ALBERTA SOCCER NEWSLETTER
Issue 24
Off the Post
July-September, 2013
THE GOVERNING BODY OF SOCCER IN ALBERTA
IN THIS ISSUE
Alberta Soccer Launches New Website by Lindsay-Anne Freire
The Alberta Soccer Association is proud to launch its brand new website. Apart from the previous website needing a fresh look, there was also need for more user friendly organization of content and other useful features that our members could use.
What’s New? The website now features a number of new handy tools: Are you following us on social media yet? You can find links to all of our social media channels via the various social media icons at the top right hand side of our page. We post regular updates to our Twitter feed and Instagram page. You can also find our picture gallery on Flickr and videos on YouTube. Having trouble finding a field in Alberta? Our Field Finder feature at the bottom right hand side of our homepage allows you to search for fields in all parts of the Province. A Google Map will give you the detailed location.
Integrated Calendars will make it easier for our users to see what is going on and when. Are you looking for a tournament to register in? Visit our Tournament Calendar.
Are you on our website to simply find insurance forms or travel permit info? Our new Member Services section has many of these resources. Do you want the latest news or videos? Our brand new media section will tell you about all the newsworthy soccer happenings across the province
Alberta Teams Qualify for Nationals 12 Alberta Club Teams qualified for the National Championships across the country. Find out which youth and senior teams made it.
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Don’t know how to contact your District? Visit our Member Listing in the Member Services section. If you have suggestions for the new website, please feel free to contact any member of the Staff at the Alberta Soccer Association. We hope you enjoy the new website!
What’s Going on in Your District? Find out what’s going on in your district including recent events and programs.
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2013 AMSL Season comes to a Close The 2013 Alberta Major Soccer League made a major push to recapture the spotlight it once held in the past. The media, both mainstream and social, played a large part in the promotion of the 2013 season. • • • • • •
Featured Article in the Edmonton Journal Continuing Coverage and Game Recaps by the Lethbridge Herald Weekly Standings in the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Sun 9 Clubs created Twitter Handles to help promote their games and team Digital Ambassadors using Twitter to promote the league Mobile App tracking schedules, results and statistics
The league saw Edmonton Victoria and Edmonton Scottish repeat as Champions in what was a highly competitive season right until the end. On the Men’s Side, the Calgary Callies pushed Edmonton Scottish right until
Edmonton Victoria captures the 2013 AMSL Women’s Championship
the end of the season and captured second place. Dexter Maclachlan of Scottish led all scorers with 11 goals. On the Women’s Side, Edmonton Northwest United once again made a valiant push for top spot in the league led by league leading scorer Lindsay Boland but Victoria once again produced a strong team effort all season long to repeat as Champions. Victoria and Scottish also captured the Senior Provincial Championships titles and will move on to Nationals in mid-October.
Edmonton Green & Gold took the Classics title and Edmonton Victoria took the Masters title. Both SENIOR TEAMS HEADING TO NATIONALS Edmonton Scottish (Sr. Men’s Champions) Edmonton Victoria (Sr. Women’s Champions) Edmonton Green & Gold (Classics Champions) Edmonton Victoria (Masters Champions)
Tier I Youth Teams advance to Nationals During the August 22-25 weekend, Tier I teams from across the Province competed in the final Youth Provincial Competition of the 2013 Outdoor Season. The Edmonton Interdistrict Youth Soccer Association (EIYSA) played host to the 36 teams across three age groups at the impeccable facilities of the Edmonton Soccer Association Complex. In the third year of the existence of this competition, the high quality of play, strongly experienced referees and the hunger to qualify for national competitions were once again the story of this particular tournament. Alberta Soccer would like to wish all the clubs who qualified for Nationals the best of luck and would like to thank our Partners for contributing to the success of this
competition including: Booster Juice, Chateau Nova Hotels, and EIYSA.
