Sports
Rec Department to offer soccer, football leagues at York Sports Center
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - If you've heard a rumor that the Recreation Department has taken over the York Sports Center on Route 1, it is not true.However, the Recreation Department has come to an agreement with the center's new owner, Charlie Sefarian of Massachusetts, to host such favorite programs as flag football and winter soccer leagues at the facility that once housed these local offerings.
"This is a way to keep the doors open for those programs and we'll act as the facilitator," explained York Parks and Recreation Director Mike Sullivan.
It all began with the efforts of Sarah Franke of the Recreation Department, Sullivan explained last week. After the department continually received calls from past participants in such activities, Franke took the initiative to seek out the new owner about plans for the York Sports Center's Route 1 location this winter.
"We simply made an offer that we'd be willing to administer the leagues that were running them in the past," Sullivan said, explaining that registration fees will be charged at a rate similar to what they were before the York Sports Center closed. "… Sarah Franke deserves a lot of credit for stepping up to the plate to make this happen."
The fees will cover the cost to manage such programs as men's and women's soccer leagues, Sullivan said, and to provide revenue for the center's owner.
As he had no concrete plans for the facility this winter, Sullivan said the owner and the Recreation Department were able to come to an agreement.
"Some revenue is better than no revenue," he said of the owner's incentive for agreeing to the plan, and stressed that the town of York and the Recreation Department have no responsibility for the building itself or its maintenance.
Instead, he said, the Recreation Department will set registration fees based on an hourly rental fee set by the owner.
"I think he liked the idea of keeping it going and not changing its use," Sullivan explained. "… We have no interest in managing the sports center; we simply want to keep these programs going for the people in the community that they would like to have them."
He stressed there is no financial commitment on the part of the town.
"Until it can open up under new management and continue to run the programs it has in the past, it's a win-win situation for all of us," Sullivan said. "I think it's great for the community."
The Recreation Department has included information on the winter leagues in its upcoming fall-winter programming brochure as well as on its website at http://parksandrec.yorkmaine.org. For more information, call 363-1040.
