Tag Archives: South Kitsap Soccer Club

For the good of the game (the poll)

Yesterday, I posted an archive of our coverage of South Kitsap Soccer Club and its history of friction, both within the club and within the hierarchy of youth soccer. This was in relation to a couple of articles we’ve run in our sports section about SKSC over the past couple of days. One dealt with the club’s change in affiliation to a state-level parent organization. The other was about the recent resignation of SKSC president Mike Kerr, who cited his disgust with the state of youth soccer on the Kitsap Peninsula.

I invite you to check out sports reporter Jeff Graham’s take on youth sports and those “games” that get played off the field.

Also, I’d like your take on Big Dawg’s comment on Jeff’s column about running youth sports organizations:
“The entire business model is broken. You need a GM who has actually run a large organization. They should be paid. Have a “volunteer Board” above them and a “volunteer” staff below them, however you need that stability and level of expertise.”

Take the poll on Peninsular Thinking Homepage.

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For the good of the game (the sequel)

South Kitsap — South Kitsap Soccer Club President Mike Kerr resigned Tuesday, the day after an article in the Kitsap Sun outlined changes in the club’s affiliation to state-level soccer organizations.

Kerr, who has led SKSC for three years, cited demands of his job as technical project manager for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center at Keyport, personal issues and negativity in the local youth soccer culture as his reasons for leaving the volunteer position.

A story on his departure and the club’s history of friction among members and within the youth soccer hierarchy of organizations will be posted soon on kitsapsun.com, under the heading of Sports. Yes, I’m a sports reporter at least for today.

Below are links to coverage of SKSC and youth sports in general we’ve done over the past few years. Enough said, I think.

Rift on Board Leads to Change in Leadership, Dec. 2007

With New Board SK Soccer Club Takes Back the Reins

SKSC Rising From the Ashes?

Kitsap Kick-off Could be Cancelled

Youth Sports Dying for Volunteers?

For the Good of the Game (first installment)

Random Team Assignment Proposal Upsets Some

South Kitsap Soccer: Take the Poll

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SK Soccer Leadership: Speak Now (as in today)

The South Kitsap Soccer Club will hold its annual general meeting today (Dec. 2) to elect officers for positions with terms expiring and to consider proposed changes to the bylaws. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at Marcus Whitman Junior High School.

It’s been a rocky year for the youth soccer organization … again. It seems like I’ve been covering or hearing about discontent within ranks of SKSC membership since I took over the South Kitsap beat.

Complaints I’ve heard in 2010 from several corners stemmed from an incident at the 2009 Kitsap Kickoff involving parents, coaches and at least one board member. Late in 2009, Brain Yarbrough, vice president of administration, was suspended by Washington State Youth Soccer from serving on the board, coaching, or even attending his children’s games for his alleged involvement in a general melee at the tournament. Documents I’ve read that mention the incident indicate it was an argument among adults that turned ugly but nothing that would constitute criminal behavior on anyone’s part. Yarbrough appealed the suspension to the United States Soccer Federation. Since he is listed on the current board and posted documents to the SKSC website as early as July and as recently as late November, it appears he prevailed in his appeal.

Board minutes from Dec. 30, 2009, indicate the board approved a payment of $2,700 to an attorney on behalf of Yarbrough. According to Suzanne Coffman of Guidestar, to whom I spoke in February, an expenditure such is this may be an allowable expense under “directors and officers insurance.” Although Coffman could not speak on this specific incident, she said it is not unheard of or unlawful for a nonprofit organization to provide legal protection to people, including volunteers, acting in an official capacity.

In other issues, the bylaws of the club were changed late in 2009, reducing the number of voting members on the board. There were complaints about this in comments on the Kitsap Sun website and elsewhere. A number of volunteers left the organization, which put out appeals for help earlier in the year. According to President Mike Kerr, they had regrouped and the organization was doing well as of this spring.

In May, SKSC created more waves by proposing to change the way it assigns young players to its recreational teams. The SKSC board got pushback from some parents (and threats to take their children to other clubs) for proposing to randomly assign players 7 years old and younger to teams, but they earned praise from others with an interest in youth soccer for being forward thinking.

Well, now, another soccer season has come and gone. Presumably members have been advised of tonight’s meeting, which would be an opportunity to voice one’s sense of satisfaction or discontent with the club. SKSC also has posted a survey on its home page seeking feedback on the 2010 season, including the policy of randomly assigning younger players to teams.

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