Members of the Airdrie & District Soccer Association (ADSA) are angry with a lack of accountability and transparency of the current soccer executive, according to a recent letter that has been circulated by one of its members.
In a special meeting scheduled tonight at 6 p.m., members will vote on a motion of non-confidence.
If 75 per cent of members vote for non confidence, the organization’s current board of directors would be removed and a temporary board would be voted in.
Leading up to this meeting, volunteer members of ADSA obtained the necessary signatures on a petition starting in early January to call for a special resolution.
The petition campaign launched due to members of the ADSA stating the board ignored multiple concerns, issues, and irregularities that were raised during a town hall meeting in November of last year.
“The biggest issues would be lack of communication and lack of transparency,” said Kris Hanson, a coach and parent of a player. “And the way they treat their staff and volunteers.”
Fiscal mismanagement was another concern Hanson addressed, stating the board only posts unaudited financials.
ADSA did not respond to Airdrie City View when asked to comment on the concerns raised.
Hanson said a new board would look at doing audits on previous years to see where the money went.
He added there were also conflicts of interest including the president and his wife both holding director positions on the board, as well as the vice president/former president sitting on the board with immediate family employed by the organization.
“I am a parent of a player but I'm also a coach, and the way that this current board handled the removal of the executive director without cause or without reason, and subsequently had the director of coaching resign his position, [left] coaches kind of to themselves with nobody to direct them,” he said. “Change is needed.”
The ADSA currently has just under 1,000 members in the indoor season, not including outdoor soccer players. Members allowed to vote tonight must be current players or parents of players under 18.
The association provides soccer activities for kids starting at age three all the way into adulthood.
“What we want is to have an organization that's primarily centred on providing opportunity to Airdrie kids and ensuring that they have fun and are safe both on and off the field,” Hanson said. “It's about loving soccer.”
He added that the league has lost full club teams and qualified coaches to the Calgary Minor Soccer Association (CMSA) due to the board's mismanagement.
“We're hoping to not just put a band-aid on things and actually listen to the concerns of parents – the questions that they're having regarding fiscal management, player safety, the treatment and training of coaches and players,” Hanson said.
The special meeting is taking place Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. in the Rotary Room at Airdrie's Genesis Place.
Details on what participants need to submit ballots can be found at airdriesoccer.com.
