Changes afoot south of the Fraser

Admin

Administrator
Feb 23, 2015
392
I've heard that there is a BC Soccer initiative asking/requiring Delta Youth, SurDel, and SMSA to form a new District of sorts to be in place in time for the 2016/17 season.

Nothing really confirmed and totally 'second-hand' info but good for discussion here.

What do you think? Good, bad or indifferent?
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
I've heard that there is a BC Soccer initiative asking/requiring Delta Youth, SurDel, and SMSA to form a new District of sorts to be in place in time for the 2016/17 season.

Nothing really confirmed and totally 'second-hand' info but good for discussion here.

What do you think? Good, bad or indifferent?


That district would be very large with re: to membership wouldn't it?

Isn't Delta Youth in with Ladner, Tswassen, and Coastal? Or are you referring to the Delta Youth Soccer club joining SMSA and leaving behind TSA/Ladner/Coastal?

On that note, I always wondered why those three clubs were in the Fraser Valley league - IMO they should be in a joint district with Richmond soccer. Richmond is D4 and the other three are D5 so some sort of discussion about what league the teams enter would have to happen (ie, Richmond should not be in the same league as Abbotsford for D1 and lower) but for Coastal Cup qualifications etc I can't wrap my head around why those 4 clubs aren't mixed together. Richmond has 1 club - how can they have a proper district cup? Having been around a few years it's been a regular occurance that Richmond has a lower-end D1/Gold or D2/silver team but get entry to Coastal Cup ahead of some very talented teams that can't get out of their own very competitive district (ie, Surrey).

Delta soccer joining SMSA makes perfect sense geographically.
 

Admin

Administrator
Feb 23, 2015
392
Districts 4 and 5 are pretty large too though, no?

As an aside, Tswassen & Ladner Boys and Girls have recently merged to form a new South Delta club. So DYSA currently is comprised of Coastal, North Delta and South Delta. I think.

SMSA is comprised of Guildford, Pegasus/Surrey FC, CCB, Surrey United, and Pacific United.
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
Districts 4 and 5 are pretty large too though, no?

As an aside, Tswassen & Ladner Boys and Girls have recently merged to form a new South Delta club. So DYSA currently is comprised of Coastal, North Delta and South Delta. I think.

SMSA is comprised of Guildford, Pegasus/Surrey FC, CCB, Surrey United, and Pacific United.

Ya sorry - the hard part of our organization chart is you have multiple places calling themselves districts. So there is Surrey District etc and then there is D4, 5 etc. So what I meant was "isn't the Surrey District already large"?

So what you meant is the DYSA has been asked to join SMSA? That would be a very large district. All of those teams are in D5 so that aspect wouldn't change. But if I was in SMSA or DYSA I would balk at the request to merge when you consider Fraser Valley has just 5 clubs, Alouette has.....4 clubs (or is it 5 now?), and Coquitlam has I think 4-5 clubs. Merging DYSA/SMSA would create a district with 10+ clubs. How would Coastal Cup qualification work? Organization chart? Membership? AGM? Board make-up etc etc.

If DYSA/SMSA merged I think BCSA would have to then go to Tri-City/Alouette and ask them to merge. Fraser Valley wouldn't really change, but I would take a guess that Mission would then leave Alouette and join FV to create a 6 club district so at least it's a little more balanced.

But for me, far more "critical" than DYSA joining SMSA is the Richmond. It's stand alone with 1 club. It makes absolutely no sense. Either have them join with Coastal/Ladner/TSA or have them join an existing D4 district. Probably easier to have them join an existing D4 district than to move them over to D5 when they'd then have to be in the same league as Chilliwack - although I suppose Richmond teams have to go to Squamish now so there really isn't any difference....
 

4_the_kids

Active Member
Oct 20, 2015
312
This would make sense in that on the girls side South District is all those clubs together. Also these clubs all make up the Prospects Development Series for U8-U10

So district would be :
Surrey United
Guildford AC
CCB
Surrey Youth
Pacific United
North Delta
Ladner
Tsawwassen
Coastal

Now having 2 monster clubs, 2 more large clubs and 2 BCSPL franchises in one district is interesting.
 

4_the_kids

Active Member
Oct 20, 2015
312
I believe Richmond Boys is in District 4 and the Girls are in the BCGSL

District 4 and 5 are larger districts made up of the smaller districts for the purpose of large leagues, Richmond Soccer Association is its own district with Richmond FC and Richmond Girls Soccer Association as its members. Richmond Soccer Association ( the district not the club) participates in the larger District 4 league.

The 5 District Soccer League covers 5 youth soccer districts; Tri-Cities, Alouette, Fraser Valley, Surrey, and Delta,the 21 soccer clubs in these districts can enter their U11 to U18 boys teams into 5 District League.


District 4 Soccer League is 400+boys teams from U11 to U18 made up of 4 districts Burnaby, Vancouver, Richmond and North Shore,


Hope that clarifies things

The following link shows all the districts and its members:
BC Soccer
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
This would make sense in that on the girls side South District is all those clubs together. Also these clubs all make up the Prospects Development Series for U8-U10

So district would be :
Surrey United
Guildford AC
CCB
Surrey Youth
Pacific United
North Delta
Ladner
Tsawwassen
Coastal

Now having 2 monster clubs, 2 more large clubs and 2 BCSPL franchises in one district is interesting.

IMO that is a too large of a district if you compare it to the number of clubs in the other D5 districts. Maybe other D5 districts will be combining as well. Governance could be problematic for a district that size. Especially since the needs of TSA are likely quite a bit different than, say, CCB.

But, good luck to them if they can make it work.
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
I believe Richmond Boys is in District 4 and the Girls are in the BCGSL

They are.

