Hey sports fans! I hate to say it but times are tough in Greater Sudbury.
The spring of 2007 will be remembered for more than just the
Sudbury Wolves' epic run to the OHL championship.
Two major blows to the local sporting scene have already been
dealt out and it's on the minds of people around the
community.
One, nobody really saw it coming until it happened, while the
other, most people could see it happening from a mile away.
A few weeks ago, the Sudbury Canadians soccer club, which
competed in the United Soccer League (USL) W-League for the
past three summers folded for 2007.
Then, just last week, the Sudbury Spartans football franchise
also called a halt to the 2007 season, taking a one-year
absence from the Northern Football Conference (NFC).
I'll start with the Canadians.
Despite a rough third season in 2006, which was supposed to be
a breakout year for the club, the Canadians looked poised to
battle through another summer of international competition.
In March, the club added a new head coach, Jon Sanderson, who
had extensive coaching experience in Canadian Interuniversity
Sport (CIS) and the Ontario Youth Soccer League (OYSL).
It signaled a new direction and the team's hopes were
raised.
In 2006, the Canadians kept stumbling, going 0-12, and being
humbled by their opponents non-stop. They scored just two goals
for, while allowing 58 against. The team finished dead last in
their division.
It was a big step back, considering the team went 3-11-0 in
2005 and 1-13-0 in their first season in 2004.
I asked GM Frank Malvaso in an August 2006 interview about the
possibility of the team folding. His answer was no.
 He also stated the league wasn't giving them the boot and the real challenge wasn't staying in the USL, but being competitive.
At the time, Malvaso was probably right and had good
intentions. This spring turned out to be a different story.
Officials with the club haven't given up hope of returning to
the USL and providing local young women the chance to play at
one of the highest levels for the sport.
The franchise is working with other clubs and organizations
around the province to bolster their roster and chances.
When talking to players, over the years, about how they
benefited from playing soccer for the Canadians in the summer,
they all said it gave them an edge when they went back to their
university, college or high school teams in the fall.
One thing is for sure - the Canadians will have to improve
their marketing aspect as well. It was less than inspiring to
go to a game, for example against Ottawa who has national
players, and only see a few people in the stands to cheer on
Sudbury.
The games weren't all that bad. In fact, some of the matches
really provided some quality action. It was always neat to talk
to players on opposing teams who come from places such as
Vermont, and hear what they thought about our city in
general.
Only time will tell if a Canadians USL squad ever competes
again in Sudbury.
Now for the Spartans.
They've been a big part of the local and provincial sports
scene for 53 years. Now, the team is gone and might not come
back at all, and that's a scary thought.
The Spartans presence had dwindled over the recent years, but
in 2006, they experienced a revival of sorts.
The club brought in respected coach Chris Bartolucci (who
coached St. Charles College for a long time) and many veterans
turned in outstanding performances.
The team went 3-5 and made the playoffs before exiting in the
first round.
They had nine players named to either the NFC First or Second
All Star teams.
When the 2006 season was over, there were plenty of positives
and optimism for an even better year in 2007.
It didn't happen at all. Just two weeks before the start of the
NFC season, the Spartans were only drawing about 12 to 16
players per practice.
To field a team, in the unforgiving NFC, a franchise needs at
least 30 to 35 players dedicated to the cause.
The Spartans couldn't formulate systems or plans. Bartolucci
and some main veterans made the hard call to cancel the 2007
season in the clubhouse last week.
The Spartans have 12-league championships and were a
cornerstone franchise when the NFC started.
History has shown in sports that when teams take a leave of
absence, it's very difficult for them to make a comeback.
The lack of players is especially odd given the local high
school league, Joe MacDonald League, Sudbury Northerners and
Junior Northerners all produce solid players, who, for the most
part, don't have a place to play competitive football after the
age of 20.
It's unfortunate both the Spartans and Canadians are gone for
now as it leaves a big hole in the summer sports scene in this
town.
Yet, despite the loss, a bright ray of light is shining
through.
Other teams, such as the Northerners and Panhellenic soccer
teams and athletes in boxing, wrestling and other summer
sports, just to name a few, will get plenty of attention this
summer.
I hope those athletes are ready for the increased exposure.
I believe they will step up and bask in the spotlight and make
the summer sports scene extremely exciting.
