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Contributing Photographers The Canadian Soccer Association, Canpix, Canadian Soccer League, Confederation of African Football, Kathleen George, Les Jones – Covershots Inc., Tony Lewis – FC Edmonton, Mississauga Eagles FC, Montreal Impact, Steven Sandor, Vancouver Whitecaps INSIDESOCCER Magazine is published six times per year by INSIDEOUT Publishing and Marketing Services. ISM provides authoritative editorial coverage of Canada’s premier soccer community. Information contained in ISM has been compiled from sources believed to be correct. ISM cannot be responsible for the accuracy of articles or other editorial matter. Articles in this magazine are intended to provide information rather than give legal or other professional advice. Articles being submitted for review should be e-mailed to branden@insidesoccer.ca Undeliverable copies, advertising space orders, copy, artwork, proofs, etc., should be sent to:
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IN THIS ISSUE... 10 CANADIAN SOCCER DEVELOPMENT: THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN BY STEVEN SANDOR 13 MILLER TIME! BY STEVEN SANDOR 14 SUCCESS AT ERIN MILLS COMES FROM A CAREFULLY DEFINED ROADMAP …NOT MAGIC PILLS BY MIKE TOTH
28 UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS AND CAMPS 36 FORGET THE STATUS-QUO …THE “WINNING” RECIPE FOR THE CSA: INTEGRATING YOUNGER PLAYERS AND ENCOURAGING TECHNICAL ABILITY BY STEVEN SANDOR 38 CAF PRESIDENCY: ANOTHER FOUR YEARS OF EMPEROR HAYATOU? BY TOKUNBO OJO
16 WE ARE NOT ALONE! BY BOB KOEP
40 THE 2012 CSL AWARDS BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN
18 CANADIAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT CARD BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN
42 IT’S TIME FOR INDOOR SOCCER - COUNT ME OUT! BY DAVE KENNY
21 IAN MCKECHNIE: “RESURRECTOR OF CAREERS” BY LES JONES
45 FOUR REASONS TO PLAY FUTSAL BY KRIS FERNANDES
22 ANAEROBIC A-LACTIC TRAINING: SPEED COMPETITIONS TO PREPARE TO TAKE ON THE WORLD BY RICHARD BUCCIARELLI 24 CANADA’S NATIONAL TEAMS MAKING STRIDES IN 2012 BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN
46 GROWING PAINS: HOW MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER DEVELOPS THE BEAUTIFUL GAME BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN 49 MAKING STRIDES: BREAKOUT CANADIANS OF 2012 BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN 50 INSIDESOCCER MARKETPLACE 54 LTPD: ONTARIO’S PATH TO THE FUTURE
6 February/March 2012
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Featuring: John Herdman, Head Coach, Canadian Women’s National Team
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In Canada, the development pyramid is inverted – and that makes it hard for young domestic talent to find work and grow as players.
Norbert Janas
CANADIAN SOCCER
DEVELOPMENT The opportunities are few and far between BY STEVEN SANDOR Photographs Courtesy of Tony Lewis, FC EDMONTON Ideally, Canada would have many division-two teams, which would act as feeders for the three MLS clubs. But, as it stands, there is only one Canadian division-two team at the moment, and that’s FC Edmonton. That will change in 2014, when Ottawa joins NASL, but it still presents a problem. Even put together, FC Edmonton and Ottawa don’t have enough spots to house the Canadian players that the MLS teams either cut or don’t sign after they graduate from their academies. Nowhere was the development problem more pronounced than at FC Edmonton’s free-agent combine, held in late November at the Commonwealth Stadium fitness centre. Right after being 10 December/January 2013
named the new coach of the Eddies, former Canadian national-team captain Colin Miller watched 30 prospects and members of the FCE reserve squad over three days’ worth of scrimmages. There were players who’d had a trial abroad, didn’t make it, and were forgotten. There were players from small centres well outside the TorontoVancouver-Montreal spheres of influence, playing in places where soccer scouts don’t go. There were players who used to play for Toronto FC and TFC Academy; there were outcasts from the Whitecaps Residency program. But they all had a common story to tell — spots on Canadian professional teams are few and far between, and chances like
Sahil Sandhu (green) and Tristan Jackham
this combine were rare indeed. Running the field was Surrey, B.C.’s Coulton Jackson; he scored five times and added three assists in just nine PDL games with the Whitecaps U-23s; impressive numbers, but it was time for him to move on. “They (the Whitecaps) offered me a contract, but it was not what I was looking for,” said Jackson. “It was not enough money to live on.” On the plastic pitch was Keith Makubuya, one of four TFC Academy prospects to audition for the Eddies. Makubuya was fresh off being cut from the Reds’ roster. “I have to move on where I can get more minutes; I need the playing time,” Makubuya said. And then there were the stories of the pros that could have been. Cody Kahteaysewat hails from Cando, a Saskatchewan hamlet close to North Battleford that doesn’t boast even 100 residents. Kahteaysewat is 26, now, but when he was a teenager, he was scouted and invited to trial for Uruguayan side, Juventud. “I was 19 and I went to Montevideo,” he recalled during a break in sessions. “It was my first opportunity; I learned a lot. They really taught me how to pass and move.” But, after he got back from Uruguay, he learned that Saskatchewan was not the place to be to catch the eyes of other scouts. He had the one golden opportunity, but there weren’t any others. So, instead of finding work as a soccer player somewhere in Canada, he became a men’s league player in Saskatoon with the best back-story of them all.
Michael Okai (green) and Keith Makubuya (yellow).
4 February/March 2012
In green, Miguel Romeo, and yellow, Massimo Mirabella “We don’t get seen,” he said. “We have our league, but none of us play abroad. And there are a lot of good players in Saskatoon. It’s tough to be a soccer player and get the chance to move up. There are more jobs out there now than when I was 19, but there are still very few opportunities.” And, of the 30 players, Kahteaysewat wasn’t the only Cando native there. Eighteen-year-old Tyson Pahsaknunk was also representing the town. Pahsaknunk spent 2011 with Native Sons, a Saskatchewan-based club that gathers together the best First Nations and Métis soccer prospects in the province. Pahsaknunk was converted from a striker to a defender when he got to Native Sons, just before the team went to Sweden to play European competition at the Gothia Cup. In the greater Canadian soccer community, a program like Native Sons
doesn’t get the publicity of one of the MLS academies or some of the larger youth programs in Vancouver or Toronto. But the Native Sons also represent Canada internationally and help develop the game in places the academies can’t reach. “It was pretty amazing to see another country and to get the chance to play over there,” said Pahsaknunk. “We lost — bad. But it was a pretty cool experience.” And, like Kahteaysewat, Pahsaknunk said “it’s pretty difficult” for players from Saskatchewan — especially First Nations players — to get noticed. While the Cando duo haven’t had a chance to enjoy the spotlight, Stratford (Ont.) native Alex Eby was the only one of the 30 trialists who could boast he already had a Nike ad under his belt. Seven years ago, when he was just 16, Eby decided to leave Canada behind and move to London, England. The reason? To try and get someone over there to
“It’s tough to be a soccer player and get the chance to move up. There are more jobs out there now than when I was 19, but there are still very few opportunities.” Cody Kahteaysewat notice him for his soccer skills. He played outdoor. He played indoor. He did tricks with the ball. And, in a seven-on-seven tournament in London, he was picked out by a scout for Nike Soccer. The scout was so impressed with Eby’s ball skills and trickery that he was recommended for an ad campaign about street soccer. But, this year, Eby was in Fort McMurray, the city best known for being the home of the oil sands, playing for Keyano College. He impressed enough to get a shot. FC Edmonton assistant coach Jeff Paulus is also the coach of NAIT, which won the Canadian college title in 2011. Because of Paulus’s influence, FCE does give college players their shots, as well. And, even though Eby is 23, now, like the other 29 guys on the pitch, he hadn’t given up his dream. “There are so many guys I have seen who have so much talent,” he said. “A lot of players get that one chance, they get cut, and then they give up. But you have InsideSOCCER 11
to look at each chance as an opportunity. All you need is that one time when that one right person looks at you. You have to impress that one person.” Of the 30 prospects at the combine, it’s likely that only a couple will get invites to FC Edmonton’s proper preseason camp come January. The reality is that there were 30 players scrambling for the chance to vie for a couple of spots. There
were no guarantees, and the chances of success were slim. Still, it was the hottest ticket for Canadian amateur players this fall. And that speaks volumes about the lack of opportunities for our soccer players to find decent paying work in this country.
Joe Petrone, director of soccer operations.
Alex Eby (blue) and Daniel Fabrizi
No. 8 is Michael Marousek and No. 5 is Miguel Romeo.
They all had a common story to tell – spots on Canadian professional teams are few and far between, and chances like this combine were rare indeed. Sadi Jalali (red), Max Maund and right is Ajeej Sarkaria Sallim Dahman (red) and Coulton Jackson
Massimo Mirabelli
Simon Serunkuma (red) and Coulton Jackson.
12 December/January 2013
FC EDMONTON
New FC Edmonton Head Coach Colin Miller
MILLER TIME! BY STEVEN SANDOR
Photographs Courtesy of Steven Sandor
Colin Miller wants every player associated with FC Edmonton, from the teens playing in the Reserve team to the NASL veterans, that there will always be competition for places. “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough to play,” said Miller, who was confirmed as FC Edmonton’s new coach at the end of November. Miller replaces Harry Sinkgraven, who was let go as the team chopped its budget and reeled after a last-place league finish in 2012. Miller is a rare sight. He’s a Canadian coach in charge of a major Canadian pro franchise. And, because his players know that he’s also toiled in the original incarnation of the NASL, that’s he was a
regular for the Canadian national side throughout the 1990s, that they will be able to relate to him. And a key to Miller’s philosophy is letting the young Canadian prospects on his team know that “there is a light at the end of the tunnel for them.” If they work hard, if they have the right attitude, he won’t hesitate to promote them to the first team. Miller isn’t a believer in the philosophy that it’s OK to have Canadians in the academy, come up and then never
see playing time at the top level. Miller, who was let go as an assistant with the Whitecaps after Martin Rennie took over as that team’s coach, said he relishes the thought of nurturing Canadian talent. “I want to give national coaches, national junior coaches, as many headaches as possible,” he said. “I want an environment where players will be challenged and an environment were players will be enthusiastic about coming to training every day.” As a former Whitecaps coach, Miller is already familiar with several of the Eddies’ Canadian regulars, as they used to play in the residency program in Vancouver. NASL Best XI centre back Paul Hamilton, right back Antonio Rago and forward Kyle Porter are all known to Miller. Miller isn’t a stranger to Edmonton — because the national team called Commonwealth Stadium home throughout the ‘90s, he was in the city regularly, coming back to Canada from Scotland, where he played his club football. He recalled the classic 1994 1-1 draw with Brazil; he and Dunga, the Brazilian captain, had agreed to swap shirts. But after Canada had fought for the draw, a result that shocked the Brazilians, Dunga waved Miller off at the end of the match. And Miller recalls yelling at the Brazilian “This is your only chance for a Colin Miller shirt!” As a former national-team player, ex-interim national-team coach and passionate supporter of the program, Miller said he was saddened by the 8-1 loss in Honduras that sealed Canada’s World Cup fate. “You look at the teams, and you have to say there is no way that Honduras is seven goals better than us,” said Miller. “And I felt so bad for (outgoing nationalteam coach) Stephen Hart. He is one of the real quality people in the game. His players just let him down. That’s all I am going to say.”
