Verbal and physical exchanges involving spectators, parents and student athletes at a senior boys high school soccer game Tuesday resulted in Barrie police being called, and both teams being finished for the season.
Tuesday’s game involved St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School and St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School, both in Barrie, and resulted in a letter home to families, obtained by BarrieToday, an affiliate of BradfordToday and InnisfilToday, dated Wednesday, Oct. 23.
“Our schools have very clear guidelines related to acceptable behaviour at school-sanctioned extracurricular activities,” said the letter from St. Joan of Arc principal May Boucher and St. Peter’s principal Karen McNamara. “We expect students, athletes and spectators to adhere to the same standards that are in place, while at school.
“Aggressive, harassing, disrespectful, threatening or violent behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated.”
Kelly Johnson, whose son is in Grade 9 at St. Peter's, said although she was not at the game the kind of behaviour described in the letter to parents is “completely unacceptable”.
“Reading it I was appalled at the behaviour of both students and parents,” she said. “There is no need for any violence at a sporting event.”
Peter Leon, corporate communications coordinator with Barrie Police Service, said officers were at JC Massie Field in Georgian College just after 4 p.m. Tuesday.
“It involved parents, spectators and players that were reportedly in disagreement,” he said. “There were no reported injuries and no charges laid. Police were there simply to keep the peace while everyone departed.”
Tuesday’s game was a semi-final match in which St. Peter’s defeated St. Joan of Arc 4-1, according to the Catholic School Athletics of Simcoe County website.
Pauline Stevenson, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board manager of communications and strategic initiatives, said both teams are done for the year because of the incident.
“The seniors boys soccer teams at both schools are not going to be playing any more games this season,” she said. “It’s definitely unfortunate, disappointing.”
Stevenson said Tuesday’s incidents involved athletes on the field, students and spectator students, as well as parents.
“I don’t know the exact number of people that were involved or how many people were there, I just know it spanned beyond just what was going on on the field,” she said.
The principals’ letter said students not living up to standards and guidelines can be removed from the school team, school events or activities can be cancelled and there can be progressive discipline and/or code of conduct measures, such as suspension.
For parents, this kind of behaviour could result in cease and desist and trespass orders from the school board.
“We want our school communities to understand that school athletics and other extracurricular activities are optional,” said McNamara and Boucher in their letter. “As much as they are an integral part of the school-life experience for our students, we cannot justify hosting activities when they condone or encourage the kind of inappropriate behaviour witnessed (Tuesday).”
Today’s senior boys soccer game between St. Peter's and St. Joseph’s Catholic High School has been cancelled.
The school board is still allowing junior teams to continue with their high school soccer season.
St. Joan of Arc and St. Peter’s junior boys soccer teams will be playing a game today.
“Very clear instructions have been given to cancel the match if there is any instance of inappropriate behaviour,” Boucher and McNamara in their letter.
“We want to make sure that we don’t have a repeat of that (Tuesday incident),” Stevenson said.
— With files from Nikki Cole
