AYSO practices temporarily on hold

Despite a rumor that sparked up earlier this week, the Carson Valley chapter of the American Youth Soccer Organization will not be cancelling its season this year.

The league has temporarily suspended practices until it gets clearance from Douglas County Mosquito Abatement. They expect to be practicing again by next week.

Rumors spread quickly after an e-mail from the league's player protection advocate circulated around the league's division coordinators saying that soccer had been "called off" until the fields had been sprayed.

"What it should have said was that practices were suspended," Cathy Rahe, a member of the AYSO board said. "It got out to the division coordinators, down to the coaches and down to the kids, so everyone has been scrambling.

"We just wanted to put everyone's worries to rest and let them know that there will indeed be a season."

AYSO commissioner Yvette Kvasnicka said this all began when she was talking with Mosquito Control Officer Ron Lynch earlier this week.

"This is the worst we've ever had to deal with mosquitoes," she said. "We've had coaches out at some of the fields who called off practices themselves because they were being swarmed."

Lynch recommended that AYSO cancel practices until he could spray all of the league's fields.

"Some of the fields were worse than others, but we just wanted to get them all taken care of," Kvasnicka said. "Some parents were still hesitant to spray their kids before coming out to practice, but hopefully this will encourage them to start. Ron's has a lot of ground to spray, we're just grateful he was able to help us out."

-- Joey Crandall can be reached at jcrandall@recordcourier.com or at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.