InsideSOCCER 13
at ERIN MILLS SUCCESS comes from a carefully defined ROADMAP BY MIKE TOTH
…not magic pills Photographs Courtesy of Mississauga Eagles FC
Quality and quantity. At the Erin Mills Eagles FC these go hand in hand. With a bulging membership of some 5,000 players at various age and development levels, the Mississauga community club ranks among the largest soccer entities in Ontario – and also among the most successful. Erin Mills Soccer Club was first established as a not-for-profit, volunteerdriven organization primarily aiming to promote healthy lifestyles and develop a love for the beautiful global game among youth of all ages and abilities – and at all skill levels – in a safe and healthy environment. That was in 1972, four decades down memory lane before political interests decided that bigger is better and merged historic communities into what has since become Canada’s sixth largest city. That basic goal has not changed an iota over the years. What has happened along the way is that Erin Mills has become not only a leader among Mississauga’s sports organizations, but also one of the top-ranking community and competitive soccer clubs in Ontario, with nearly 5,000 players and some 1,000 volunteers. All this didn’t just happen by accident. At Erin Mills, the high-flying Eagles follow a carefully defined road map, says head coach Josef Komlodi who, since first joining the organization in April 2002, has played a major role in the Q-and-Q game plan (quality and quantity), having taken charge of setting a vision for all aspects of the game. That includes long term player development, elite player development, 14 December/January 2013
coach education and other technicalrelated initiatives. Prior to joining Erin Mills, Komlodi was coach with teams and clubs across the Greater Toronto Area over the years. Among others, he developed the Professional Soccer Academy and was among the pioneers helping to kick start the Canadian Professional Soccer League L in Ontario. “I came to Erin Mills with a goal to install a soccer culture and system,” says Komlodi, who is considered somewhat of
a soccer visionary. “A visionary? That’s precisely what you have to be. You must create a right structure and a right business structure to be successful,” he says. In Komlodi’s book, the four basic pillars of success consist of vision, dedication, belief and discipline. “At Erin Mills we have 22 rep teams, all hungry for playing the game well, and also hungry for success,” he says. Under his guidance and unified coaching approach, Erin Mills has delivered big time, attracting attention far and wide at home and also abroad. On the home front, the club has produced – and continues to develop – players chosen for various Canadian age level national team rosters. Andrew Ornoch has already played for Canada’s Senior National Team and so did Dave Simpson. Polish-born Ornoch became the first Erin Mills Eagles alumnus to be capped for Canada at age 21 in 2006. So far he had seen action three times on the international playing field, all as a substitute. Fellow Erin Mills mate Simpson has two National Team caps to his credit. These days Ornoch is playing professionally in the Dutch Honour League while Simpson is with Stuttgart in Germany’s top Bundesliga. It looks as though more Erin Mills Eagles graduates are attracting attention. “I have just received news that Mike Krzemirszki and Patrick Majhcer were invited to the Head Coach Josef Komlodi has played a major role in the Q-and-Q game plan at Erin Mills (quality and quantity), having taken charge of setting a vision for all aspects of the game.
Canadian Under-20 team training camp in Florida,” says Komlodi. “These boys are both playing with the Polish club Slock Wroslaw. They have grown up with us, kept staying in course with us and are now getting the recognitions.” Goalkeeper Bob Stillo, who has already played for Canada’s Under-23 national squad, was invited to the U-23 camp as well, but club obligations will likely keep him away. Stillo is backup ’keeper with the Italian Seria A club Genoa. Other Eagles who have appeared for Canada at various age levels include Igor Pisanjuk (U-23); Stefan Vucovic, Michael Krzeminski-Olnad and Patrick Majcher (all three U-20); and Mark Wadid (U-17). As many as 13 Erin Mills alumni are plying their trade this season with various clubs across Europe. In addition to Ornoch and Simpson and Stillo, Jake Weisbrod is with IFK Gotheborg in Sweden; Igor Pisanjuk is playing for Eger FC while Gil Hong and Christian Kusiewich are with Györi ETO in Hungary’s top division; Patric Majhcer and Michael KrzmenszkiOlnad are with Poland’s First Division Club Slock Wroslaw; Mykola Chacula is with Croatia’s Dynamo Zagreb; Marcel DeBallis has transferred from Portugal’s Benfica to Cyprus ; while Patrick Wilson is in England and Tristan Scott in Hungary, both with Third Division clubs. Dave Simpson
Several other Erin Mills Eagles grads have also received invitations from European clubs – Jako Crawford and Ive Berman are being courted by Dynamo Zagreb and the famous Hungarian Ferenc Puskas Academy training programs; Joevannie Peart by Pápa Lompard FC (Hungary) while Dante Brown is fancied by both Lompard FC and Italy’s Bologna. On the women’s front, Canadian national team selectors also have reached for Erin Mills players. Ashley Lawrence has 4 February/March 2012
ERIN MILLS been selected as Canadian U-17 Player of the Year. Rebecca Quin is also on the U-17 roster, while abroad Courtney Douglas has played for Jamaica, Stafanie Barcelos for Portugal, and Laura Machado for Uruguay, all U-20 selections. Erin Mills Eagles’ secret of success is hardly rocket science at all, Komlodi says. From club president Susan Rossitor down, administrators, coaches and players all subscribe to a common game plan with goals and objectives clearly spelled out in the club’s Statement of Commitment: • Providing a lifelong quality soccer and team-building experience for youth of all ages and diverse backgrounds; • Commitment to the future of recreational and high-performance youth soccer. The club offers both basic local House League and more competitive advanced Rep levels. Operating under the Ontario Soccer Association and the Peel-Halton Soccer Association structure, competitive Erin Mills Eagles teams are playing in the Hershey Sportszone Indoor Youth League, Ontario Soccer League, Senior Women Ontario Women’s Soccer League, Ontario Youth Soccer League, Peel-Halton Select Soccer League, South Region Soccer League and all the way up to the semiprofessional Canadian Soccer League.
Andrew Ornoch has already played for Canada’s Senior National Team and so did Dave Simpson.
Rep teams typically play and practice year round. They compete on indoor fields through the winter and move outside from April to October. Rep players are scouted from recreational House League and, in some cases, from other clubs in Mississauga and even further afield, where players seem eager to join Erin Mills. The club has its own office (fully staffed) and indoor facility for the days when the weather isn’t so good outdoors. For the first time in its history Erin Mills ventured into new territory this past season and fielded a team in the semiprofessional Canadian Soccer League as the The Mississauga Eagles. They missed the final playoff spot by a single point – not too shabby for a rookie entry. They look at this as a natural step along the road to create not merely a “right structure, but a right business structure.” Andrew Ornach
To be successful, minor soccer clubs “have to change their player development structure (and) must consider systematic year round training, while providing a right support,” Komlodi says. “We have to take a look at the game seriously for the sake of our kids, they deserve it. Our environment needs to be questioned and our mentality needs questioning. It is a professional mentality we are missing in this country.” It is improving though, he adds “as more and more soccer people are buying into the concept.” “We don’t need to be an England or Brazil, we have to be Canadian,” he says. “Our environment and our mentality need questioning. We must look at our weaknesses, learn from them and improve. “There are no magic pills.”
InsideSOCCER 15
WE ARE NOT ALONE!
BY BOB KOEP
Photographs Courtesy of The Canadian Soccer Association
Surprise! Canada’s men’s soccer team once again missed out in its qualifying run to yet another World Cup. We all were kind of hoping for a little miracle, but deep down we knew it wouldn’t happen.
What we didn’t expect was that they literally bombed out before even reaching the last qualifying round. That was a real downer. And that leaves the age old question: Will we ever get there without stumbling in the preliminaries over small countries such as Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and the likes. Soccer pundits always point to the fact that we did make it to the World Cup once before (in 1986) and, after yet another failed campaign, blame it on poor organizations, poor management, lack of training, lack of direction, lack of money, lack of this and lack of that. But is it? Truth be told, the real reason is the lack of top notch competition and the absence of any meaningful leagues in this country. In that department we are on the same level as several big countries in this world (see below). Let’s start with the past. The only time Canada qualified for the World Cup, back in 1986, was helped by the fact that toprated Mexico was the host country that year and had an automatic buy into the World Cup. That gave the also runs a chance to move up a rung on the ladder. Thus Canada smelled an opportunity and grabbed it. Still the country’s performance in Mexico that year was not much to write home about as the team finished its opening group section there without scoring a goal or a point. But we were there, and that alone is the guideline for any Canadian team trying to duplicate this feat. Well, Haiti also qualified once (in 1974) and has never been heard of since. And things are not likely to get better any time soon. Why? There are many reasons, and top on the list is the abovementioned fact that we don’t have any kind of serious national competition in this country. Not in senior ranks, not in junior ranks. We only have a limited number of players on the roster of Major League Soccer (MLS) teams, and some of them Atiba Hutchinson, Dwayne De Rosario, Ante Jazic, André Hainault, Simeon Jackson, David Edgar, Julian de Guzman, Will Johnson, Olivier Occean, Lars Hirschfeld, Kevin McKenna (hidden) prior to Canada’s September 7th World Cup Qualifying match at BMO Field.
