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Margate Commission reverses decision to prohibit youth football
• Mayor changes mind. Raider's president says "Do it for the kids."
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Wednesday,
July 7, 2010
Margate Mayor Joe Varsallone made a motion Wednesday to withdraw the city commissions July 1 ruling to prohibit the Northwest Broward Raiders youth football team from practicing and playing home games on Margate’s Oriole Field.
Upon further discussion, the city commission reversed its decision in a 3-2 vote with commissioners Pam Donovan and Arthur Bross in dissent.
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The Raiders were turned away by city officials on July 1 because they couldn’t provide a registration roster that indicated at least 80 percent participation by Margate families. In addition, the team had yet to provide the requisite background checks for required personnel.
Effective July 1, Florida law requires that all adults impacting children in sports organizations undergo a background check on a yearly basis to rule out pedophiles.
Phil Gray, president of the Northwest Broward Raiders, said he’ll do whatever it takes to facilitate the kids playing ball.
Although he said he couldn’t promise commissioners even a 40 percent participation rate by Margate families, Gray said he would personally guarantee the cleaning of the field and parking lot after every game, and his organization would alleviate drinking in the parking lot, an activity, along with an occasional parental brawl last year, that left a blemish on team leaders’ ability to effectively chaperone children.
Gray said the Raiders would consider hiring off-duty police if it meant sealing the deal.
Because Gray said Wednesday he couldn’t produce 80 percent Margate participation, Donovan and Bross voted against reversing the commission’s July 1 ruling. Between the cost of running the lights Tuesday through Friday nights for practice and the cost of field upkeep, the two long-time Margate Commissioners didn’t think it right for Margate taxpayers to pick up the tab for a team the majority of who don’t reside in Margate.
Gray told commissioners that the Northwest Broward Raiders do not hold tryouts and all kids get to play, provided families can afford the $100 registration fee.
Upon submitting the required third-party background checks to Margate city officials, the Northwest Broward Raiders will conduct practice and home games on Margate’s Oriole Field.
For more information on the South Florida Youth Football league, visit http://www.sfyfl.org/.
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