Students 'bored at recess' after Catholic elementary school removes goalposts

A Catholic elementary school in Kitchener has completely removed its soccer posts, leaving parents wondering why.

St. John’s Catholic Elementary School shares a fence with Warren Greenhouses on Strange Street. Soccer goalposts were installed facing the greenhouse around 2014. According to the greenhouse, the odd ball would come over the fence and cause damage. But when turf was recently installed, soccer balls started flying into the greenhouse daily.

"[We] have to repair [the damage]. We do heat the structures, so any window that's smashed in is also letting heat out,” Sheila Holm, owner of Warren Greenhouses said.

Holm said she tried to find a solution with the school.

"They didn't give us many answers, so we went to the school board," she said.

A broken pane of glass is pictured at Warren Greenhouses in Kitchener. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

Holm said she didn't want to see the kids stop playing soccer and has even offered to organize to have a net put up or have the fence built even taller. She just doesn't want to have to pay for it.

"We've been here for 65 years. We've been great neighbors. I feel like we have a good relationship. I didn't want to ruin that. We were willing to get anything organized, do the work, come up with a solution, and hoping that they would ultimately take care of the solution," Holm said.

Photo of damage to the greenhouse at Warren Greenhouses. (Courtesy: Sheila Holm)

According to a parent of two students at the school, last year the students were told soccer could no longer be played at recess.

"The kids were told they needed to be a good neighbour to the greenhouse and that's why they weren't allowed to play," Jennifer Dechene said.

Dechene said in August, she saw the goalposts being removed completely.

"I was like, what a waste of taxpayer money. this was a good resource for the community, it's a beautiful place for the kids to play," Dechene said.

Dechene said she then contacted the board for answers.

"All of a sudden it's changed to it's a safety issue. It's unsafe for a bunch of 6 to 13-year-olds to play soccer," Dechene said.

The school board was not available for an on-camera interview but told CTV News the posts could not be turned to face another direction because of space constraints and the basketball nets.

“The soccer posts at St. John’s Catholic Elementary School were removed due to safety concerns following several incidents involving student injuries,” the board said in an email.

According to the board, soccer is still available through intramurals, daily physical activity and in physical education programs. Students are encouraged to engage in a variety of non-contact activities during recess.

“Since the removal of the soccer posts, the school yard has become more active and inclusive, allowing more students to enjoy the space,” the board said.

Dechene said her two kids disagree.

"Now that it's gone, I'm bored at recess," said Presley Stevenson, a Grade 5 student at St. John’s Catholic Elementary School. "I just talk with my friends. That's not really the most exciting thing in the world."

“It's the only thing I really can do at recess," Cooper Stevenson, a Grade 5 student at St. John’s Catholic Elementary School said.

The board said soccer is not a standard recess offering across all elementary schools.

“Other schools within the WCDSB that offer soccer at recess may also need to reassess their practices to ensure student safety,” the board said.