WATCH: Teachers’ strike impacts thousands of Okanagan soccer players

KELOWNA – The teachers dispute is having an unforeseen effect on thousands of youth soccer players in the central Okanagan.

The locations of hundreds of games this weekend had to be changed because the grass is getting too long on schoolyard playing fields.

They’re not being mowed while picket lines are up.

An attempt Thursday by some Kelowna parents to have the grass cut at an elementary school by a landscaping company was denied by the school district.

That’s because it would be considered contracting out and therefore a violation of union collective agreements.

“And it doesn’t matter who pays or if it’s voluntary, it’s still considered as contracting out and we can’t allow that to happen,” says district spokesperson Larry Paul.

The Central Okanagan Youth Soccer Association has been scrambling to find alternate fields.

Association president, Scott Jacobsen, says it’s fortunate adult soccer leagues are finished or winding down.

“So we’ve been able to get most practices and games switched over to city fields. It was a bit of a process but no games were cancelled. Luckily, there’s enough city fields to accommodate our needs,” says Jacobsen.

Just three games this weekend are on school fields.

The district says their fields are currently safe for playing soccer, but if the strike drags on and the grass gets much longer, they’ll have to shut them down to sports teams.