Clubs going to Nationals U14 Boys: Foothills, Inter U14 Girls: SWU Napoli, Blizzard Ajax U16 Boys: Foothills U16 Girls: SWU Premiers U18 Boys: Warriors U18 Girls: Blizzard Juventus The National Club Championships will take place between October 9 – 14, 2013 across the country.
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Mini Stars players play a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors at the 2013 Residential Camp.
FC EDMONTON AND ALBERTA SOCCER PARTNER ON PLAYER PROGRAMS
Regional Performance Centres Launch in Edmonton and Calgary Regional Performance Centres in Edmonton and Calgary have now launched attracting the best 14-16 year old male and female players across Alberta.
2013-2014 Player Programs Launch After an extremely successful year for our player programs, the Alberta Soccer Technical Department is looking for continued success during the 2013-2014 year with brand new programs and commitment to establishing a more clear player pathway using the Long Term Player Development Model.
Provincial Training Program
Albertans Called up to U17 Canada Womens Prep Camp Sarah Kinzner of Foothills Soccer Club and Avery Lakeman of Edmonton Drillers Club have both been called up to the U17 Canada Womens Training Camp.
FAST FACTS
st
1 Place
Edmonton Green & Gold Classics took first place at the Classics National Championships in Quebec City.
nd
2
Place
Edmonton Victoria Masters finished second place at the Western Masters in Saskatoon.
FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit www.albertasoccer.com
The Provincial Training Program will once again hold trials for U13-U15 age groups. This year will see the elimination of the annual All-Stars competition. Instead, all Provincial teams will compete at the Annual Prairie Invitational. The U13 Teams will hold open trials while the U14, U15 Teams will be based on player invites and scouting reports.
Regional Performance Centres Regional Performance Centres will operate out of Edmonton and Calgary for 14 to 16 year old males and females. The Centres are a result of a partnership with FC Edmonton to help Canada Soccer identify players for their national teams and bridge the gap between youth and senior level soccer. FC Edmonton Coaches will help to oversee the Coaching aspects of the program. The Centres will train four times per week at Commonwealth Fieldhouse in Edmonton and at Foothills Indoor Soccer Facility in Calgary. Matches will be scheduled intermittently between the two centres and matches against University & College Teams as well as Invitational Tournaments are also being explored. The Centres fit into the Alberta Soccer Player Development Pathway and will serve as a continuation from the Provincial Training Program for those selected. Selections will be made by Alberta Soccer and FC Edmonton Coaches based on scouting throughout the year.
Mini Stars The Mini Stars Program will once again run for 60 young boys and girls in the Learning to Train Stage of Long Term Player Development in Edmonton and Calgary. Centres will also operate out of Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray and Cochrane. The Mini Stars Program is a Grassroots program run by Provincial B Licensed Coaches that focuses on individual skill development for players at a Tier I and II level. The program is an Introduction to Excellence as many of the players who participate in Mini Stars are typically invited to the U13 Provincial Training Program Open Trials when they no longer qualify for the Mini Stars program. The Mini Stars Program will once again hold a Showcase in March for players from across the Province enrolled in the program and will also offer a residential camp opportunity over the May long weekend.
Soccability Soccability will again be offered for Players with a Disability in both Edmonton and Calgary. Calgary also operates a Powerchair program for those players who use Powerchairs. Registration is still open for the fall session. Please visit our website (www.albertasoccer.com) and under the Player Menu, click Players with a Disability to find more information on the program as well as Registration information.
ALBERTA SOCCER NEWSLETTER
Issue 24
2013 Provincial Program Results “As we embark on a new era of player development, based on CSA guidelines and our continued partnership with FC Edmonton, I believe we are in a strong position to develop elite level players” – Shaun Lowther, Technical Director, Alberta Soccer Association The Alberta Soccer Provincial Teams competed at a number of national and regional competitions during the summer of 2013 and proved to be a resounding success.
