The Great White North. Separate but [NOT] equal?

Local Somalian soccer group says 'discriminatory' rules left players sidelined - CBC News · Posted: Jan 24, 2023 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: January 24

Have you ever heard of redlining? Separate but equal?  This is the worst kind of prejudice and discrimination. The one whitewashed with "rules and regulations" intended to rationalize exclusion of one group. I didn't want to say it... I didn't want to believe it, but here we are, the Great White North, where soccer organizations obviously have [allegedly] a tiny racist minority of people, well placed in powerful roles within the governing organizations or within large clubs with substantial financial clout. And even worst, a larger complacent majority, unwittingly or disinterested just following along.

From the local level, the regional, provincial & national level you have had nothing but the same stream of people with the same stream of thinking: privileged, status-quo mentality, implementing and enforcing decades old, chaotic, contradictory, financially detrimental and exclusionary participation rules, and then call it "sanctioned soccer". I don't see the City of Ottawa emphasizing "drink from your sanctioned water supply"? I don't hear our local BIA saying "use only your sanctioned business"; your local government "vote for your sanctioned politician"? Or funnier yet, the local cartel saying "better use your sanctioned cocaine!" Ludicrous! Why; because they know there is (quite large) "unsanctioned" soccer participation. These same self proclaimed proponents of "Soccer for all!"; actually (a) have made no effort to bring in the larger community (in fact they are losing membership), (b) made it exceptionally difficult to do so; and worst of all (c) resorted to KGB style policing of Websites? Really? We have mentioned this exact same practice in previous posts. Have the "governing organizations" not learned anything from recent national embarrassing news?

We, and many others, have been complaining of lack of transparency, clear participation rules, disproportionate financial penalties on smaller clubs; and on the inverse a "whack-a-mole spaghetti chaos" of intertwining and contradictory rules between levels of governance, between governing regions, and between uncooperative paid employees of so called not-for-profit Soccer organizations. Complaints for years! (Decades I am sure, if we look at other past immigration to Canada).  But let's not steal SURADs thunder.  They deserve to be there with the best, and be proud to be where and when they can. By their own grit.

The greatest obstacle & struggle is the frustrating & suffocating silence of the majority.

CONTINUE Reading (EODSA League Rules as exactly worded)

Deja Vu - "...athletes should be able to focus on their jobs of “preparing, training and performing” instead of fighting their federation."

Still remember 2 employees from two different local league/association, colluding to bring financial fines & discipline charges to a specific individual; costing a small club hundreds of dollars, simply because they had previously (years back and unrelated); unfavorable personal experience.

And let's not forget the episode where the 6 largest clubs (with the help of the local "association") wanted to disassociate themselves into a Super league.

Many, many, many more anecdotes hidden away in secrecy by the leagues and associations with threat of "sanctioned discipline". 

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‘We’re not being respected.’ Athletes in other toxic sports hope Hockey Canada reckoning is just the start.

"Athletes in other sports, who have long been fighting to get Ottawa’s attention to fix problems with culture and accountability in their federations, were not surprised.  “Hockey is so bred and woven into the fabric of the Canadian identity it makes sense that they’re talked about more often,”

“Because at the end of the day, that’s really what this is showing: that people in smaller, less funded sports don’t have a say in their own governance.”

"...athletes should be able to focus on their jobs of “preparing, training and performing” instead of fighting their federation."

"Old boys in the boardroom"

 
Up until very recently, all soccer organizations from the local, regional, provincial and national levels had "association" (Canadian Soccer Association, Ontario Soccer Association, etc.) in their names; and most still do. Also, there is a reason why in academic circles, there is a strong emphasis in differentiating between "associations" and "unions". Though similar in advocating for their members; one has a strong labor involvement, the other professional development. There is nothing wrong with either (to a lesser or greater personal opinion); nor with the intent of the people who manage or work in those circles.

However, to describe any of the tenets of an association as mobile, flexible, risk taking, non-bureaucratic, pragmatic, practical, tactical or entrepreneurial in their: policies, procedures, rules, by-laws, regulations, constitutions, etc. - you cannot.  It will take years (if not decades) to change that, even if the vision to do so exists. It is just the nature of "the culture".

I won't pretend to be an expert at the national level, but the recent national Canadian Women's & Men's national team negotiations with Canada Soccer, and the cancellation of games (with Iran & Panama) is just an example of such lack of experience, playing out in front of our eyes:

"Perhaps the old boys in the boardroom are not what's needed for elite teams that have brought Canadian soccer to the world's stage in an unprecedented manner."

This is a local blog; if the top is to change and be ready for life changing ("unprecedented") events, you need to start at the bottom. Liberalize a lot of the work needed to run a club, do not try to "sanction" pick-up (recreational) soccer (for God's sake less discipline fees!), and concentrate on the truly competitive & professional side of it.