16 December/January 2013
are frequently sitting on the bench. We also have a handful of players in Europe who often share the same fate. Some play in a second division environment. On top of it, those few players in Europe are often fringe players battling for a starting job on their clubs and really are not interested in playing for a country that won’t go anywhere in the first place. It just distracts them from their goal to make it in their own club. But look at a few other places where soccer is king, like Europe and South America. There you have constant action where it counts: in junior ranks. There are the age group continental championships, and then the age group world championships. These top rated youngsters are practically in high-level competition all the time. One year qualifying games, the next the final tournament. Youth finals are held every two years. This kind of prospect doesn’t really exist for Canadian kids even though, from time to time, we have managed to clinch a berth in junior tournaments, mainly because of regional allocation. And then there is this dreaded winter. Because of the drawn out cold season, our game here operates barely six months per year, and how do you hone your skills sitting the other six months behind the fireplace. So we have two strikes against us all the time on top of all the other problems. But we are not alone. Look at countries with much bigger populations, living in a much warmer climate and still not getting anywhere: China at 1.3 billion people, India at 1.2 billion, Indonesia at
And don’t you think they don’t play soccer there. China for one has a league that now attracts international stars. The money seems to be there and perhaps, one day, they will score a few points in their quest for the World Cup. And what can we do about it at home? Not much at this time. It takes enormous funds to run a league: travelling costs, salaries, training grounds, academies, etc. To get these funds, one must have millions of paying spectators, and most of all, strong sponsorship for Television and
who invented soccer, didn’t spread the sport in their overseas possessions. Unfortunately (for soccer fans), Canada is ruled by hockey, with not much else in sight. Wherever you go people eat, sleep and talk hockey and will pay huge amounts of money to watch a game. For soccer to reach that level, we need to pick up some of the hockey mentality. And once you sell a million “De Rosario” shirts you might see the beginning of a soccer culture. In short, an entire industry must
other media. We need at least a dozen big league stadiums, a day dream in itself, and the live attendance to pay for it. In short, a country must have a soccer culture, and so far we are far from it. If you don’t have that, you can forget about the World Cup. That’s what happens in many of the above-mentioned countries. China is more oriented towards individual sports. Most team sports have never scored big in that country. India is a nation AND ONCE YOU SELL A MILLION “DE ROSARIO” engulfed in cricket and SHIRTS YOU MIGHT SEE THE BEGINNING OF A field hockey. They are the current world cricket SOCCER CULTURE. champions and have the world’s second largest 242 million, Pakistan at 187 million, the stadium (with a capacity of 140,000)… Philippines at 102 million … and so on. but it’s a cricket stadium in Kolkata All these countries share our fate. They (formerly known as Calcutta). Much have substantial programs with millions the same goes for Pakistan, and even of kids playing the game but never a smaller country such as Sri Lanka is a reach the pinnacle because of the similar world power in cricket. You will never see problems we have: no really serious them in a soccer World Cup either. competition. Instead of a cold winter, In many countries of the former some of them have brutally hot summers. British Empire, rugby and cricket rule the And then the soccer culture isn’t there, sporting scene, and soccer is just a poor the same as in Canada. cousin. One wonders why the British,
revolve around the game of soccer for our kids to get the desire to reach the top. Until that happens, I am afraid we’ll be shut out of the World Cup for a long time to come. But to get there is the trick. We have too few cities to support big league soccer. The country is six time zones wide, making travel a major obstacle. We had a Canada-wide major league (CSL) once some 25 years ago. It produced a slate of superb players but eventually drowned in a sea of red ink. We are behind the proverbial eight ball all the time and seem to be stuck there. But don’t despair. Soccer is a beautiful game. More kids play soccer in Canada than hockey. They all have a lot of fun doing it. And isn’t that the main reason why we play the game? Forget about the World Cup for a while. You can watch Brazil or Spain if you wish. But a lot of people, old and young, are spending summer days on the pitch kicking the ball. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
InsideSOCCER 17
The 2012 season has come to a close, and with three professional Canadian outfits duking it out in Major League Soccer this season, Canadian football is hitting new highs. As the game continues to grow across the nation, there are many questions to be asked.
Shooters for a spot in the finals, and took their chance perfectly, winning 3-1. They made it to the CSL playoff finals, where they fell 1-0 to Toronto Croatia. The Montreal Impact Academy will be pleased with their first-year success, and will keep an eye on a few junior players, particularly midfielder Wandrille Lefevre.
CANADIAN DEVELOPMENT
Vancouver Whitecaps: BThe Whitecaps Youth didn’t fall behind the pack, choosing to forge their own path for success instead of going through the CSL. Vancouver travelled to places like Scotland, and the Whitecaps’ U17 starlets featured heavily in the Canadian U17 team that played the 2012 AGS Cup in Spain this year, with six Whitecaps residency players making the team list. Caleb Clarke’s graduation to the senior squad helps Vancouver’s case, too – more graduates would push the Whitecaps’ score higher, but signs are looking good,
REPORT CARD BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN
Photographs by Les Jones – Covershots Inc. When Canada looks back at 2012, what will they see? Will they see a year that helped the beautiful game of football grow in the country? Will they see three professional Major League Soccer clubs committed to the development of the Canadian program? These are some of the questions InsideSOCCER Magazine asks, in our year-end Development Report Card. Which team wins praises for their work cooperating with the national team program? Which team (or teams) come up short? In judging Toronto FC, the Montreal Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps, we’ll analyse how well each club did in developing the game, in the 2012 season.
ACADEMY PROGRESS It’s no secret that some of the best teams in the world are built from the groundup; Ajax Amsterdam FC, Manchester United and FC Barcelona have a long history of producing home grown talent. This tradition is in its infancy in MLS, and has produced mixed results in Canadian development. TORONTO FC: AWhen it comes to TFC’s Academy, the Reds may be second to none in MLS. This season, the TFC Academy earned a spot in the CSL playoffs quarterfinals. 18 December/January 2013
Goalkeeper Quillan Roberts graduated and signed a professional contract. TFC also introduced new youngsters Sergio Camargo (midfielder) and Tyler Pasher (left fullback) against Liverpool FC. What sets TFC’s Academy back from achieving a perfect score is the mid-season shift in mentality; the 4-3-3 system was abandoned by Paul Mariner, leaving the academy and senior-sides out of sync. Montreal Impact: AMontreal kicked-off their Academy program in Major League Soccer with a bang, beating Toronto FC’s Academy 2-0 and moving on to the semi-finals of the CSL playoffs. Montreal met York Region
CANADIAN CONTENT for now. Developing players in an Academy setting may be one thing, but integrating those players into the senior team – and the starting line-up – is a whole other story. Though it takes time to develop startingquality players, it is equally important to find a way to introduce Canadian veterans into the team. Toronto FC: B Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan, and Terry Dunfield played most of the season for Toronto FC, while Quillan Roberts, Matt Stinson, Oscar Cordon, Keith Makubuya and Nicolas Lindsay were invisible. With
Montreal Impact Academy (white) kicked off their season with a bang. They made it to the CSL playoff finals but lost 1 – 0 to Toronto Croatia. #24 - Marin VulemilovicGrgic Goal - Jason Beaulieu, #44 - Amine Meftouh, and #34 - Carl Ouimette.
to the Vancouver Whitecaps, who made Canadian – and MLS – history this season, becoming the first Canadian outfit to make the MLS postseason. Their playoff appearance was short-lived, but Vancouver also raised their international profile with the signings of Kenny Miller and Barry Robson from Scotland, highlighting Vancouver’s Designated Player signings for the season. The emergence of Darron Mattocks as a potential rookie of the year keeps the Whitecaps in the eyes of the league, but Eric Hassli’s departure will be seen as a negative for supporters.
many reserve games, the TFC Academy graduates got plenty of minutes alongside first-team regulars. Julian de Guzman’s TFC career came to a controversial close, which brings the clubs’ score down. Still, Toronto FC featured more Canadians than any other team in the league, giving them a solid score and justifying their title as Canadian Champions for the fourth consecutive year. Montreal Impact: C+ This one is kind of tricky: Montreal has two Canadians on the roster – Karl Ouimette (a home grown player from the Academy, who played two matches total) and Patrice Bernier. However, Bernier was instrumental in the Impact’s success in their very first year in Major League Soccer. Faulting Montreal for not featuring many of the Impact Academy players in their first team is unfair, as the club is barely a year old, so that’s not really the issue here. Bernier was a hero for Impact fans and earned several individual accolades.
Toronto FC: C+ The problem with the culture at Toronto FC is that the organization itself looks and acts professional, but the players say otherwise. Julian de Guzman’s departure led to the midfielder criticizing the club philosophy, praising FC Dallas for focusing on football first. Even with the coaching changes, Toronto FC still raised Canada’s image internationally in the Champions League, beating Los Angeles in the quarterfinals and taking on Santos Laguna in the semi-finals. Toronto FC’s success changed Canada’s qualification path, too – Canada now has an automatic spot in the group stages.
Vancouver Whitecaps: CThe Whitecaps only feature three Canadians in the senior roster: Russell Teibert, Bryce Alderson and Caleb Clarke, but that in and of itself isn’t enough to praise Martin Rennie’s Canadian content – Caleb Clarke and Bryce Alderson played very few games in the 2012 regular season, and Teibert only found four games of action, a total of 117 minutes, a sharp decline from his last season, where Teibert logged 503 minutes. Yes, Vancouver did well this season, but the price for success came at the expense of Canadian exposure and visibility.
TEAM CULTURE & PROFILE Team culture can be defined as the mentality, character and behaviour of a club, while the profile of the team can improve or decline throughout the season based on performance and achievements. Each club’s culture and profile visibly changed in 2012, some for the better and others for the worse. Montreal Impact: A Jesse Marsch’s first (and only) season in charge of Montreal was a massive
FACILITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS
success for an expansion side – the club became an attractive destination abroad, especially in Italy. When players like Marco Di Vaio, Alessandro Nesta, Matteo Ferrari, Nelson Rivas and Bernardo Corradi all move to Montreal, other players’ interests are peaked, and the team makes headlines in Europe as a possible destination for other high-quality players. Locally, Montreal won praise for a strong first season, almost making it to the MLS playoffs in their first season in the league. Vancouver Whitecaps: B+ Speaking about playoffs, congratulations
Development isn’t just about what happens on the field during match days; training, practicing, learning off the field, can be just as important and vital in the development of the Canadian game. Facilities and accommodation for the players help in creating an environment of growth, sparking the potential for success. Toronto FC: A+ In our last issue of InsideSOCCER Magazine, we outlined the Kia Training Ground and Academy at Downsview Park. With residency, a fully staffed kitchen, rehabilitation centres, gyms, theatres, and much, much more, Downsview Park is a jewel in Canada’s soccer scene. At a price of $21 million, Toronto FC may have bought an “A+” rating here. Finding a fault with a word-class facility like Downsview Park is rather difficult; perhaps if the grass doesn’t hold up over the winter, InsideSOCCER 19
the ratings will suffer next year … but not this year! Vancouver Whitecaps: B+ As we found out last season, BC Place can be quite an intimidating stadium, and this year was no different. Vancouver will also earn praise for their residency program, which accommodates several players at a time. The National Soccer Development Centre is a multi-field park that hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps, which, when completed, will compete with Downsview Park in Toronto as one of MLS’ finest facilities – at a cost of $32 million, the University of BC grounds will host another world class footballing facility in Canada.
Caleb Clarke Courtesy of the Vancouver Whitecaps
Montreal Impact: CBetween Olympic Stadium and Stade Saputo, Montreal has two high quality stadiums to choose from, which comes in handy, when one stadium basically falls apart – Olympic Stadium experienced a strange accident before the season started, a massive slab of concrete falling down from the ceiling, causing concerns over its availability for the start of the season. With Stade Saputo still under construction at the time, Montreal dealt with fixing Olympic Stadium swiftly and ended up packing their stadiums with record-setting crowds; nevertheless, stadium quality was an issue Montreal this season.
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END OF YEAR RESULTS Success is as tangible in numbers as it is visible in culture and character, and the three Canadian clubs had three very distinct seasons that will define their 2012, and act as a platform for next year. Results matter, and for the Canadian trio, the 2012 season was quite polarizing. Vancouver Whitecaps: A The most successful of the three this season, the Vancouver Whitecaps not only played a full 34 game season, but they also earned 90 minutes of playoff action this year as well. They finished the season with 43 points, 11th overall in the league, occupying the fifth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Caps recorded 11 wins, 13 losses and 10 draws in the regular season. Strangely, Vancouver only scored 35 goals, one less than Toronto FC and seven less than Montreal – still, the Whitecaps are on top! Montreal Impact: B+ Sure, Montreal may not be Canadian Champions themselves, but they will be pleased with their end of season result. The club picked up a well-deserved 42 points out of 34 games, with 12 wins, 16 losses and only six draws. The Impact finished seventh in the Eastern Conference, 12th overall. For an expansion team, the Montreal Impact have nothing to be ashamed of – in fact, the Impact only finished one point behind the Whitecaps and missed the playoffs because of a much stronger Eastern Conference this season than years past. Toronto FC: C It was a season of highs and lows for Toronto FC, though looking back, there were a lot more lows than highs. Toronto FC won their fourth consecutive Canadian Championship and navigated to the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals. They finished the season with five wins, 21 losses and eight draws. The club finished last in the Eastern Conference with 23 points in total, missed out on playoffs once again, and went through yet another coaching shift. They finished with a -26 goal differential and hired their seventh head coach in six years.