I have always suggested Ladner, TSA, and Coastal should be in the same district as Richmond. Whether that district falls under D4 or 5 would be another discussion altogether. I believe Ladner and TSA are combining effective next season, and that is a good move for sure.

Delta Youth joining Surrey makes perfect sense.
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
District 4 and 5 are larger districts made up of the smaller districts for the purpose of large leagues, Richmond Soccer Association is its own district with Richmond FC and Richmond Girls Soccer Association as its members. Richmond Soccer Association ( the district not the club) participates in the larger District 4 league.

The 5 District Soccer League covers 5 youth soccer districts; Tri-Cities, Alouette, Fraser Valley, Surrey, and Delta,the 21 soccer clubs in these districts can enter their U11 to U18 boys teams into 5 District League.


District 4 Soccer League is 400+boys teams from U11 to U18 made up of 4 districts Burnaby, Vancouver, Richmond and North Shore,


Hope that clarifies things

The following link shows all the districts and its members:
BC Soccer

Richmond having it's own entire district for effectively 1 club makes no sense. I am sure it did make sense once upon a time. I don't know the history of Rmd soccer. Maybe they had more clubs back in the day, or maybe geographically it didn't make sense for them to link with others. But in this day and age there is no reason they shouldn't be in the same district as White Rock, Tsa, and Ladner.
 

LauraH

Member
Aug 28, 2015
77
Years ago Richmond had 4 boys clubs (North, Central, West, South Arm). Which team you played on was dependent on where you lived. When those 4 merged it became one club (Richmond Youth Soccer Association, now Richmond FC). Girls has always been just the one club as far as I know.
The pool of players in Richmond is fairly small and it would probably make good sense to join another district. Many teams enter Coastal Cup unchallenged in playdowns, simply because there is only one select team in each division.
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
Years ago Richmond had 4 boys clubs (North, Central, West, South Arm). Which team you played on was dependent on where you lived. When those 4 merged it became one club (Richmond Youth Soccer Association, now Richmond FC). Girls has always been just the one club as far as I know.
The pool of players in Richmond is fairly small and it would probably make good sense to join another district. Many teams enter Coastal Cup unchallenged in playdowns, simply because there is only one select team in each division.

Ya, see, that made perfect sense once upon a time to have a separate district. There were 4 clubs and geographically it was somewhat more isolated due to the rivers.....to a degree anyway.

But yes, Richmond FC basically gets a free pass to the Coastal Cup every year which isn't "fair" to other clubs that have to "fight" there way through 2-4 rounds of playoff qualifiers.

I guess it's not possible for Richmond FC to stay D4 but compete against Ladner/TSA, Coastal and Delta when it comes to Coastal Cup qualifications? This becomes moot if those 3 clubs join SMSA (which I think is wrong).
 

rich

Active Member
Aug 20, 2015
291
Ladner Boys, Ladner Girls, and Tsawwassen are merging for the fall 2016 season to form South Delta United. And that took a lot of work!

The proposed South Fraser District is a merger of SMSA, DYSA, and South District (girls) I can't imagine that this will go smoothly at all.
The proposal is a recommendation from BC Soccer after they were asked to look into "fixing the dysfunction in Surrey soccer."
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
Hmmm, I wonder how adding clubs/districts with different needs fixes the "dysfunction" in Surrey soccer? Maybe the theory is that it adds oversight?

Merging of TSA/Ladner makes perfect sense to me. Joining SMSA....not so sure but I hope it works out!!!
 

easoccer

Established Member
Aug 27, 2015
862
It never made sense to me why coastal was not part of smsa. Sure they have a post office box in whiterock but their facilities are north of 16th and are technically in Surrey.

North delta is in delta but are so close to surrey it makes sense.

I would be happy to have some new blood running things at the district level.

As someone who has attended smsa agm's over the past few years there always seems to be takeover attempts each year.

I assume having more clubs, especially with those who have interests outside of newton, would be a good thing.

It should bring a more balanced, less self serving governance to the district and help seperate the interests of those involved in summer and fall soccer separated.
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
I don't know enough about the region there to argue with you - and ya, I agree Delta to Surrey makes sense. Coastal too, sure. It's not like it's far.

But adding TSA/Ladner doesn't quite make sense. That is not "far" but it's not near either. Makes more sense they join Richmond.
 

WTF

Active Member
Sep 3, 2015
191
This would make sense in that on the girls side South District is all those clubs together. Also these clubs all make up the Prospects Development Series for U8-U10

So district would be :
Surrey United
Guildford AC
CCB
Surrey Youth
Pacific United
North Delta
Ladner
Tsawwassen
Coastal

Now having 2 monster clubs, 2 more large clubs and 2 BCSPL franchises in one district is interesting.

Good news for soccer if this happens
 

WTF

Active Member
Sep 3, 2015
191
Hmmm, I wonder how adding clubs/districts with different needs fixes the "dysfunction" in Surrey soccer? Maybe the theory is that it adds oversight?

Merging of TSA/Ladner makes perfect sense to me. Joining SMSA....not so sure but I hope it works out!!!

SMSA and most of its current board should be replaced before they are allowed into any new District set-up
 

easoccer

Established Member
Aug 27, 2015
862
SMSA and most of its current board should be replaced before they are allowed into any new District set-up

I would think that a new south fraser district would need all board members to be voted in in order to ensure the integrity of the board. And to make sure all clubs are represented properly.
 

WTF

Active Member
Sep 3, 2015
191
Hmmm, I wonder how adding clubs/districts with different needs fixes the "dysfunction" in Surrey soccer? Maybe the theory is that it adds oversight?

Merging of TSA/Ladner makes perfect sense to me. Joining SMSA....not so sure but I hope it works out!!!

LOL @ TKBC , fixes "dysfuntion " in Surrey soccer , we can only hope and pray !!
 
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