ABC North Coast By Bruce MacKenzie and Samantha Turnbull
Updated Mon at 12:36pm
A teenaged footballer with Down syndrome has been told he is no longer allowed to play as an extra on-field player for his team after a complaint to the sport's governing body from an opponent.
Marc Reichler-Stillhard, 16, plays soccer for Yamba on the New South Wales north coast.
His mother, Enid Reichler-Stillhard, said Marc could not keep up with players his own age, so he played with the Under-14s which he still found challenging.
"He's a lot smaller than his peer group and has co-ordination issues and intellectual issues as well," Ms Reichler-Stillhard said.
"He has the enthusiasm to play but he can't keep up, it's a fact of life."
She said, rather than drop back another age group two years ago, Marc's coach suggested he play as a '12th man' in addition to the 11 players officially allowed on the field.
"If he can't play in his own age group he has to play with much younger kids who aren't his friends and don't know him," Ms Reichler-Stillhard said.
"People say I shouldn't say Marc is disadvantaging his team, but on a sport level he is, on a personal level he isn't.
"It is a disadvantage if he plays as one of the 11, they are effectively one player down."
Benefits for all
Ms Reichler-Stillhard said the system had been working effectively as each week the Yamba team checked with their opponents if they accepted Marc playing as 12th man.
She said her son's inclusion had benefits for all.
"Marc does his absolute best and the kids are phenomenal," Ms Reichler-Stillhard said.
"When you watch how they interact with Marc, they help him on the field and off the field and make him feel good about himself.
"He is valued and they want him to play. It gives you goosebumps.
"The team once gave Marc the ball and said 'go with it Marc' and he ran the length of the field with it, and the kids fell over their own feet not to take the ball off him."
However, Ms Reichler-Stillhard was advised last week that Marc could no longer play in addition to the 11 on-field players after a complaint from an opponent.
She said the Yamba team refused to play one match against the complaining club in protest.
"If someone wants to complain they should be allowed to complain, but I don't think it was thought through because Marc makes no difference to the outcome of the game," Ms Reichler-Stillhard said.
"I think I would've liked North Coast Football to say 'maybe we can come up with a solution' instead of making this a blanket no."
Breaking 'fundamental laws'
North Coast Football general manager Reuben Robertson declined an interview with the ABC, but posted a response to Ms Reichler-Stillhard on Facebook.
The statement said:
"The fact is that NCF supported and encouraged his (Marc's) participation by providing an exemption to allow him to participate in a lower age group with the club team in which he has many friends.
"Football is an inclusive sport and there are a number of players with disabilities currently participating in competitions throughout the zone.
"Additionally, they are in teams consisting of the maximum 11 players.
"Therefore NCF is quite sure that if his club continues to come to an agreement with the other teams in their competition, the same outcomes will occur for this young man and his teammates.
"NCF also believes the stated disadvantage to the rest of the team will not eventuate and everybody will continue to see the benefits currently being achieved, without breaking one of the fundamental laws of football."
In an interview with ABC North Coast, sports journalist Peter FitzSimons labelled North Coast Football's decision as wrong.
"When you're dealing with kids' sport, can we not bend the rules?" he said.
"What defines us as a people is we're not big on regulations and rules but we are big on values.
"In kids' sport, the absolute value is inclusiveness, we don't care if you're fabulous or ordinary, we want you to have a go.
"This sort of stuff is what sport is supposed to be all about, the participation and the fun that they have."
First posted Mon at 11:17am
Some Officials have yet to grasp the real purpose of Children's Sport. OM
