New CdA policy to keep politics out of youth sports

The Republican elephant is getting the red card when it comes to Coeur d’Alene youth soccer and other recreation teams.

The Coeur d’Alene Parks and Recreation Commission is changing its policy about who can sponsor youth recreation teams after some parents complained their children had to wear a T-shirt advertising District 4 legislative candidate Dan Yake.

The dark blue shirts read “Dan Yake” in white block letters and sport the distinctive Republican elephant logo. The shirts have no mention of the election or his candidacy against Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d’Alene.

City Recreation Director Steve Anthony said a couple of parents complained, but Anthony didn’t write down their names. A woman at Saturday’s U-7 soccer game at Jenny Stokes Field said she was opposed to the political advertisement but didn’t want her name used because she works for the city.

Last week the Parks and Recreation Commission directed city staff to draft a new policy, which will prohibit political candidates and organizations from sponsoring youth teams along with adult businesses or companies selling alcohol or tobacco products. Coeur d’Alene currently has no rules on such sponsorship and that’s why Yake was able to sponsor the three soccer teams.

Anthony said the new policy isn’t directed at Yake, who was the city’s stormwater management coordinator until his contract ended Sept. 30.

“Youth sports isn’t an appropriate avenue for that type of publicity,” said Anthony, who added that he can’t remember another political candidate sponsoring a youth team in his 29 years as recreation director. In the late 1970s or early 1980s, however, a gubernatorial candidate sponsored an adult recreation program, he said.

Anthony said Post Falls already prohibits political groups or candidates from sponsoring youth sports teams.

Yake said he doesn’t understand all the fuss and questions whether it was more than one person who complained. He also wonders why the complainants waited for season’s end – just weeks before the Nov. 2 election.

Yake spent $250 to sponsor three soccer teams and said he was sensitive to keeping the shirt design low-key.

“It’s very understated so it’s not necessarily something that’s a large political billboard,” Yake said. “It’s got my name and an elephant. It doesn’t say my race or party affiliation.”

Yake said he would have happily altered the shirt design if it had been brought up earlier in the season. He said one of the teams he sponsored was his son’s U-8 team and he never heard any complaints. He also said one of the parents supports Sayler and that they joked in a friendly manner about the shirts.

Marie Price, who coaches a Yake-sponsored team for 6-year-olds, said the political sponsorship didn’t cause any problems for her team.

“I didn’t have anyone comment on it,” Price said. “The kids didn’t know the difference. They were happy to be playing soccer.”

But she said she can see how the Republican logo could have offended some people. She wonders how far the city’s rules will go and what would happen if a parent complained about a business they didn’t personally support.

Price said a reasonable compromise might be just allowing people to use their name, but no political logo. She hopes the policy change won’t make people hesitant to sponsor youth teams, because often not enough sponsors are willing to pay the $125 fee.

City Attorney Ann Eckhart said creating a new policy to prohibit political groups and certain businesses from sponsoring a youth recreation team isn’t a First Amendment concern because youth activities aren’t a public forum.

City Councilman Al Hassell, who is a liaison for the Parks and Recreation Commission, said the reason for the policy change is to keep children out of any election controversy.

“It’s not directed at any candidate. It’s just not a good idea to put kids in the middle of a discussion,” Hassell said.

He added that the commission hasn’t yet seen the proposed language for the new policy.

Sayler said he thinks it’s good the city is writing rules for youth sponsorships, especially prohibiting sponsorships from adult businesses such as the local bikini bar.

“I had a couple parents talk to me about it because they were upset that he was sponsoring it as a Republican,” Sayler said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to politicize our kids.”