National All-Stars Alberta Soccer medalled in every age category in the last year of this competition:
Coach’s Corner The Summer of 2013 was a busy one for Alberta Soccer North Coach, Ian Skitch. With steadily increasing numbers of Coaches enrolled in the Community Coaching Courses, a Provincial B Licence Course to run in Calgary and a Pre B Assessment Course and Evaluations in September, there was no shortage of course materials being delivered.
Provincial B Licence The Provincial B Licence course was delivered this year from July 26-31 in Calgary. The Licence is the first step towards higher certification with the Canadian Soccer Association and serves as Part I of the National B Licence. U16 Boys : Silver
U16 Girls : Bronze U15 Boys : Bronze U15 Girls : Silver U16 Boys : Silver
Prairie Invitational Hosted in Calgary at SAIT and Broadview, this competition saw our U13 and U14 North and South Teams compete with BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Less focused on team results, Alberta players were front and centre in being selected for the All-Star game on the final day of competition.
This year’s course had 15 participants. Alberta Soccer encourages those Coaches who coach at a Tier I Level and higher or AMSL level and higher to have a Provincial B Licence. For more information on the Course, take a peek at our video in the media section of our website.
Fall Pre B Assessment The ASA Technical Department hosted a fall Pre “B” Assessment program over two weekends in September. 23 candidates from around the province came into Edmonton to take part in the educational Part 1 component at Grant McEwan Park. Additionally FC Edmonton hosted a special Match Observation component where all candidates took in the 1-1 draw versus Ft. Lauderdale Strikers at Clarke Field. Head Coach Colin Miller addressed the candidates’ pre & post match providing them a unique opportunity to gain insight into coaching at the professional level. Part 2 was regionalized to provide coaches the opportunity to be assessed closer to home at Cedarbrae Community Centre in the south & at Grant McEwan Park at in the north. Between both locations, 27 candidates completed Part 2 – a fantastic enrolment rate considering the program did not run at this stage last year. A special thanks to Neil Turnbull who helped lead Part 1 of the course as well as Sergio Teixeira, Graham Wood, Matt Thomas, Peter Malakoane, and John Club who helped with assessments.
Canada Summer Games The Competition was held this year in Sherbrooke, Quebec where both mens and womens teams played some inspiring soccer that was not reflected in the final placing during the competition. Both teams placed 5th after unlucky results but both were credited for the style of soccer played by neutral observers and coaching staff of the opposition.
Community Coaching Coaches enrolled in community coaching courses around the province at increasing numbers during 2013. To date, just approximately 1500 participants have been licensed in a Community Stream Course (Active Start, FUNdamentals, Learn to Train, Soccer for Life) in 2013.These numbers are encouraging as we strive to train and educate more Coaches within the new LTPD Coaching Pathway. For information on how to become a coach in the province, visit our “Become a Coach” section on our website for an interactive tool that will tell you which coaching qualifications you need. Registration for courses is now online making it easier than ever! Please contact your local District Association for more information on courses they are hosting in your area.
Learning Facilitators Alberta Soccer is now accepting applications for Learning Facilitators for 2013-2014. Learning Facilitators take on responsibility for training and developing coaches who are looking to enhance their own individual experience and qualifications through the formal training and certification programs. Visit the Coach section of our website under “Coaching the Coaches” for information on how to apply.
