The Southern Ontario Dart Association (SODA) was formed in 2004 by the Dixie Summer Dart League (DSDL), Etobicoke Pub Dart League (EPDL) and the Region of Peel Dart League (RPDL) to promote darts in the area. The South Etobicoke Dart League (SEDL) joined SODA the following year.

The main focus of SODA is on the players, and ensuring the welfare of the players in all the member dart leagues.

SODA runs numerous events each year to raise money to return to the member dart leagues, to help reduce their operating expenses, to allow them to use player and bar fees for their leagues, instead of for other expenses.

SODA has been able to save the member dart leagues thousands of dollars a year that has then been used by the member leagues to host better banquets and other events for their players. SODA has paid all fees and expenses for teams and shirts for the member leagues to attend the Darts Ontario events, including the Darts Ontario Team Affiliate shoots in February.

SODA is not a governing dart body, but rather the member dart leagues run SODA. Each member league still maintains their unique identity, game styles and modes of play. The SODA Board of Directors are appointed volunteers by the member leagues to help the member leagues work together, fairly and unbiased. To avoid any conflict of interest, the SODA Chairman is not on any other Dart League Executive. The SODA Treasurer is also not a treasurer for any other Dart League.

The SODA Board of Directors also has a Players Advocate from each member league, so any member league dart player may communicate to their Player Advocate to have their concerns or questions raised to all member dart leagues.

SODA has cleared up a lot of problems that each of the member leagues were having with scheduling, discipline and other problems. With one common schedule being shared by all member dart leagues, no member dart leagues run events to close to one another to interrupt the attendance by having players wanting to attend two events on the same day. While it is not a large problem, every league at some point has disciplinary problems. With the close proximity of the SODA member leagues, suspensions, while rare, were not a large deterrent since the suspended individual would simply play in one of the other leagues on a different night of the week. The member leagues may now work together on suspensions to remove troublesome players from all leagues in SODA.

5th Annual Frank Hanlon Memorial Tournament

SODA has been operating the Frank Hanlon Memorial Tournament since SODA's inception, taking over from the originating leagues that ran the first combined tournament for the three leagues (DSDL, EPDL and the RPDL). The tournament is held the last Saturday of November every year, and was be held on November 24, 2007 at the Army Navy Air Force #262, 765 Third Street, Port Credit, Ontario.

This tournament is a strict fund raising event for the recipients each year, with no money being made by SODA. All money raised, including any donations received is paid out to the designated recipients at the end of the tournament. 50/50 and other draws are held that day with the proceeds being added to the funds paid to the designated recipients.

This year's recipient was the Children's Wish Foundation, with over $2800 being donated. All the winners of the event donated some of their prize money as well. Special thanks have to go out to Sheldon Butts for donating a pair of Toronto Maple Leafs Platinum seats to the event, and to the other private donors who also donated directly into the fund for the Children's Wish Foundation.

The Frank Hanlon Memorial Tournament is a ranked blind draw which will attempt to draw a balanced field by placing the strongest players in the member leagues with the beginning players. This format has led to some great fun, and the largest turnout to date, with over 25% of the combined leagues membership in attendance.

For more information, please contact your league.

Steven Scott
for the Southern Ontario Dart Association