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opinion editorialsThis editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers
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Saturday, November 14, 2009
NMAA Needs To Put Price on Soccer Safety
What's an ambulance ride to the hospital, a head injury and a broken leg when you can rake in a $40,000 to $50,000 profit?
That seems to be the general reaction of the New Mexico Activities Association to last weekend's state soccer championships. Executive Director Gary Tripp says he has heard nothing but positive feedback about the new $6 million APS Soccer Complex near Volcano Vista High. Spokesman Robert Zayas says "I've said this before, but I didn't hear a single complaint about how things ran with parking, with ticket sales or anything about the facility."
Hard to imagine where they've been not to hear a constant stream of complaints about the size of fields that are barely above the national minimum for high school soccer. Or the retaining fences, which are just 10 feet from the playing surface. Or the concrete sidewalks that surround the fields.
Back in August and September, high school coaches were voicing concerns for the safety of their players. Grandparents were questioning why the fields were so tiny. Spectators predicted injuries would mount. Players were complaining they couldn't see the new yellow lines that extended the field when the sun hit them. A member of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education who attended his daughter's game was saying he "couldn't go more than five or 10 minutes without someone bending my ear" about problems with the complex.
And the calls for a penalty on the design haven't quieted.
Yet, in November, the head of the NMAA says — in the wake of one high school player smashing past the chain-link fence and landing hard on the concrete, another falling backward onto the turf and another breaking a leg — that "there is absolutely no evidence out there to suggest that the frequency of injuries is higher now than at any other time."
Even though he also admits that in eight years they have never had to call an ambulance before. Two were required last weekend.
The NMAA made a profit in the neighborhood of $40,000 to $50,000 on the tourney, compared to just $17,000 last year. Zayas says "you'll never be able to make everyone happy."
How about just making them safe?
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