In a series of misunderstandings only slightly less chaotic than an actual soccer riot, two teams of Seymour soccer players may soon be without a place to play.
In the middle of the fray is John Poeta, the coach of the under 16 girl’s teams.
“All I’m concerned about is our girl’s having somewhere to practice and play,” said Poeta.
Poeta has been coaching the teams for four practices this season in indoor facilities at Seymour’s public schools. They have their paperwork filed and proof of insurance, and even permission from the schools to use the gyms.
What they don’t have is the money.
Poeta was unaware the teams would be charged custodial fees. While the parents already paid the necessary league and participation fees, the extra $100 (per practice) the team must pay for custodial services is too much.
“The parents can’t afford another fee,” Poeta said. According to him, many of the parents have fallen on hard times and making even the regular fees was a challenge.
Even though Poeta’s teams are not recognized as 501© nonprofit organizations, the school considers them nonprofit and does not charge a rental fee to use the gym. However, the custodial fees are governed by a collective bargaining agreement that is separate from the gymnasium rental and usage fees and therefore out of the school administration’s and board of education’s hands.
After a handful of practices this season, Poeta’s team received a bill.
That bill was picked up by Chris Ewen, who coaches a slightly younger team. Poeta was grateful for Ewen’s generosity but doesn’t want his teams’ fee situation to be Ewen’s responsibility.
In 2005, Ewen won $59.5 million in the Powerball lottery – the largest awarded in the Connecticut state lottery’s history at the time.
Members of the school administration and Board of Education were confused over the relation between the two under 16 teams. According to Poeta, they are completely separate entities.
However Poeta’s girls play under the insurance for Ewen’s team.
Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Richard Belden said many insurance policies for team sports do allow for separate teams to join in.
However, both teams, under the same insurance, had resulted in a presumption that they were associated. When Ewen told the administration to simply charge him for his team’s custodial fees, the administrators thought Poeta’s team was included.
According to the school administration, custodial fees are required for any organization that is not officially sanctioned through the town or school system.
The only way around that for Poeta is to become a town sponsored program through the Recreation Department.
Recreation Director Jack Ahearn said he knew nothing about the Board of Education meeting Poeta made his case at. His gym schedule at the community center is already too jammed to accommodate another program.
“Our gym is filled up 99 percent of the time with our own programs,” said Ahearn. “We have to take care of our in house programs first.”
While he does occasionally schedule the use of the school’s for his programs, Ahearn said he has no control over their usage or fees.
“We’re in the same boat, we don’t get any special privileges,” Ahearn said.
Unfortunately, the power to waive the custodial fee does not lie with the Board of Education and they were not able to resolve the matter for Poeta.
First Selectman Paul Roy offered to intervene and speak to Ahearn about the issue and try to reach a solution. He also mentioned the impending creation of a town events calendar system on the web site, www.seymourct.org, that might help in the future.
In the meantime, while they iron out the details Poeta is faced with tough decisions.
It is too late now to make arrangements for another gym. If the fees continue, he can’t in good faith keep allowing Ewen to pay them.
If someone doesn’t pay them, Poeta will have no choice but to consider shutting down the program.
Still, he is hopeful. He said he trusts Roy will be able to work with Ahearn to resolve the situation.
Meanwhile, Ahearn hadn’t yet spoken to Roy and was unaware of the meeting and the discussion.
With the team’s next practice scheduled for tomorrow, Jan. 6, the game for Poeta’s girls just left regular play and went into sudden death.
