Lenox park board approves amended tournament-team rules, limits rosters to 11

The Lenox Park and Recreation Board approved revisions to the citys tournament-team policy after a lengthy public discussion that drew coaches, parents and board members.

The changes approved by the board set the first-team roster at 11 players with three alternates, clarify that athletes residing within the district boundary are eligible (with out-of-district players admitted only with park-board approval), and add cross-references to the code-of-ethics sanctions for coaches and athletes. Speaker 2 moved to approve the edits and Speaker 4 seconded; the board voted to approve the policy as described and will forward the package to city council for final action.

Several parents and volunteer coaches urged the board not to overregulate tournament teams. John Andrew, who identified himself as president of the LBSA but said he was speaking for himself, told the board that removing tournament teams or tightening rules too far would "tie the hands" of experienced coaches and risk losing volunteer support that helps maintain fields, provide coaching and contribute financially. "You're gonna lose a lot of your primary resources," he said, arguing that tournament-team families provide much of the volunteer labor and donations that support the rec program.

Joe Ryan, a parent who said both his sons play in Lenox, urged the board to trust coaches and preserve competitive opportunities. He argued that mandating playing time or imposing heavy procedural restrictions would undercut competition and the incentive for players to improve. "You have to allow your coaches to coach," he said, and proposed 11 players per roster as a compromise.

Board members debated several items before the vote: whether tournament teams should be restricted to children who attend district schools or to any child who resides inside district boundaries; whether to allow more than one tournament team per age group depending on registration; rules for alternates and "pull-ups" when players are injured; and how disciplinary sanctions should affect playing time. Several members said registration numbers should determine whether a second team is fielded in a given age group.

The adopted version clarifies eligibility as "residing within the district boundary" with exceptions allowed by the park board, sets roster expectations at 11 players plus alternates, and directs staff to incorporate disciplinary enforcement language (warnings, suspensions and potential removal for violations of the code of ethics) into the appropriate chapter of the policies before the council presentation. The board chair said staff will circulate a final draft to members before the city council packet is prepared.

The vote concluded the boards substantive action on the topic; the board did not adopt an outright ban on tournament teams and instead chose to retain tournament opportunities while tightening some administrative rules. The city council will review the amendments at a future meeting.