After getting his start with the TFC Academy, Canadian Doneil Henry played most of the 2012 season with Toronto FC.
Physiotherapist is totally inadequate, athletic performance coordinator barely scratches the surface, even Director of Sport Science for the Toronto Raptors basketball team, his current position, does not do him justice. A resurrector of careers as basketball star Shaquille O’Neal claims, is perhaps closer to the truth.
IAN MCKECHNIE ‘RESURRECTOR OF CAREERS’ By Les Jones – Covershots Inc. Ian McKechnie has revolutionized treatment in professional sports and now has a world-wide following. Along with surgeon, Dr. Brian Day, he has made Vancouver almost the centre for injured or recuperating high performance athletes. And they hope, with others, to literally build on this – a $61 million, 146,000 square foot multi-sport centre of excellence in Burnaby. Following a $23 million donation from mining magnate Scott Cousins, the long delayed Fortius Athlete Development Centre is planned to open in spring 2013. It will serve all sports, all athletes from amateur to elite and offer every service from chiropractic and massage to orthopedic services, teaching and coaching etc. Dr. Rick Celebrini, co-founder and partner and also head of sports medicine and science at the Vancouver Whitecaps, will head it up. McKechnie works with a host of well known NHL, NBA, NFL and MLS stars. However, a high-profile patient brought his name to world-wide attention: Calgary native, Owen Hargreaves, England’s 2006 Player-of-the-Year, who in the last three years of his contract at Manchester United managed just four appearances because of persistent knee problems. McKechnie moved away from conventional treatments and developed the Core X System, which stems from his belief that muscle issues may stem from other parts of the body and cannot be treated in isolation. The key is a strong, stable core – the area between the lower chest and upper thighs - the relevant parts of the body, the pelvis, groin, knees etc. need to be in synch. Hargreaves, who suffered persistent tendonitis after double knee surgery, spent seven weeks early in 2011 with McKechnie.
Because the pelvis is the key, all the important leg muscles emanating from there, they worked on core strengthening exercises and, believe it or not, correcting his posture. He worked mainly on body movement; he didn’t touch a football. Shortly after his return to England, Hargreaves, now in excellent condition, signed for free-spenders Manchester City and scored on his debut. (And don’t believe what you read about Hargreaves deliberately going on YouTube to prove his fitness. It was intended to be a private email to the club … but it went viral.) McKechnie also believes in general, that training, whatever the sport, needs to better reflect the demands of the actual game: changing direction, instant reaction, quickness, stopping and starting etc, are all influenced by balance. Maximizing the ability of the body to adjust to these situations is crucial. Unpredictable training protocols, rather than standardized settime cone sprints, are therefore important. Many professional sportsmen these days are monitored by GPS systems that analyze and track their every movement - how far they move, at what speed, in what direction, for how long, etc. - so that training regimes can be adjusted to suit game requirements and to ensure that the player trains appropriately and rigorously. McKechnie’s advice to all players, surprisingly, is to take time off. Overtraining is today’s major problem. Of course developing skills is important, but nutrition, hydration, adequate sleep and working on balance are also pre-requisites. His innovative techniques have saved careers. He has certainly put Vancouver on the map, and also Burnaby (where he
has been inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame), and prolonged the careers of soccer players and other sports stars. It doesn’t really matter what he is called – those who know, those in need, call him!
InsideSOCCER 21
FIT FACTS
ANAEROBIC A-LACTIC TRAINING: SPEED COMPETITIONS TO PREPARE TO TAKE ON THE WORLD
BY RICHARD BUCCIARELLI Upon receiving our pre-tournament training camp and official match schedule for the 2012 FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup, one particular thing stood out to me right away – the number of days off in between matches. We had three days off in between our group matches, and (assuming we qualified) we would have a further four days off in between the last group match and quarterfinals, as well as another four days off between the quarters and semis. This extra time off between games at international competitions presents an interesting challenge for fitness coaches. Specifically, it boils down to determining which energy system (aerobic, anaerobic/lactic, or anaerobic/a-lactic) should be trained and what exercises should be used to provide the training stimulus. This article will examine the different options for training the body’s three energy systems, and the rationale – or lack thereof – for training them during days off between matches.
1. Aerobic Energy System: By the time a team has reached the finals stage of a major international tournament, the aerobic energy system (responsible for endurance and recovery between high intensity running/sprints) is about as developed as it is ever going to be; in order to see improvements in aerobic fitness, athletes would need 2-4 workouts per week for 4-6 weeks, so there is not enough time during an international tournament (lasting a maximum of four weeks) to see improvements in aerobic fitness through training. Furthermore, training the aerobic energy system in soccer typically requires a high volume of work, which can lead to overuse injuries and symptoms of over-training for players who are playing two or more games per week, as is the case during international tournaments. For these reasons, training the aerobic energy system on days off between matches is not practical or advisable.
2. Anaerobic / Lactic Energy System: The anaerobic/lactic energy system helps soccer players to sustain long periods (45 or more seconds) of high intensity running/sprinting. This system is primarily responsible for the production, tolerance, and clearing/removal rate of lactic acid, which is a painful by-product of sustained high intensity running. During anaerobic/lactic training sessions, large amounts of lactic acid are produced, which can then take up to 36 hours to be fully removed from the body / exercising lower body muscles. Even within a long (6-8 month) competitive season, anaerobic/lactic training would only be done one day per week, due to the high training load and long recovery period required between workouts. Thus, training the anaerobic/lactic energy system in the days between matches is also not productive for soccer players.
3. Anaerobic / A-Lactic Energy System: The anaerobic / a-lactic energy system, responsible for providing energy during short duration, high intensity activity (sprinting, jumping and kicking in soccer) is the one system that is most responsive to training in days off between competitions. Anaerobic / a-lactic training involves performing high/maximal intensity activities such as short sprints (which have a high force output and high speed of movement), while allowing for a lot of recovery between repetitions, which ensures maintenance of the high force output and speed of movement during the entire training session. Much of this type of training is aimed at 22 December/January 2013
stimulating the central nervous system (the body’s connection between the brain and exercising muscles), so while the intensity is high, there is a lot of rest between repetitions, making the overall training load – and thus the chances of overuse injuries – much lower than with anaerobic/ lactic training. Furthermore, repetitive high intensity movements stimulating the central nervous system have been proven to help keep the muscles (and connection between the brain and the muscles) fresh, enabling a higher rate of force production during competitions in a variety of sports, including soccer. These factors combine to make training the anaerobic / a-lactic energy system the ideal choice during international soccer tournaments. The one variable which must be kept constant during anaerobic/a-lactic training, however, is a high speed of movement/rate of force production. If athletes performing short sprints are not running at 95-100 percent of their maximal running speed, the training adaptation will not be great enough to see any positive effects. Technology such as accelerometers or global positioning satellites (GPS) can measure athletes’ exact running speeds; however, fitness coaches still must ensure that the athletes are motivated to run as fast as they possibly can in every repetition of every exercise during anaerobic/alactic training. One simple and effective way to accomplish that goal is to set up training exercises where two athletes compete with each other, in some form of a “race,” with “rewards” for the winner and “punishments” for the loser. Turning speed exercises into a competition has been, in my experience, the best and most effective way to motivate players to run at their highest possible speeds. Often times, the simple fear of having to do 10 push-ups as a result of losing a race is enough to push
players past their thresholds! Following are 2 examples of anaerobic/ a-lactic speed competition exercises I used with the Canadian National Women’s U17 team in the days off between matches at the 2012 FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan. These exercises are a simple and effective way of preparing the central nervous system for optimal performance during international competitions.
Richard Bucciarelli is the President of Soccer Fitness Inc., and Fitness Coach for the Canadian National Women’s U17 team, which reached the quarter finals of the 2012 FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan in October 2012. For more information about Richard and Soccer Fitness, please visit www.soccerfitness.ca.
SPEED COMPETITION 1 SPEED COMPETITION 1: LINEAR 20 METRE SPRINT • Players split into groups of 12 • Six players on one side of the start cone, and six on the other side • Six players use pinneys tucked into their shorts, sticking out, as “tails” • “Tail” players start the exercise standing up; players on the other side “Chasers” start the exercise lying face down • Coach stands behind the 20 metre gate, with two different color cones held behind the back (use green and red cones if possible) • Coach starts the exercise by lifting a green cone • When the green cone is lifted, both players begin sprinting towards the 20 metre gate (players only move when the green cone is lifted; not the red cone) • If the “Tail” player gets through the gate first, the “Chaser” must do 10 push-ups’ if the
• •
“Chaser” is able to pull out the piney (tail) of the “Tail” player before they get through the 20 metre gait, the “Tail” must do 10 push-ups Each athlete performs five sprints as a “Tail” and five as a “Chaser” Total of 10 repetitions of 20 metre sprints, with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:5
SPEED COMPETITION 2
SPEED COMPETITION 2: LINEAR 25 METRE AGILITY SPRINT • Set-up is the same as in exercise #1 • Gate is moved to 15 metres away, and a cone is placed five metres from the start cone • Coach starts the exercise by lifting a green cone • When the green cone is lifted, both players begin sprinting towards the five-metre cone, then back to the start cone, then forward again towards the 15 metre cone • “Chasers” can only attempt to pull the pinneys from the “Tails” once both players have run to the five-metre cone and back to the start cone • If the “Tail” player gets through the gate first, the “Chaser” must do 10 push-ups’ if the “Chaser” is able to pull out the piney (tail) of the “Tail” player before they get through the 20 metre gait, the “Tail” must do 10 push-ups • Each athlete performs five sprints as a “Tail” and five as a “Chaser” • Total of 10 repetitions of 20 metre sprints, with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:5 InsideSOCCER 23
Canada’s National Teams
Making Strides in 2012 broke the national team record what was next for Dwayne De Rosario, his answer was simple – “hopefully the World Cup.” It was a sentiment that everyone on the roster echoed. De Rosario picked up an unfortunate injury and couldn’t see action in the final game of Canada’s qualifying path, but his contributions to the national side cannot be underrated; De Rosario is class, year
BY Armen Bedakian
Photographs Courtesy of the Canadian Soccer Association
With plenty of national team action on display this year, Canadians football fans have had lots of opportunities to enjoy the international game at home in 2012. Between the Canadian Men’s and Women’s national teams, the Olympic Games and World Cup qualifying matches created a real buzz for Les Rouges over the last year. InsideSOCCER reviews the important games, the memorable moments, those rued chances and breakout stars for Canada’s national outfits this year, as we remember 2012’s numerous highs and heart breaking lows, and everything in between!
Most Valuable Players Who could be more valuable for the Canadian men’s national team than Dwayne De Rosario, who scored his 100th Major League Soccer goal this season and also became Canada’s top goalscorer in history. When asked on the day he
Canada’s Women’s National team came away with the Bronze Medal during the 2012 London Olympics.
