Soccer Comox Team Muzzled

We teach our “kids” to speak up and tell us if they have a concern and as parents we try to instill in them what’s right and wrong in today’s world and there belief’s don’t necessarily to be that of the parents.

Recently as thousands of Canadians spoke up and made a change in Government, we now find out that speaking up for what we believe in is wrong, especially if you belong to the Riptide Soccer.

Understanding that sponsorship is imperative to the success of any team or association, our Fathers and Fore-Fathers went to war for our freedom, now this Association feels a lack of respect for our Veterans as remembrance day is around the corner.

Last year the Family moved to Comox from the remote community of Sointula, which is an isolated village on Malcolm Island, northeast of Port McNeil so their Daughter (Freyja) could play Tier 2 soccer as a goalie.

She mentions “I’ve made a lot of friends and I have a lot of fun and I believe I can use my skills and talent to get an education and play at college.”

All was well until earlier this fall when her team (the Riptide) announced it had received word that their corporate sponsor would be Marine Harvest Canada.

In a press release that states funds would be used for “unprecedented” skill development for its players, including video analysis, an online coaching library and player-mentor coaching camps.

When the Mother (Anissa Reed) mentioned that “she objected to youth teams being branded by a fish farm company” the Riptide  told her Freyja could have her fees back and find another club. Blunt or Not?

After doing some research it is found that the closest Tier 2 club is over an hour’s drive away for the young 14 year-old Freyja to play.

Rather than take such drastic action, she reached an understanding with the club (Riptide) that her Daughter (Freyja) would not have to wear Marine Harvest gear, appear in promotional photos, or participate in fundraising activities.

It was agreed that the Association and both the Mother and Daughter to stop all “sideline chatter” or social media discussing their views of Marine Harvest.

Now comes the interesting part where freedom speech is clearly violated by the Riptide Steering Committee when they told them “If they didn’t remove a Facebook page created to oppose the Marine Harvest sponsorship, they were told Freyja may have to play elsewhere” and it goes on to state “This email will be considered a “strike one.”

Are we surprised or even shocked that supposedly “Adults” who run the association declined a recent request by CBC for an interview.

Rather than act like responsible Adults they pointed to its parental code of conduct, which states any parent who engages in “negative comments in social networks, texts, emails, websites blogs, correspondence, bullying, gossip, misinformation, intimidation or any other such activity as related to soccer is subject to discipline.”

The Mother (Anissa Reed) states that says her opinions and social media comments on fish farming have nothing to do with soccer.

Let’s not forget that the Families pay $400 per player to register to the Association and I for one would like to have the Provincial Government suspend any and all funding until this gets settled!!

Right or Wrong – This one clearly goes to the Club who is wrong and should be issued a Red Card for a miscarriage of freedom speech for not only the Families but today’s youth.

I am pleased that NHL Star Willie Mitchell, Captain of the Florida Panthers tweeted he would sponsor 14-year-old after she was told to stop protesting about the fish farming company who sponsors her soccer league.

Willie tweeted “The ability to speak up for what we believe in is why we are so privileged to live in North America. Freyja Reed I will sponsor you!”

In a posting on the site dated October 29th 2015 it states “The Upper Island Riptide regrets to announce that a Riptide member and our soccer program are unable to reconcile our differences. Today, the soccer program and player will part ways. This decision does not come easily, but after repeated breaches of the program’s code of conduct and feedback from the wide majority.”

So while the Adults play mind-games, today’s youth suffer. Well DONE!!

Fish Farming has been an on-going issue and concern in the Province if not before but dating back to 2012 when the Cohen Commission called for a freeze on development of fish farms in the Discovery Islands, saying farms shouldn’t be located near migration routes of wild salmon