The Ottawa Soccer Club welcomes new provincial legislation requiring it to have portable nets, but says it needs to spend more time educating kids about sports safety.
Garrett’s Legacy Act, which received Royal Assent last week, sets out requirements for the safe use of portable soccer goals for use by the public.
The act was named after Garrett Mills, a 15-year-old boy from Napanee, Ontario. He died instantly in 2017 when he fell on top of a 90kg portable soccer net after hanging from it.
These new requirements include placing the portable net on a flat surface, attaching it securely to the floor if outdoors, and using weight to attach it securely to the floor if indoors.
The fine for failure to comply with the requirements set forth in the bill would be $500 for each day the violation occurred, up to a maximum of $5,000.
‘We’re going to have to make adjustments’
Ottawa South United Soccer (OSU) president and coach Bill Michalopoulos said of Garrett’s death, “It’s absolutely tragic. It’s unfathomable to me that something like that happened.”
In 30 years of coaching, Michalopoulos said it’s all too common for kids to be tempted to climb into the nets and end up in potentially dangerous situations.
That’s why OSU and many other clubs have switched from metal netting to lightweight, collapsible netting that is impossible to climb.
“The few portable nets we have are metal, so we will have to make adjustments,” Michalopoulos said.
Kim Gamble, executive director of the Ottawa City Soccer Club, said she welcomes the new legislation but that educating players on safe practices remains important.
“Make sure everyone involved in every facility is aware of what the requirements are and accessibility to make sure the right materials are available,” she said.
Ontario Soccer, which oversees soccer clubs and associations across the province, updated its policy on portable nets Wednesday to align with the new legislation.
