Child athletes lose with less daylight

As a person who has spent more than six decades involved in amateur athletics as a participant, teacher, coach and administrator, I am extremely concerned about the government’s short-sighted move to abolish daylightsaving time.

The premise that the day will remain the day and the hours of sunlight will remain unchanged regardless of what we do with our clocks is correct. That is not the issue.

The issue is the number of hours available for leisure pursuits after the workday and supper are behind us.

The Edmonton Soccer Association has already publicly stated there will be hundreds of games that will not be able to be played if we shorten that after-supper time by one hour. Our playing fields are already fully booked and I doubt taxpayers have an appetite for incurring the millions of dollars necessary to put lights on these fields to extend their use once the sun goes down.

Recognizing each game that cannot be played represents 30 children deprived of that hour of activity identifies the tip of the iceberg. Multiply that number by the number of games eliminated in Edmonton and then across the entire province. Add all the other outdoor activities that will have to be eliminated or shortened and one starts to recognize the severity of that decision.

Mike Eurchuk, Edmonton