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Dwayne De Rosario became Canada’s top goal scorer in history. after year, and 2012 was no different for the Toronto native. Honourable mentions must go to Atiba Hutchinson, who anchored Canada’s midfield offensively and defensively.
Hutch dominated this season for the national team. Still, De Rosario wasn’t the only face for Canada this year – Christine Sinclair made headlines throughout 2012 for her impressive performances in the red shirt of Canada. Sinclair led her national team in the 2012 London Olympic Games, scored plenty of goals herself (she now sits at 143 international goals) and was suspended and fined for “unsporting behaviour” when she retaliated to officials after a series of decisions went against Canada. Still, Sinclair is a national treasure, and became a household name in 2012. Honourable mentions go to Diana Matheson, whose game-winning goal gave Canada’s Women a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics. Missed Chances It was a bad day in Honduras for Canada’s men. It wasn’t the fact that Canada’s entire World Cup dream hung in the balance that day, nor was it the first goal that Honduras scored early in the first half that marks Canada’s failure this year; it was the seven goals Honduras scored afterward that put Canada’s hopes and dreams to bed. Honduras won 8-1, a blowout, an absolutely devastating result that crippled the national sides’ morale, saw the World Cup qualifying spot lost, and also ended Stephen Hart’s role as head coach of Canada. If there was ever a missed chance for Canada, it was this game – such a shame!
Diana Matheson was a force for Canada, as she scored the go-ahead goal in the Bronze Medal match against France.
Besides this heart breaking defeat, Canada’s other missed chance was literally missed chances – the team found goals hard to come by in 2012, with plenty of chances wasted in each game. Finishing was a problem for Canada this year.
While the Women’s side did end up succeeding in the Olympics and took home bronze, Sinclair and co. will feel that the Olympic games was an opportunity missed. In the semi-final round, Canada was paired up with the United States, and what followed was one of the strangest and most unprecedented refereeing decisions in Canada’s history – goalkeeper Erin McLeod was penalized for holding onto the ball for longer than six seconds, which resulted in an indirect free kick for the USA in the box, which resulted in a shot that hit the arm of a Canadian defender, which earned the States a penalty (!), that they converted to force extra time. It was a strange series of events that ended with Canada losing a spot in the finals. Club vs. Country One of the struggles Canadian footballers dealt with in 2012 was moving clubs, with Julian de Guzman transferring to FC Dallas after a long soap-opera at Toronto FC, Patrice Bernier moving to Major League Soccer with the Montreal Impact and Dwayne De Rosario settling in at DC United after leaving Toronto FC for New York. InsideSOCCER asked Julian de Former Men’s National Team Head Coach, Stephen Hart, resigned after Canada was eliminated from World Cup Qualifying.
InsideSOCCER 25
Women’s National Team Head Coach, John Herdman, managed to keep the team on even keel through the ups and downs of the Olympic Tournament. Guzman how the transition between club and country was going for him, and he was not hesitant to explain the importance of having a club that can support a player’s international ambitions. “It’s a transition. I’m lucky to be playing with Dallas, because the way they play their football is pretty similar to how the national team plays,” said de Guzman. “Playing with TFC has been a challenge and then coming to Canada, two different styles of football. It’s been made easier now with the team that I’m playing with, coming into the national team; it allows me to play my game the way I do with Dallas.” “I think it’s also important that you have all the players doing well at their clubs and when they come into camp, everyone’s on the same page, and it definitely helps the national team,” he concluded. New Faces Had Junior Hoilett and Jonathan de Guzman hopped on board for Canada, this section would be remarkably easy, but since the duo have declined national team call-ups, Canada’s men’s national 26 December/January 2013
team has little in terms of new players making the squad. Perhaps Ashtone Morgan is the most notable inclusion; the Toronto FC leftback has made huge strides in 2012, earning a starting spot with his club and getting the attention of Stephen Hart, Canada’s manager. Morgan is a capable young defender who has a huge future with Team Canada. Doneil Henry, Russell Teibert and Samuel Piette all made their debuts this year as well for the national team, while Matt Stinson and Evan James earned call-ups. The women’s team had far, far fewer new faces; most of the team was comprised of regular internationals, with Christine Sinclair, Diana Matheson and Rhian Wilkinson leading the pack. Still, this year saw a couple new players earn some caps for Canada, Lauren Sesselmann getting more playing time. Another young star, Chelsea Buckman, would have likely made the Olympic squad, but tore her ACL. A couple new faces may soon make the national team fold, such as goalkeeper Justine Bernier and forward Adriana Leon. Moment of the Year Perhaps Canada’s moment of the year came in their win over Panama in World Cup Qualifying, though the men’s team also picked up wins against Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago as well. The game against Panama was Canada’s toughest test in World Cup qualifying, barring
Rising star Adriana Leon
the away game in Honduras that would come a few months later. Canada showed up for this match, De Rosario scoring the go-ahead goal that saw him become Canada’s leading goalscorer, and with the score at 1-0, Canada took all three points at home against a very tough Panamanian side. A 0-0 draw against the United States in Canada’s 100-year anniversary match was a great occasion for fans, and a strong display of North American soccer. However, these two games cannot compare to the Women’s team’s triumph in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Vying for the gold medal against the likes of Brazil, Germany, the United States and France, Canada exceeded expectations and made it all the way to the semi-finals, where they met their bitter rivals, the USA. With a spot in the finals on the line, Canada fell to the States in unfortunate circumstances, and ended up playing the third place game against France. Though France was expecting the win, Canada shocked the world, scoring late and winning a bronze medal for Canada! It was the highlight for Canadian soccer in 2012, bar none. It’s been a great year for Canada’s men and women, and as the country continues to grow the sport of soccer on the club level, Canada’s national outfits will grow alongside them. As always, Allez Les Rouges!
Christine Sinclair is in the running for Canada’s top athlete in 2012. An award no soccer player has ever won.
UPCOMING
TOURNAMENTS AND CAMPS UPCOMING SOCCER TOURNAMENTS New Years Kick Off Classic When: December 30-January 5 Where: 565 Seaman Street, Stoney Creek, ON, L8E 5Z5 Contact: Tasha Mazza-Kelton Email: www.playersparadisesoccer.com Additional Information: Mini Soccer Level 5 Club, Mini Soccer Level 6 Club, Mini Soccer Level 7 Club, Mini Soccer level 5 All-Star, Mini Soccer Level 6 All-Star, Mini Soccer Level 7 All-Star, Mini Under 9-10, Entry Fee $275, 20 teams. New Years Kick Off Classic (9v9) When: December 30-January 5 Where: 565 Seaman Street, Stoney Creek, ON, L8E 5Z5 Contact: Tasha Mazza-Kelton Email: www.playersparadisesoccer.com Additional Information: Indoor Club teams, Entry fee $385, Number of team 16, Boys and Girls U11 – U12 New Years Kick Off Classic (11v11) When: January 6 Where: 565 Seaman Street, Stoney Creek, ON, L8E 5Z5 Contact: Tasha Mazza-Kelton Email: www.playersparadisesoccer.com Additional Information: Indoor Club teams, Entry fee $450, Number of team 12 Bob Rathwell Memorial Futsal Tournament When: January 19-20 Where: 900 Greenbank Road - Box 607, Ottawa, ON, K2J 4P6 Contact: Paulo Bellem Email: futsalchallenge@futsalottawa.com
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Website: www.futsalottawa.com Additional Information: Boys, U-11, U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, Girls, U-11, U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, Men, U-21, Open, Women, U-21, Open. 100 Teams, $225 entry fee. Disney’s President’s Day Soccer Festival, Presented by AS Roma When: February 16 - 18, 2013 Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando Florida Contact: Michael LeBlanc in Canada Tel: 855-226-9233 Email: michael.leblanc@merit.ca Website: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/ events/soccer/presidents-day-soccerfestival/ Additional Information: Spend your winter break outdoors at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex! Disney’s President’s Day Soccer Festival will be filled with great soccer competition and great fun for the whole family at the Walt Disney World® Resort. Disney’s President’s Day Soccer Festival includes: Professionally maintained fields; Minimum 3-game guarantee in a round robin format; Certified referees; Presence of athletic trainers; Ice water at each field; Adidas game ball provided to each team; Awards presented to 1st4th place teams for Groups of 7 or more teams, 1st & 2nd for groups of 6 or fewer teams. The Disney’s Club Championships will take place during the 2013 Disney’s President’s Day Soccer Festival. The event is designed to allow clubs with competitive teams to compete against other clubs for the right to be declared Disney Club Champion. In addition, we will be extending an invitation to all college coaches who
will be attending the Disney’s Soccer Showcase (boys & girls) in December to recruit. U9-U10 (6v6) $475, U11-U12 (8v8) $575, U13-U18 (11v11) $775. Entry Deadline January 15, 2013. 34th Annual Sc del SolPresidents’ Day Invitational When: February 15-18, 2013 Where: PO Box 30662, Phoenix, AZ 85046-0662, USA Contact: Nancy Hayes Tel: 602-493-3141 Email: scdelsol.tournaments@gmail.com Additional Information: for boys and girls U15–18, entry deadline Dec.1, 2012, entry fee $950. 23rd Annual Ontario Futsal Club Championships When: March 16-17 Where: RIM Park in Waterloo, Ontario Contact: Bob Luft Tel: 519-631–8262 Fax: 519-631–8262 Email: r.luft@sympatico.com Website: www.ontariofutsal.on.ca Additional Information: Boys/Men Open U11 – U18, Girls/Women Open U11 – U18, entry fee $350 per men’s team, $325 for all other teams, 3 games guaranteed. Kansas, Emerald Cup – Boys When: March 22 – 23, 2013 Where: Overland Park Contact: Josh Flett, Challenger Sports Tel: 800-878-2167 Email: jflett@challengersports.com Website: www.challengersports.com/ tournament_detail.aspx?id=39 …continued on page 32
Clinicians / Guest Speakers Thomas Rongen Director of the Toronto FC Academy, Former U.S. Men’s U-20 National Team Head Coach Thomas Rongen is currently the director of the Toronto FC Academy and former Head Coach of the U.S. Men’s U-20 national team. He led his U.S. teams to two FIFA World Cups in 2007 and 2009. In 2010 he was appointed Head Coach of America Samoa and helped guide the team to their first ever win in an International game. Rongen has coached four teams at the MLS level including: The Tampa Bay Mutiny, D.C. United, New England Revolution and Chivas USA. In 1996, Rongen was named MLS Coach of the Year, and in 1999 he won the MLS Cup with D.C. United. Rongen has worked with several youth players in the U.S. that have gone on to play at the professional level including: Freddy Adu, Bobby Convey, Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley and Brek Shea to name a few. Tom Goodman USSF National Staff Instructor, Former Director of Coaching for U.S. Youth Soccer Tom Goodman is considered by many to be one of the top youth soccer coaches in the U.S. He has a wide-range of coaching experience having worked with players of both genders from the U-6 level all the way up to the professional and national team ranks. Currently, Goodman serves as an instructor on the United States Soccer Federation National Staff, and is the former Director of Coaching for U.S. Youth Soccer. Goodman holds a United States Soccer Federation National “A” coaching license. He helped develop the National Youth Coaching License in the U.S. – a course that is recognized as being one of the best for youth coaching in North America. Today, Goodman also serves as the Youth Academy Director for the New England Futbal Club (NEFC) in Massachusetts.
