By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend Recreation Commission has activities for all ages. That statement is proven when you search their online catalog of activities and sports that children can enroll in each year.
Looking for ways to make sports as fair
as possible and increase participation, Great Bend Rec Sports Director Paul
Zamarripa said outdoor soccer will switch from coed to boys and girls
divisions.
"We had a game last year where one of our younger 4th grade girls was playing against an older, bigger 5th grade boy," said Zamarripa. "There was a big discrepancy there. There was a collision and the little girl went flying. It looked horrible."
The Rec’s indoor soccer season is separated in boys and girls divisions, and
enrollment numbers are doing well. Splitting up the outdoor leagues into boys
and girls teams, the Rec will determine if the competition will include seven,
nine or 11 players, based on the enrollment numbers.
"This is an opportunity to go male and female in our outdoor leagues, and hoping that our numbers will go up," said Zamarripa. "Parents might feel more comfortable with the girls playing against each other."