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AROUND TOWN
In the Community One Day One Goal September 21 serves as International Peace Day around the world due to the efforts of Jeremy Gilley and Peace One Day, a not for profit organization who pushed for the day of global ceasefire and non-violence in 2001. Peace One Day harnesses the power of the beautiful game to foster the spirit of Peace Day and soccer matches are played around the world to commemorate the day. These matches are called “One Day One Goal. Alberta Soccer approached FC Edmonton to brainstorm how we could celebrate Peace Day with a soccer game. Eventually, the concept for 3v3 Street Soccer came up, and Free Footie, a free soccer league for children in the most disadvantaged areas of Edmonton also came on board. Free Footie kids were put on teams with AMSL players and FC Edmonton academy players to form 16 teams of 3-4 players each. The event was held right on the street at the City Market Downtown Edmonton with tons of support from the market vendors. Chalk was used to draw the fields and garbage cans painted by the iHuman Youth Society were used as goals. The players even exchanged autographs! The event was a tremendous success with donations pouring in from many different groups and all proceeds donated to Free Footie. We hope to build on this initiative for next year and institute One Day One Goal as an Annual Event in Alberta. We would like to thank the City Market Downtown, Capilano Copy, Echo Promotions, CBC as well as all the participants and volunteers for their support of this great event!
Nominate Someone for an Alberta Soccer Award! The Alberta Soccer Association will be hosting their Annual Awards Banquet in Edmonton on January 18, 2014. There are various awards where anyone can nominate someone they feel is deserving. The Nomination Form is now available on our website on the Awards Sub Page under Member Services. New awards this year include Young Referee of the Year, Physical Literacy Coach of the Year, and a Woman of Distinction Award. Get your nominations in now!
Booster Juice Sponsors Youth Provincial Championships Thank you to Booster Juice who displayed their commitment to youth soccer by becoming the Presenting Sponsor and Fair Play Sponsor of Alberta Soccer’s Youth Provincial Championships for the next three years. The 2013 Outdoor Championships were the first to be sponsored by Booster Juice and all of the participants received 2 for 1 Booster Juice Coupons.
Apply Now for the Above & Beyond Grant
Get your Tickets! Tickets are still available for the Canada Women’s National Team Game vs Korea Republic on October 30 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. Visit www.canadasoccer.com for more information.
Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks & Wildlife Foundation is offering an “Above and Beyond” Grant for coaches and officials to pursue educational or developmental opportunities. Specifically, the grant is intended for a coach or an official that is in a unique situation (apprenticing, geographically isolated, disadvantaged) and who is experiencing extraordinary circumstances. The maximum grant per applicant is $2000. To find more information and apply, please visit www.asrpwf.ca
Coach Certification Check If you are looking to verify a Coach’s certification status, be it your own or someone else’s, please follow the four steps in the order they appear: 1. 2.
3. 4.
Support Local Soccer FC Edmonton has five remaining games in their 2013 Season of which 2 are home games. Be sure to get your tickets now as the Eddies push for position in the final standings of the fall NASL season.
Refer to the Coach’s physical Certificate Access the Alberta Soccer Online Coaching Platform PTS Tech by clicking “Search and Register for a Course” on our website Visit the NCCP Coaching Database (only if the Coach in question is trained in the Community stream) Contact the Alberta Soccer Technical Department (Ian Skitch)
One Day One Goal Alberta Soccer, FC Edmonton and Free Footie joined together to run the first ever One Day One Goal 3v3 Street Soccer event at the City Market Downtown Edmonton. See Article for more details.
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What’s Going on in your District? Calgary United Soccer (CUSA) CUSA is proud to support the Mike Metcalfe 30 Hour Soccer Marathon for Cancer from November 1 to November 2, 2013 at the Calgary Soccer Centre. The event is a single, 30 hour game of soccer played by participants in one hour increments. Each player is asked to raise money for the Calgary Health Trust to help with the purchase of cancer related diagnostic and treatment equipment for the Foothills Hospital. For more information, please visit http://www.soccermarathon.org/home.aspx
Calgary Minor Soccer (CMSA) After the floods that greatly affected many parts of Southern Alberta, the CMSA Giddy Up Cup served as a rallying point for participating teams to donate in support of clean-up efforts. The Girls U14-2 Sherwood Park Phoenix challenged all teams participating in the Giddy Up Cup to “Meet or Beat” the $500 they raised for local flood relief. The participating teams more than
stepped up to the challenge and all in all, $27,000 was raised for the Red Cross. Teams were all entered for a random draw to win tickets to the upcoming Women’s National Team game in recognition of their efforts. Thank you to all teams who participated!