Bob de Klerk Former Youth Team Coach at AJAX FC, Former Assistant Coach at Toronto FC Bob de Klerk spent 9 years coaching at one of the world’s most renowned clubs (Ajax FC) in Holland. He worked alongside former Dutch international player Frank De Boer with the Ajax A1 team and then led the squad following De Boer’s promotion as Ajax FC First-Team Manager. While at Ajax FC, de Klerk also worked with some of the top names is Dutch soccer including: Dennis Bergkamp, Marco Van Basten and Louis Van gaal. In addition to his time at Ajax FC, de Klerk also spent time with Ajax FC Cape Town in South Africa. Most recently from 2011-2012, Bob was the Assistant Coach for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer, and now currently serves as the club’s technical manager. Andrea Neil Former player for the Canadian Women’s National Team, Former Assistant Coach with the Canadian Women’s National Team. Andrea Neil enjoyed a brilliant playing career with the Canadian Women’s National Team that spanned over 18 years. She earned 132 caps for Canada and played in four FIFA World Cups (1995, 1999, 2003 & 2007). From 2001-2006 Neil played for the Vancouver Whitecaps Women’s Team captaining them to two W-League Championships in 2004 and 2006. Neil has also had a successful career as a coach. While still an athlete, she served as an assistant coach for the University of British Columbia Women’s Varsity Soccer Team, and later for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Women’s Team, as well as working as the Head Coach for the Whitecaps’ Girl’s Academy Program from 2004-2006. In 2009 Neil became the Assistant Coach of the Canadian Women’s National Team, helping them to win two Cypress Cups (2010 & 2011), the Brazilian Four Nations Tournament (2010) and the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Tournament (2010). Since retiring as a player Neil has been inducted as an athlete into the UBC Sport Hall ofFame, the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame, the BC Sport Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame. Currently Neil holds a UEFA “A” Coaching license (Italy), as well as United States Soccer Federation and Canadian Soccer Association “B” National licenses.
Sasho Cirovski USSF National Staff Instructor, Former Head Coach of the University of Maryland Men’s Soccer Team (NCAA Division 1) Sasho Cirovski is one of the most successful college coaches in the U.S. He has spent 20 years as the Head Coach of the University of Maryland Men’s Soccer program. During that time he has won 2 NCAA Division 1 National Championships (2005, 2008) and has had 18 consecutive winning seasons. In 2005 he was named the NSCAA National Coach of the Year. Cirovski has worked with numerous players that have gone on to professional careers in the game including: Omar Gonzalez, Maurice Edu and Taylor Twellman. Cirovski is a certified United States Soccer Federation “A” license coach.
Gordon Forrest Head Coach & Manager of Coaching Development for the Vancouver Whitecaps U-18 residency team, Former Assistant Coach, New Zealand Women’s National Team Gordon Forrest was recently hired by the Whitecaps of Major Soccer League as the Head Coach for their U-18 team, as well as being appointed Manager of Coaching Development for their residency program. This past summer, Forrest served as Assistant Coach with the New Zealand Women’s National Team that reached the quarter-final stage of the 2012 London Olympics. Forrest has been involved in soccer development for nearly 10 years, working with both the Scottish and New Zealand Football Associations. Additionally, he has also delivered a number of coaching education courses and mentoring programs. Forrest’s coaching credentials include a UEFA ‘A’ Licence, Scottish Football Association Youth Licence, and Scottish Football Association Advanced Children’s Licence.
Accomodation Hotel rooms are on a first-come first-serve basis. Rooms will be released January 11, 2013 - please book early. When calling please quote promo code: NSC for the discounted rate. Hotel: Holiday Inn Toronto Bloor-Yorkville Address: 280 Bloor Street West Phone: 416-968-0010 (Toll Free: 1800-HOLIDAY) Fax: 416-968-7765 Contact Person: Sonia Waite Email: sonia.waite@whg.com Website: www.hitorontoblooryorkville.ca Room Rates: $129.99 - single/double room $139.99 - triple/quad room Plus applicable 13% HST tax, per room, per night. Choice of Standard: one Queen bed or two Double beds Rate available 2 days prior to and 2 days following the event Parking: $22.00 per day, underground parking at hotel, with unlimited in and out privileges. Distance from conference site: Less than 0.1 km Hotel: Toronto Marriott Bloor-Yorkville Hotel Address: 90 Bloor Street East Phone: 416-961-8000 Fax: 416-961-4635 www.marriott.com Website: Room Rates: $139.00 - single room $139.00 - double room Parking: $15.00 per day underground parking Distance from conference: Less than 0.7 km
Schedule
Registration & Fees
Saturday, February 2 8:00-9:00am Registration: Varsity Centre Pavillion 9:00-10:00am On-Field Session #1 10:00-11:00am On-Field Session #2 11:00am-12:00pm On-Field Session #3 12:00-2:00pm Lunch (on your own) 2:00-3:00pm Class Room Session #1 Class Room Session #2 3:00-4:00pm 4:00-5:00pm Dinner (on your own) On-Field Session #4 5:00-6:00pm 6:00-7:00pm On-Field Session #5 7:00-8:00pm On-Field Session #6 8:30pm Coaches’ Social (Duke of York Pub)
Online registration will begin October 24, 2012.
Sunday, February 3 9:00-10:00am 10:00-11:00am 11:00am-12:00pm 12:00-1:00pm
Payment via Credit Card (Amex, Mastercard or Visa): • Go to www.recreg.utoronto.ca in use barcode: 25454 • Add class • Create new account • You must have a printer to print out receipt • Amex, Mastercard & VISA Payment via Cheque: • Visit: varsityblues.ca/coachingconference • Complete online form with cheque payable to University of Toronto and mail to: University of Toronto Athletic Centre 55 Harbord Street Toronto, ON M5S 2W6 Attn: National Soccer Coaching Conference Please allow 4-5 business days for processing
On-Field Session #7 On-Field Session #8 On-Field Session #9 On Field Session #10
Fees: $100.00 (includes HST) early bird special before January 14 $125.00 (includes HST) after January 14
On-field sessions are located at the Varsity Centre Dome Class Room sessions are located in the OISE auditorium
For the most up-to-date list of session topics and clinicians/guest speakers visit: www.varsityblues.ca\coachingconference
Questions? Please contact the University of Toronto Varsity Blues soccer head coach Anthony Capotosto at 416-978-3571 or at a.capotosto@utoronto.ca
Indoor Field Facility
Players used for all on-field sessions will include members of the Varsity Blues men’s and women’s soccer teams and Toronto FC Academy.
The University of Toronto has arguably the best full-field indoor soccer facility in the country. The Varsity Centre located in the heart of downtown Toronto, and the home of the Blues men’s and women’s soccer teams, will serve as the site fora our on-field sessions. VARSITY CENTRE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO 299 BLOOR STREET WEST (416) 978-6428
UPCOMING
TOURNAMENTS AND CAMPS CONT. Additional Information: Exciting soccer action for some of the top teams from all over the Midwest and Canada. In total, nearly 200 teams participate, entry deadline: Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. MARCH 24: THE OSA ANNUAL COACHING CONFERENCE Disney Spring Soccer Invitational When: March 28 - 31, 2013 Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando Florida Contact: Michael LeBlanc in Canada Tel: 855-226-9233 Email: michael.leblanc@merit.ca Website: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/ events/soccer/spring-soccer-invitational/ Additional Information: Enjoy your spring break outdoors at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex! Disney Spring Soccer Invitational will be filled with great soccer competition and great fun for the whole family at the Walt Disney World® Resort. A Disney Spring Soccer Invitational Youth Soccer Tournament features: Professionally maintained fields; Minimum 3-game guarantee in a round robin format; Certified referees; Presence of athletic trainers; Ice water at each field; Adidas game ball provided to each team; Awards presented to 1st-4th place teams for Groups of 7 or more teams, 1st & 2nd for groups of 6 or fewer teams. U9-U10 (6v6) $475, U11-U12 (8v8) $575, U13-U18 (11v11) $775. Entry Deadline February 28, 2013. Okanagan Icebreaker When: March 29 – 31, 2013 Where: Okanagan, B.C. Contact: Colleen Boechler Tel: 250-766-0602 Email: info@lcysa.com Additional Information: open for boys and girls U12 – U17 , calibre: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Metro, entrance fee $475, entry deadline March 15, 2013. Kansas, Emerald Cup – Girls When: April 5 – 7, 2013 Where: Overland Park
32 December/January 2013
Contact: Josh Flett, Challenger Sports Tel: 800-878-2167 Email: jflett@challengersports.com Website: www.challengersports.com/ tournament_detail.aspx?id=39 Additional Information: girls ages U8U19, exciting soccer action for some of the top teams from all over the Midwest and Canada. In total, nearly 200 teams participated, entry deadline: Friday, Feb.15, 2013. Trent University Girls Showcase When: May 3-5 Where: 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Contact: Joe Muldoon Tel: 905-728-1023 Email: jmuldoon@trentu.ca Website: www. trentu.ca/athletics Additional Information: Age Youth Level 1 League Club, Youth Level 2 League Club, Youth Level 3 League Club, entry fee $700, 12 teams. UMBRO Top Rated Invitational College Showcase When: May 17-20 Where: Dixie Mississauga S.C., 400 Matheson Blvd., East, unit #17, Mississauga, ON L4Z 1N8, Contact: Joe Moscato Tel: 905-609-1089 Email: jmoscato@umbrotoprated showcase.com, Website:www.umbrotoprated showcase.com, Additional Information: North American competitive boys and girls U11-U18, 100 teams expected, $350 for men’s team and $325 for all other teams. Disney’s Memorial Day Shootout presented by Danimals® When: May 24 - 27, 2013 Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando Florida Contact: Michael LeBlanc in Canada Tel: 855-226-9233 Email: michael.leblanc@merit.ca Website: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/
events/soccer/memorial-day-soccershootout/ Additional Information: Come enjoy an exciting weekend at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex’s largest 3-day soccer tournament! Disney’s Memorial Day Soccer Shootout attracted more than 500 teams in 2012 That resulted in more than 900 soccer matches in just three days! Disney’s Memorial Day Soccer Shootout features: Professionally maintained fields; Minimum 3-game guarantee in a round robin format; Certified referees; Presence of athletic trainers; Ice water at each field; Adidas game ball provided to each team; Awards presented to 1st-4th place teams for Groups of 7 or more teams, 1st & 2nd for groups of 6 or fewer teams. U9-U10 (6v6) $475, U11-U12 (8v8) $575, U13-U14 (11v11) $775, U15-U19 (11v11) $700. Entry Deadline April 1, 2013. The 47th Annual Robbie International Tournament When: June 29th – July 1st, 2013 Where: Scarborough Soccer Centre – 45 Fairfax Crescent, Scarborough, ON, M1L 1Z6 Contact: Sue Prohaska, or Tournament Chair Michael Ellis Tel: 416-285-8002 ext 27 Email: robbieminifestival@hotmail.com Website: http://www.robbiesoccer tournament.com/Register/index_E.html Additional Information: World’s Largest International Soccer Tournament where proceeds are donated to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Over $50,000 donated to charity annually. A Canadian and International Tradition since 1967. All teams are guaranteed 3 games. Teams are seeded into divisions of 4 or 5, within their age category. The top teams precede to either quarter or semi finals. Games are played on top quality fields across the Scarborough, North York, Pickering, and Ajax areas of Ontario. Sanctioned by the Scarborough Soccer Association, Ontario Soccer Association and Canadian Soccer Association …continued on page 34
UP YOUR GAME
with Merit Sports at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida
© Disney
