s budget issues, wouldn’t it make more sense to begin moving the Football, Softball, and Basketball programs back in to the control and management of the volunteer stakeholders of those programs? If those programs can’t find volunteers with the skills to manage those programs, they should raise their fees to pay for professional management. If that were to happen, The County could then focus its parks & recreation budget on providing quality facilities and infrastructure as it should be. I think all taxpayers could agree on that.

Pike County Youth Soccer Association is adamantly opposed to being managed by the Pike County Parks & Recreation Authority or Pike County Parks & Recreation Department. The following comes from the members of Pike Soccer:

“Please keep PC soccer as it is, and do not force your citizens to move to other counties so their child's passions, talents, and dreams can be fulfilled. Thank you.”
Valerie Moore

“I had rather play in a pasture than deal with any more "control issues" from the county.”
George Davis

“I am not sure what the reason could possibly be for PCPRA to want to take over Pike Soccer. There could not be a logical or sound reason to take over Pike County Soccer. It is just fine the way it is.”
Kelley Fitzhugh

“I have come to realize that you (PCPRA) may single handedly hold the fate of one of the best soccer programs that I have ever been a part of. I hope that whatever is motivating your decision in this matter will be overturned by considering that the kids are what it’s about and nothing else.”
Larry Gaddy

“I am in strong opposition of the County government taking over our private association. Please, consider all aspects, and protect what little freedom private citizens have left in this small county.”
Justin York

“As a first time participant in the soccer program, I could not be more
satisfied with the organization and quality of the people in charge. Leave
this organization alone and let the persons currently running the program
continue to run it.”
John Lovett

The following points are from Chuck Brasfield:

“1. Being a member of GA Soccer is important. As PCYSA your player WILL be a member of GA Soccer; with Parks and Rec, the future is uncertain and it is in the hands of one person without skin in the game. While the Parks and Rec can say they have no plans to withdraw from GA Soccer, once in charge, this can be changed with NO recourse. Being a member of GA Soccer is important! GA Soccer offers coach training/certification, tournaments, academy play and coordination of play against other communities (may not be important for U-6, but it is for U-8 and above). Costs for Academy play for non-members is double that for members.

2. Who can do it better, a not-for-profit volunteer organization or government? If volunteers can do it, why get the government involved? Some say ‘if it ain’t broke, put the government in charge, it’ll be broke soon.’

3. Registration fee vs. taxes. If the government is running it, someone is getting paid to do it. We may get promised that the registration fee may go down. It might, but your taxes may be raised to hire the new employee Parks and Rec now needs to handle registration and game scheduling and to subsidize everyone’s $10 break on the fee.

4. Our league is a family. Our league is a family - the longer your child plays, the more you feel connected to this family. When volunteers run the association, volunteers get the tangible benefit of doing something for someone; they do it because it feels good. While we still may have volunteer coaches, we may lose the family feel. Our family is almost 25 years old - we should be proud, not calling it quits.

5. Independence is worth fighting for. Now comparing this to the American revolution may seem a bit silly, but really, if you’re unhappy with PCYSA, you can campaign to vote members off the board, run for the board yourself, or at a minimum, build momentum for change. Without independence, if you don’t like it - forget about it, the Parks and Rec Director makes the decision and it’s final. Is independence worth fighting for? Yes!

6. What is the motivation for the change? Who does this consolidation really help? If the answer is not resoundingly Pike County children, then it’s not worth supporting.”

I would like to ask all citizens that support these ideas to contact your County Commissioner and, positively show your support.