Fort McMurray Youth Soccer (FMYSA) Based on Robert Murray’s Article in Fort McMurray Today
The FMYSA paid a moving tribute during the last weekend in September to Will Kristman, a U10 Goalkeeper who suddenly passed away last February due to a suspected genetic heart condition. The event was organized by the FMYSA board members and saw a memorial soccer game played between players from Will’s age group and parents of the children. Will’s love and enthusiasm towards soccer inspired the organization of this game. “It just means the community won’t forget him, that’s all I want I just want his memory kept alive. He loved soccer, he
was the keeper and he was just so proud to hold that position and for these kids to come out and do this and for the soccer association to do what they’re doing means a lot to our family,” said Will Kristman’s mother Hilda. The FMYSA also presented the first ever Will Kristman Memorial “Shooting Star Award to Cael Parrell. The award will be presented annually to the player that most exemplifies the qualities brought forth by Will to minor soccer in Fort McMurray. This initiative from FMYSA and Will Kristman’s family reminds us that soccer is more than just a game.
Session Planner The Alberta Soccer Association continues to use Sport Session Planner as a resource for our Coaches to plan training sessions. Below, please find a session plan for individual defending developed by Alberta Coach Ian Skitch. For more information on Sport Session Planner or to subscribe to this service, please visit http://www.sportsessionplanner.com/
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4 Official – Murray Milavsky
Extra Time By David O’Neill
The end of August is a very busy time for referees. On consecutive weekends, two major provincial competitions are held, and the number of games combined with the level of play puts quite a strain on the referee pool. Youth Tier 1’s were held in Edmonton and Senior Provincials (Soccerfest) were held in Calgary. On both weekends, referees from around the province travelled to each location to ensure that all games were covered. However, it is not just about numbers. Just as teams compete to get to medal games, referees are also trying their hardest to be assigned to the final matches, as they are watched by referee assessors who assist in making the selections for the ‘big’ games. We would like to acknowledge the following officials, for their achievements at these two competitions. Youth Tier 1 – Gold Medal games
U14 Boys Referee – Mike Stacey AR – Martin Croisetiere AR – Goran Filipovic
U14 Girls Referee – Sebastian Richters AR – Sunny Marshall AR – Angela Strachan th 4 Official – Brad Tannahill U16 Boys Referee – Noel Kelly AR – Murray Milavsky AR – Carlos Geraldes th 4 Official – PJ Janson
Referee – Mark Pasternak AR – Collin Tittle AR – Mike Stacey th 4 Official – Layne Greenway Jubilee Shield (Major League Women) Referee – Gabriel Loas AR – Jonathan Atkinson AR – Haouzane Abdelkebir th 4 Official – Brad Tannahill Masters Major Referee – Giancarlo Pavone AR – Terry Day AR – Jun Salonga Classics Major Referee – Arsene Pankeu Yomi AR – Rob Eberhardt AR – Jun Qiu We would also like to acknowledge the Referee’s In Chief, who carry out extensive work behind the scenes to ensure that the referee aspect of the competition runs smoothly.
U16 Girls Referee – Al Jaworsky AR – Angela Strachan AR – Carleen Beynon th 4 Official – Mike Stacey U18 Boys and Girls played round robin format with no medal games Senior Provincials
Challenge Cup (Major League Men)
Thank you to our Partners!
Fulfilling the RIC roles at 2013 Provincials – Rod Rigden, Georges Davi-Digui, Tracey Everett, Calvin David, Phillip Ignacio, Ricardo Lodhar, David Hornbeck, Paul Anwender, Matthew Kennedy, Ian Tully, Brian Wilkens, Sharleen Bond, Nathan Grey, Brad Frunchak, Stu Murray, Bill Buchanan, Annette Cameron. Thank you for all your hard work!