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament (July 16-21, 2012) Disney’s Pre-Season Soccer Kick-Off (August 17-19, 2012) Disney’s Soccer Showcase Qualifier (September 1-3, 2012) Disney’s Junior Soccer Showcase (November 23-25, 2012) Disney’s Soccer Showcase – Boys (December 27-30, 2012) Disney’s Soccer Showcase – Girls (December 31, 2012 –January 3, 2013) Disney’s President’s Day Soccer Festival (February 15-18, 2013) Disney’s Spring Soccer Invitational (March 28-31, 2013)
HAS YOUR TEAM PERFECTED ITS ATTACK? DOES EVERY PLAYER HAVE THE DESIRE TO SUCCEED? Charge the pitch with passion in a Disney soccer tournament where every match is a test of skill and a celebration of the most popular sport in the world. Official Tournament Travel Packages Include: •
Accommodation at the on-site Disney’s Resort
•
Magic Your Way theme park tickets
•
Transportation to and from ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
•
Complimentary airport transportation
•
RBC Classic Medical Insurance policy
•
Merit Sports Travel on-site assistance
Disney’s Memorial Day Soccer Shootout (May 24-27, 2013)
© Disney
For more information, contact your Merit Sports Travel representative: Michael LeBlanc | 855.226.9233 | michael.leblanc@merit.ca meritsportstravel.com Please contact us for details. ON–4499356/4499372 | BC–33127/34799/34798 | QC–7002238 | 200–111 Peter Street, Toronto, ON M5V 2H1 | Canadian owned
UPCOMING
TOURNAMENTS AND CAMPS CONT. Schwan’s USA CUP Weekend When: July 12 – 14, 2013 Where: National Sports Center, Blaine Minnesota, USA Contact: Colleen Bourdon Tel: 1-800-535-4730 Email: market@usacup.org Website: http://usacup.org/ Additional Information: For boys and girls U9 through U19 Boys, a weekend kickoff tournament to the largest international youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere, featuring top level competition, a three game guarantee and an athlete party. Games all played in one location. First come, first serve as the weekend tournament fills by March 15th typically at most age levels and the week tournament is usually full by May 15th. USA CUP Weekend is a 450 team tournament. Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament, Presented by AS Roma When: July 15 - 20, 2013 Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando Florida Contact: Michael LeBlanc in Canada Tel: 855-226-9233 Email: michael.leblanc@merit.ca Website: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/ events/soccer/disney-cup-youth-soccertournament/ Additional Information: Take on the world! The Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament has attracted teams from more than 20 countries for 14 years and continues to grow. This event offers your team the opportunity to compete at world-class facilities while also enjoying everything the Walt Disney World® Resort has to offer. The Disney Cup offers young athletes and their families a once in a lifetime tournament travel experience. From professional event organization and legendary Disney guest service to the world-class facilities at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, teams can expect the very best. A Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament features: Professional tournament organization and service; All games played at ESPN Wide World of Sports
34 December/January 2013
Complex; Minimum 4-game guarantee with no more than one (1) game per day, allowing plenty of time to visit the Walt Disney World® Theme Parks with family and friends; Specially-priced packages for athletes, coaches and spectators include hotel accommodations, theme park tickets, transportation and admission to all tournament games; Opening party for all teams - Special ticket required (not included in team registration); Certified referees; Presence of athletic trainers; Ice water at each field; Awards presented to 1st-4th place teams for groups of 7 or more teams, 1st & 2nd for groups of 6 or fewer teams. U9-U10 (6v6) $525, U11-U12 (8v8) $675, U13-U18 (11v11) $825. Entry Deadline July 14, 2013. Schwan’s USA CUP When: July 16 – 20, 2013 Where: National Sports Center, Blaine Minnesota, USA Contact: Colleen Bourdon Tel: 1-800-535-4730 Email: market@usacup.org Website: http://usacup.org/ Additional Information: For boys and girls U9 through U19 Boys, come experience the largest international youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere. Every July, more then over 950 teams come to the National Sport Center to compete and participate in activities, to create memories that will last a lifetime. Teams of all abilities and levels are accepted into this tournament. First come, first serve as the weekend tournament fills by March 15th typically at most age levels and the week tournament is usually full by May 15th. USA CUP is a 500 team tournament. Dana Cup Hjørring 2013 When: July 22 – 27, 2013 Where: Fortuna Hjørring, Denmark Contact: Alison Forman Tel: +45 98911300 Email: soccer@danacup.dk Website: http://www.danacup.com/ Additional Information: For Boys U11 to U19 and Girls U12 to U19, Founded in
1982, Dana Cup welcomes more than 800 teams from 45 countries each summer in Hjørring, Denmark. The World´s third largest and the World´s most international youth soccer tournament with 90% foreign teams. Excellent grass fields in a safe environment with 20.000 participants playing in international groups. A fantastic organization with top class personal customer service giving you memories for the rest of your lifetime. Come and join us, you are more than welcome. Entry Deadline: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 Disney’s Pre-Season Soccer Kick-Off, Presented by AS Roma When: August 16 - 18, 2013 Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando Florida Contact: Michael LeBlanc in Canada Tel: 855-226-9233 Email: michael.leblanc@merit.ca Website: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/ events/soccer/pre-season-soccer-kick-off/ Additional Information: Start your season the right way at the Disney’s Pre-Season Soccer Kick-Off. This youth tournament will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and is open to boys and girls U9-U14. Kick-off your season and spend a weekend at the Walt Disney World® Resort! Disney’s Pre-Season Soccer Kick-Off features: Professionally maintained fields; Minimum 3-game guarantee in a round robin format; Certified referees; Presence of athletic trainers; Ice water at each field; Adidas game ball provided to each team; Awards presented to 1st-4th place teams for Groups of 7 or more teams, 1st & 2nd for groups of 6 or fewer teams. U9-U10 (6v6) $475, U11-U12 (8v8) $575, U13-U14 (11v11) $775. Entry Deadline July 27, 2013. Disney’s Soccer Showcase Qualifier, Presented by AS Roma When: August 30 - September 2, 2013 Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando Florida Contact: Michael LeBlanc in Canada Tel: 855-226-9233 Email: michael.leblanc@merit.ca
Website: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/ events/soccer/soccer-showcase-qualifier/ Additional Information: Disney’s Soccer Showcase Qualifier maybe your ticket to the Proving Ground. The top two finishers in each age group at the Qualifier will earn an automatic berth into Disney’s Soccer Showcase (U15-U18) in December, and the winners will be guaranteed a spot in the top flight. Disney’s Soccer Showcase Qualifier features: Professionally maintained fields; Minimum 3-game guarantee in a round robin format; Certified referees; Presence of athletic trainers; Ice water at each field; Adidas game ball provided to each team; Awards presented to 1st-4th place teams for Groups of 7 or more teams, 1st & 2nd for groups of 6 or fewer teams. U15-U18/19 (11v11) $900. Entry Deadline July 15, 2013. Disney’s Junior Soccer Showcase, Presented by AS Roma When: November 22-24, 2013 Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando Florida Contact: Michael LeBlanc in Canada Tel: 855-226-9233 Email: michael.leblanc@merit.ca Website: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/ events/soccer/junior-soccer-showcase/ Additional Information: Disney’s Junior Soccer Showcase offers younger age groups the chance to experience the same great national competition and topnotch tournament organization as their older counterparts in the original Disney’s Soccer Showcase in December. What a great way to build your team’s resume on their way to the Proving Ground. Disney’s Junior Soccer Showcase features: Professionally maintained fields; Minimum 3-game guarantee in a round robin format; Certified referees; Presence of athletic trainers; Ice water at each field; Adidas game ball provided to each team; Awards presented to 1st-4th place teams for Groups of 7 or more teams, 1st & 2nd for groups of 6 or fewer teams. U11-U12 (8v8) $800, U13-U14 (11v11) $1,000. Entry Deadline August 15, 2013.
6 February/March 2012
Disney’s Soccer Showcase (Boys), Presented by AS Roma When: December 26-30, 2013 Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando Florida Contact: Michael LeBlanc in Canada Tel: 855-226-9233 Email: michael.leblanc@merit.ca Website: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/ events/soccer/soccer-showcase-boys/ Additional Information: Welcome to the Proving Ground! Disney’s Soccer Showcase is the ultimate place for top clubs to be seen by hundreds of college coaches looking for great soccer talent. Rated #1 youth soccer tournament in the U.S. in a Soccer America survey, Disney’s Soccer Showcase gives athletes a chance to shine on one of the biggest stages set for youth soccer in this country. Disney’s Soccer Showcase (Boys) features: Professionally maintained fields; Minimum 3-game guarantee in a round robin format; Certified referees; Presence of athletic trainers; Ice water at each field; Adidas game ball provided to each team; Awards presented to 1st-4th place teams for Groups of 7 or more teams, 1st & 2nd for groups of 6 or fewer teams. U15-U18 (11v11) $1,350. Entry Deadline August 15, 2013. Disney’s Soccer Showcase (Girls), Presented by AS Roma When: December 30, 2013 – January 3, 2014 Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando Florida Contact: Michael LeBlanc in Canada Tel: 855-226-9233 Email: michael.leblanc@merit.ca Website: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/ events/soccer/soccer-showcase-girls/ Additional Information: Welcome to the Proving Ground! Disney’s Soccer Showcase is the ultimate place for top clubs to be seen by hundreds of college coaches looking for great soccer talent. Rated #1 youth soccer tournament in the U.S. in a Soccer America survey, Disney’s Soccer Showcase gives athletes a chance to shine on one of the biggest stages set for youth soccer in this country. Disney’s Soccer Showcase
(Girls) features: Professionally maintained fields; Minimum 3-game guarantee in a round robin format; Certified referees; Presence of athletic trainers; Ice water at each field; Adidas game ball provided to each team; Awards presented to 1st-4th place teams for Groups of 7 or more teams, 1st & 2nd for groups of 6 or fewer teams. U15-U18 (11v11) $1,350. Entry Deadline August 15, 2013.
UPCOMING SOCCER CAMPS Power Soccer School of Excellence March Break Camps (6-7 Year old Soccer Essentials) Address: Power Soccer Academy, 2763 Teak Cres., Oakville ON L6J 7M6 Contact: Liam Power – Academy Director Tel: 905-829.0562 Fax: 905-829-9509 Email: liam@powersoccer.ca Website: www.powersoccer.ca Additional Information: A program geared to the 6-7 year stage of development. Children are instructed in core soccer skills and good soccer habits through age appropriate skill exercises and games. The program emphasizes coordination and movement in soccer, presented in skill exercises and small sided soccer games designed to make a positive impact on the development of the young player. Players are introduced to competition in a fun way and achieve success through skill training as well as game play. Power Soccer School of Excellence March Break Camps (8-15 Year Old Goalkeeping) Address: Power Soccer Academy, 2763 Teak Cres., Oakville ON L6J 7M6 Contact: Liam Power – Academy Director Tel: 905-829.0562 Fax: 905-829-9509 Email: liam@powersoccer.ca Website: www.powersoccer.ca Additional Information: Visit www.powersoccer.ca for more information.
