Yellowknife (Mar 14/05) - Yellowknife parents are considering their options following a Canada Games selection camp that saw 10 of 13 Yellowknife soccer players cut from the territorial team last week.

The contention is the Yellowknife players were not properly informed about a camp held in conjunction with the Connie Loutit Memorial Soccer Tournament in Fort Simpson, March 4 to 6.

Parents, who have refused to let their names be used, said they were not informed the camp was mandatory. One hinted at the possibility of legal action.

Appeals have been sent through Sport North to NWT Soccer Association president Roger Vail.

"We're going to let the Territorial Sport Association decide," said Doug Rentmeister, executive director of Sport North.

Luke Coedy, a player who was cut from the team, has sent a letter trying to get answers.

He said he didn't want to comment further until he had received a response to his inquiry.

Meanwhile Michael Botermans, NWT Canada Games Team manager, said Yellowknife players and parents were duly notified.

Botermans said he has a stack of emails and confirmations of receipt informing parents of the camp.

Furthermore, he said John Buist, who is the Canada Games representative in Yellowknife, was informed back in January not only that the camp was scheduled, but that attendance was mandatory if players hoped to continue being part of the selection process.

Buist is on holiday and could not be reached for confirmation.

"We called their bluff," said Botermans. "You've got to be there to be evaluated. They didn't take it seriously. They've got this attitude of 'they need us'."

Missing the camp was deemed a violation of team rules and 10 players were cut.

Three Yellowknife players who attended the camp remain on the roster and eight players from other communities were added to the list.

"We stood firm. It's not acceptable," said Botermans. "All the camps in order to develop them are mandatory. We're talking about national level games."

Politics aside, Botermans is hailing the 21 member training team, which will be whittled to 17 by the summer, as the most representative territorial team to ever go to a national competition.

Currently there are six players from Rae, two from Fort Resolution, three from Fort Simpson, one from Hay River, one from Inuvik, one from Lutsel K'e, three from Yellowknife, and four from Fort Simpson.

"I'm especially excited that this is the first team ever that is mostly aboriginal athletes," said Botermans. "Seventeen of the 21 are aboriginal and I think that exemplifies the NWT."

"It was really a fair process. They are not going because of where they are from or because they are Dogrib."

Coach Paul Stipdonk from Fort Simpson said changing the dynamics of the team has not taken away from its strength.

Community players

Botermans said the number of community players speaks well to the quality of the NWT soccer program.

In the future, he said, he would like to see community players have even more of a chance to play.

"Kids from Wrigley deserve just as much a chance as a kid from Yellowknife," said Botermans.

The key, Botermans said, is to get players from those tiny communities out to more tournaments and find ways to bring development opportunities to them.

In the end he is a strong believer it's worth every second and cent.

"One of the boys from Fort Resolution went home and told his recreation director he made the team and said 'I'm quitting smoking. I have a reason to take my life seriously,'" said Botermans.

It's stories such as those that Botermans, who has been coaching soccer in Rae-Edzo for many years, keeps close to his heart.

"Soccer is a life saver for our kids in Rae," he said.

He's convinced the team that has been put together won't only be strong from a skill point of view, but also from the perspective of team chemistry and heart.

The next few months will be devoted to getting the players working together and trying to find time on grass fields.

Botermans is hoping the first opportunity will come in April during a camp in Fort Smith. If not then, for sure the May long weekend in Hay River, he said.

The team is working towards an exhibition in June, when final cuts will likely be made.

Although they are not expecting to be a serious threat to teams at the Canada Games, Botermans said their hope is to be competitive.

"We're going to try to find attainable goals," he said. "To say we're going to go down and beat Ontario, that's just crazy."