The high school football season in Prince George is looking at a third and long situation as the teachers' strike continues.
And according to Mike Rositano, head coach of Duchess Park's senior football team, the season is in jeopardy of being lost entirely.
That's due to a decision by School District 57 to suspend all extracurricular activities, which includes football programs at four local high schools - College Heights, PGSS, Kelly Road and Duchess Park.
A strike update message on SD 57's website states "all curricular and extracurricular activities normally associated with schools... have ceased during the strike."
In an email from the school district to Rositano, who also serves as the northern representative on the B.C. High School Football Association, SD 57 states it hasn't just suspended football, but all extracurricular activities.
"We risk losing the entire season," said Rositano, adding football has also been suspended in Surrey (School District 36). "If it's postponed for another two weeks, our seasons are done because of weather. Our other option is we play under P.G. Minor Football's umbrella until the strike is over, but B.C. High School Football has told us if we play club, then we won't qualify for provincials. They [B.C. High School Football] should've had a contingency plan."
The school district also told Rositano it doesn't have the staff available to provide extracurricular programming options to support the football programs.
All the high school coaches are volunteers and are not teachers.
"They're trying to say we have to have a parent and teacher at every game, but we've never had that," said Rositano. "I've told them it's not fair to players and asked them to reconsider their decision. Why are we one of the only districts not playing right now? I respect [superintendent] Brian Pepper's decision but this is the only school sport played by so many of these kids. I've told Brian that he's really in jeopardy of killing high school football in the north."
B.C. School Sports, the organization that oversees sport in both B.C. private and public schools, issued a statement Monday, saying that "as long as there are schools and school districts with volunteers willing to support student-athletes and facilitate the leagues, zones and provincials, its athletics programs will continue.
"As B.C. public schools remain in a strike position, it is mandatory that all teams have permission from their school district to participate in competition. Also please ensure that all participation of school teams follow district policy."
Duchess Park currently has the largest football program in the city, with 27 players on the senior squad and 22 on its junior varsity team. Other schools have worked to build their programs but are still struggling to attract players to field teams.
College Heights and Duchess Park were supposed to tackle each other Friday night to open the high school regular season.
That game, at 5 p.m., will now go ahead under the PGMFA umbrella as a midget-aged contest, meaning players can't suit up in their regular school uniforms and both teams will have to find enough new jerseys to fit the players.
College Heights and Duchess Park's junior teams will play tonight.
Rositano said in order for high school teams to qualify for the B.C. High School Football championships, teams must play a minimum four regular-season games. He's urging both the B.C. Teachers' Federation and the provincial government to reach a deal.
If the strike is not settled until early October, he said there is still time to get those games in. If it's not settled, then high school teams will continue following the club route.
The insurance is being covered by the PGMFA and the schools are letting teams rent their gear.
"We're going to [play with the PGMFA] for the whole month just to keep the kids playing," said Rositano. "I just want these kids playing football - they don't play any other sports, football is all they do. Parents are worried because their kids just want to play football."
As well, Rositano added, not playing could adversely affect players' futures after they graduate from high school. Several senior players are vying for college scholarships or for spots on junior and university teams. Those players need to have film of them playing on their senior teams.
Calls to Pepper were not returned by The Citizen's deadline.
