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Scathing allegations made by former youth football official
• Superstars getting paid to play. Coaches betting on games.
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Tuesday,
July 20, 2010
Confirming fears of some Margate city officials, the Northwest Broward Raiders youth football team might not “play by the rules.” A source once close to the league in which the Raiders play told MargateNews.net that the organization has ethics problems, whereas kids and their families are paid to play for the team and parents and coaches wager on games.
“Coaches bet $4,000 on last year’s championship,” said the source.
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Margate Commissioners were faced recently with making a decision whether or not to allow the South Florida Youth Football League’s Northwest Broward Raiders to use Margate’s Oriole Field for practice and games.
At first, Commissioners were reluctant to approve the use of the field because the Raiders couldn't product at least 80 percent participation by Margate kids. In addition, Commissioners confronted Raider’s President, Phil Gray, with rumors of drinking by volunteers, disorderly conduct and paying kids to play for the Raiders.
Gray told commissioners that although the team has had its problems in the past, he would accept full responsibility in mitigating future incidents.
Ultimately commissioners voted in favor of allowing the Raiders to use Oriole Field (3-2, Commissioners Donovan and Bross in dissent), telling Gray that he’s responsible for civil order and clean up after practice and games.
One incident, commissioners told Gray, and the team could lose their privilege.
Before the Raiders can begin using Oriole Field, all of the organization’s volunteers must undergo background checks, to ensure that no adults have a record of pedophilia.
Although it’s unlikely that background checks will turn up any child molesters, said the source, it’s a known fact that some volunteers in the organization are convicted felons, including higher ups.
The source said he pulled his owns kids out of the league when he found out that kids were being paid to play. He said the Raiders are too focused on winning and are very weak in areas of sportsmanship.
“They actually pay parents to keep talented kids from playing on other teams and leagues,” said the source.
The source said the reason the Raiders is having a problem finding a place to play is because no one wants to be affiliated with the team because of its poor ethical reputation.
For parents and kids in search of quality youth football, suggested the source, Pop Warner and American Youth Football leagues are better organized and pay more attention to “all kids play.”
Betting on “under 17” youth sports is popular in the EU, where youth league officials frown on the practice, saying that tournaments are for the development of the players, not for betting purposes.
Kids of parents who bet on sports are likely to follow in their footsteps, states a report by the Canadian Foundation on Compulsive Gambling. Although laws exist against sports betting in general, youth continue to bet on sports in increasing numbers, states the report.
The Foundation suggests to parents who gamble to think twice about what spoken and unspoken messages they may be sending their children about gambling, and to be alert to the values their children are developing.
For parents who don't, states Oxford Journals, they need to accept the fact that they may be responsible for their children adopting a gambling problem, which can lead to low self-esteem, depression, loss of financial livelihood and suicide.
After approving use of the field, Margate Commissioner Frank Talerico told kids at the hearing to keep on eye on their parents if they want to continue using the field, because apparently it's the parents with the problems, not the kids.
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Copyright © MargateNews.net 2010
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