Why Bradford Needs an Indoor Soccer Dome Updated Oct/25/07
Rapid Growth of the Youth sport
Due to the large and rapidly increasing
demand for youth soccer opportunity there is a critical need for
indoor playing surfaces. In its 2006-2007 Regular soccer season the
Bradford Minor Soccer registered more than 1,300 players. This is not
the first time that soccer registrations surpassed those for minor
hockey. Based on our growth predictions the Bradford Minor Soccer is
expecting to increase registration by 50% in the next 3 years.
Gym shortage
All games are now played in
gymnasiums. There is great demand for gymnasium space in Bradford and
the demand is greatest for the larger gyms which are more suitable
for soccer, especially for the older ages. BMSA is already the single
largest consumer of gym time in the city, using almost every gym four
nights a week, from October to March. Because of the shortage, There
is no gym time left in the city during the desirable Monday to
Thursday period, and on the other days the available space is
limited.
Domino Effect
The growth of BMSA has impacted
other user groups which now find themselves with fewer gym hours than
they have been used to. The shortage can only get more severe. An
indoor centre would pull most if not all soccer out of the gymnasiums
and would free up a great amount of time for other groups. Currently
BMSA is by far the largest single gym user in Bradford.
Safety
A proper soccer centre would
improve athlete safety. Currently many indoor players suffer impact
related injuries from gymnasium flooring. Youth develop bad backs,
knees and ankles from running on coated concrete throughout the
winter. A dedicated indoor facility would have an impact absorbing
artificial turf system. In the Alberta facilities there are no
reports of impact injuries.
The media is now reporting on the danger of the Gym floors, and on the range of flooring related injuries experienced by the high school students.
Scheduling
Gym space has to be reserved with
the City in early June. We learn who gets what time in which gyms
only at the end of August. BMSA needs to do its scheduling before the
fall registration in early September, because parents need to know
when their youth play, to avoid conflicts with other activities. BMSA
programming would be improved with earlier knowledge of gym
availability.
Bradford WestGwillimbury and Indoor Soccer
Besides BMSA there are other
organized soccer groups in town which would benefit from an indoor
soccer centre. Senior Men and Woman Association uses gyms for several
of its programs. There are around 14 Local Youth Rep Developmental
Teams programs. These teams use local gyms for training during the
long months when the fields are unusable. The developmental team
activities and the Bradford Championships will benefit from having a
dedicated facility.
Men and Women Indoors
In the surrounding areas, The Men's
Soccer League has about 120 players, the Women's Soccer League has
about 100 players, and the Masters about 35. Neither the Men's or
Women's league currently runs indoor seasons partly because there is
no suitable gym time available. they need to travel to Barrie or
Richmond Hill for Indoor Time.
The Size Advantage
There are important advantages to a
soccer centre over a gymnasium relating to the size of the playing
area. Some gyms in town are too small for soccer but no gym is too
large. Adults and older-age youth require a larger area than most
gyms provide. In BMSA action, the nature of the game changes
dramatically with the gymnasium. Teams complain, justifiably, when
the schedule puts them into the smaller gyms more often than their
competitors. The sport is more enjoyable for players and fans when
there is more room. Also, the larger the area, the closer the game
resembles the outdoor version.
Competitive Edge
A large facility for soccer can
help the Provincial representative teams better prepare for outdoor
tournaments because of the ability to better mimic full-field
situations.
The Indoor Wave
The arena style of indoor soccer is
fast becoming the standard in Canada. In Alberta, every major city
has a soccer centre in operation, in development or in planning.
Calgary, Lethbridge, Edmonton and Medicine Hat already have centres.
In Edmonton a second fourplex should be complete in 1999, duplexes
have been approved for Strathcona and Red Deer, a duplex is under
discussion in St. Albert and planning is afoot in Grande Prairie.
Centres are becoming a part of the winter recreation profile
throughout Canada. It is not unrealistic or out-of-the-ordinary to
envisage a centre in a city like Bradford with a long winter, high
interest in soccer, and a recreation minded population.
Canada Winter Games
In the not to distant future,
indoor soccer may become a part of the Canada Winter Games. The
Canadian Soccer Association has in fact recently proposed to the
Canada Winter Games Committee that indoor soccer be included. In many
places in Canada, Soccer will become the number one winter youth team
sport.
Other Turf Uses
In other parts of Canada, centres
feature ultimate (Frisbee) and flag football leagues playing on their
surfaces. The Calgary Soccer Centre has a huge seniors lawn bowling
league which operates in the afternoons. In Halifax they play
lacrosse and field hockey. In early spring baseball teams practice
indoors in Lethbridge.
Not If but When
With the rising tide of indoor
soccer in Bradford, the proliferation of indoor centres all over
Canada, and a growing awareness that the sport is a key part of our
city's recreation profile, the question about an indoor centre in
Bradford is not If but When.