InsideSOCCER 35
FORGET THE STATUS QUO…
THE “WINNING” RECIPE FOR THE CSA: Integrating younger players and encouraging technical ability BY STEVEN SANDOR Photographs Courtesy of Canadian Soccer Association
In early November, when Tony Fonseca was appointed the new technical director of the Canadian Soccer Association, he looked back to the match that has, unfortunately, defined this generation of the national men’s team. Canada’s 8-1 loss to Honduras eliminated our national side from having a shot at the Hex, and ended yet another World Cup qualifying campaign prematurely. It was a flameout of historic proportions for the men’s national program. “It was a very painful result for all of us, but it was not an indication of where we are in football,” said Fonseca. Fonseca is on the mark with those comments; but not in a good way. Any time a team outside of Oceania gives up eight goals, it’s an anomaly. That much is true. And we do know the flu had gone through the Canadian team in Honduras, which forced fullback Ante Jazic out of the game and centre half Kevin McKenna to play at less than full strength. So, Fonseca is absolutely right to suggest that the game isn’t a true indication of Canada as a soccer nation. But that’s not to suggest Canada is at the point where it deserves to be in the Hex. Far from it. We need to hope that the panic over the 8-1 loss doesn’t obscure a much deeper problem in the 36 December/January 2013
system — which is lack of bold attacking ideas and options. Last year, I had a conversation with an Italian scout, and he was quite set in his opinion that our country could not do anything but produce holding midfielders and/or central defenders. Sure, he told me, Canadians are known for their toughness and physical strength, so they could be utilized in positions where a manager needed steel on the pitch. But, in positions that require skill, from the attacking midfield to the wings to the forward position, Canadians simply didn’t have the technical ability to even be considered. Unfortunately, our men’s national team — not over the past cycle, but for decades — does nothing but enforce the stereotype. And that has nothing to do with giving up eight in one match. The Canadian Soccer Association has to look at the rest of the qualifying process. Canada
Head Coach Josef Komlodi
would not have been in the position where it needed to get a result in steamy Honduras had it been able to score goals. Canada could and should have cinched a place in the Hex before that final secondround match. Why didn’t Canada make that Honduras match meaningless? Well, in the six matches of the CONCACAF second round, Group C, Canada scored six goals. And, four of those goals came over the space of two matches against Cuba. Take the Cuba games out, and that’s two goals out of four matches. And, now, let’s take a look at both goals — both off of set pieces. Canada got a 1-0 win at home to Panama because Atiba Hutchinson fooled the opposition with a quick free kick that he placed for Dwayne De Rosario to knock home. Canada’s other non-Cuba goal came on an Iain Hume free kick in Honduras after that game was out of hand. So, out of open play, Canada did not score in a Group C match not played against Cuba. Moving forward, we can’t allow an eight-goal anomaly from an aging team filled with thirtysomethings obscure our most glaring problem: We’ve never been a nation that’s offered much threat up front. Because Canada played an inordinate number of games against Caribbean minnows and our friendlies often featured less-than-marquee opposition, we were once again lulled into a false sense of security as we went into the CONCACAF second round. Canada had gone through the Caribbean nations in the opening round. We’d won a lowprofile friendly here and there. And, so, we are awfully slow to change our ways — and, instead of taking months to find a technical director, it took years. Fonseca needs to address building the technical side of the men’s game so we aren’t a country that knows it will likely lose if it gives up one goal, and will most definitely lose if it gives up two. In fact, it’s been a glaring constant about our Canadian program. In September, we celebrated the fact that Dwayne De Rosario became our country’s new all-time leading male goal-scorer... with 20 career goals. That’s 20 goals in an international career that’s lasted more than a decade, with a schedule dotted with CONCACAF minnows. That’s not meant to be a knock on De Rosario. It’s not like Dale Mitchell, Tomasz Radzinski, Alex Bunbury or Paul Peschisolido did
As the Men’s National Team assistant coach, Tony Fonseca had a front-row seat during the recent World Cup qualifying collapse. Shown above is Paul Giamou, Tony Fonseca, Roman Torres, Milan Borjan et al. any better. It’s a reflection of the lack of creativity from Canada as a whole. But 20 goals over a career — that’s not a large number, especially when you average that out. De Rosario has played for the national side for more than a decade... so that’s an average of less than two a year. One thing that Fonseca and whoever takes over as the next coach of the men’s national team have is a clean slate. The Canadian side that lost 8-1 to Honduras was filled with players in their 30s or just entering their 30s. Patrice Bernier has already announced his international retirement. We can expect more to come in the future, from McKenna to fullback Ante Jazic to strikers Iain Hume and Olivier Occean. Yes, Occean may be enjoying a club-career renaissance in Germany, but he is turning 30 this year. Who knows if Josh Simpson, who is nearing 30 and is coming off a badly broken leg, can be the
same kind of winger Canada had before? De Rosario and Julian de Guzman are nearing the end. You could argue that was the men’s program’s biggest failing — it’s staunch refusal to freshen up the national side with hungry, young players, while sticking with an aging core of veterans. But Fonseca does have some building blocks. It was his decision when he was the national U-23 coach to go with a very young roster for the Olympic qualifiers. In fact, with Fonseca at the helm, cuts were made to close-to-23 players like midfielders Kyle Porter and Mozzi Gyorio, while teenagers like Bryce Alderson and Samuel Piette were kept. In fact, Fonseca filled just four roster spots with players who were born in 1989, the cutoff date for eligibility for the U-23. That Canadian team had its moments, and was eliminated in the semifinals by the powerhouse Mexicans, who not only went onto the London Games, but won the gold medal. “One thing I am very positive and comfortable about, is their will to go out and play,” said Fonseca when he selected his U-23 roster. “I got the ones that have the talent and the potential to move forward.” Hopefully, it’s a sign that Fonseca won’t show loyalty to the status quo in the Canadian system. We need to do a better job integrating youth into the senior program and encouraging technical ability.
As stated by the Canadian Soccer Association, “Fonseca is in charge of setting a vision for all aspects of the game”. InsideSOCCER 37
CAF Presidency To quote the late, great baseball legend, Yogi Berra, who was known for his contradictory “yogiisms”: “It’s like déjà vu, all over again”… but this time, we’re talking about global football.
Another four years of Emperor Hayatou?
BY Tokunbo Ojo Photographs Courtesy of Confederation of African Football
CAF president Issa Hayatou was first elected back in 1988. Issa Hayatou, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is set for another coronation ceremony in March, instead of a real test of leadership by way of election. He has been the CAF president for almost 25 years, and he is determined to stay on for another four years. Like Joseph Blatter did in the 2011 FIFA presidential election, 66-year old Hayatou is bulldozing his way to victory without any opposition. Last September at the CAF extraordinary congress in Seychelles, he skillfully ensured that the rules for the presidential election were changed in his favour. The new rules bar anyone that is not a voting member of the CAF executive committee from vying for presidency. 38 December/January 2013
Consequently, his only declared challenger, Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast, is tactically eliminated from the race, six months before the election in Morocco, where Hayatou was first elected as the CAF president in 1988. Although Anouma sits on the CAF executive committee by virtue of his position as the continent’s representative on the FIFA executive committee, he is not a voting member. The changes also put an end to the
ambitions of undeclared potential candidates such as Danny Jordaan, chairman of the local organizing committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. By this, Hayatou’s sit-tight presidency is legitimized. It is Machiavellian politics at its best, and it is the type of politics that has stifled Africa’s progressive minds, growth and advancement in all frontiers of life. Hayatou has nothing new to offer African football. His almost 25 years of rule has been a mixed result of progress and problems. He spearheaded the commercialization of African soccer and allowed for more sponsorship money to come from the private sectors as opposed to traditional government funding. Similar to the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) model, the clubs that make it to the group stages of the continental championship are guaranteed financial rewards for their performance. Although peanuts compared to what clubs make in the UEFA cup championships, it is still seen as a step in the right direction if there is financial transparency and competitive bids for sponsorship packages. The number of participating countries
Jacques Anouma, from the Ivory Coast, will be challenging for the CAF presidency in March 2013.
in the biennial African Cup of Nations (ANC) finals has doubled from eight in 1988 to 16 now. This has created healthy competition among the nations and made the qualifying series exciting. It has given soccer “lightweight” countries such as Botswana and Burkina Faso opportunities to compete against soccer ‘heavyweights” like Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Egypt at the finals. But at the same time that he has taken African soccer a few steps higher than what it was when he assumed the CAF presidency in 1988, he has also dragged it backwards as a result of his vindictive politics and personal ambition. He centralized the decision-making power on football and suppressed any form of opposition or ideas not sanctioned by him. As a retired Nigerian soccer player and newspaper columnist, Segun Odegbami, aptly put it: “In the CAF family, you are either with the CAF president, or you were considered an ‘enemy’ to be excluded from all activities related to the
continental body. So, most members of the executive committee, national football association presidents and even members of CAF committees from various national associations have learned to be completely loyal to Issa [Hayatou] in order to continue to enjoy the benefits of their subservience.”
Hayatou has nothing new to offer African football. His almost 25 years of rule has been a mixed result of progress and problem.
The culture of patronage that has been professionalized in the CAF inner circus has no place in the modern soccer administration. Competence and merits should triumph over nepotism and personal rule. For this reason, one has to wonder if the 44 countries out of 51 that voted in favour of Hayatou’s “inspired” electoral changes were oblivious of what those changes would accomplish, or were they simply unable to let go of “golden freebies” like technical assistance grants and photo opportunities with Emperor Hayatou. Under their watchful eyes and that of the emperor’s, the local grass-root football culture has been fading away gradually. Every weekend in metropolitan cities such as Lagos and Nairobi, thousands of fans line up in various sport bars to watch matches from the English premier league and Spanish league. The aggressive marketing and wide TV coverage of these foreign leagues have supplanted local leagues. As a result, there is relatively little or no interest in the local matches. In fact, many local league matches are now played in empty stadia across the continent. If this trend continues, the future of the continent’s soccer tradition is bleak. This was also evident at the last two editions of ANC. Fans were barely at the stadia for many of the ANC matches. To further complicate this unfortunate scenario in some countries, the exclusive TV rights contract that CAF signed also removed the ANC matches from local television. The reason? Local media outlets could not purchase the expensive broadcasting rights for the ANC matches… one of many ironies in Hayatou’s 25-year reign. Another four years of his leadership is another four years of regression for African soccer. He has done his “best.” Now, he should gracefully exit the executive chamber.
InsideSOCCER 39
THE 2012
Toronto Croatia retained their First Division Champion title, making it to the playoff finals and recording a 1-0 result against the Montreal Impact Academy, Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic scoring the game-winning goal. In the Second Division Championship, Toronto FC Academy II came out on top.
CSL AWARDS BY Armen Bedakian
Photographs Courtesy of Les Jones – Covershots Inc. and Canpix Team honours aside, the CSL Awards was split up into individual player awards too, with honours like Most Valuable Player, Top Goalscorer, Rookie of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and Defender of the Year up for grabs. Marin VucemilovicGrgic can boast a game-winning goal in 2012, but he also picked up the CSL First Division’s MVP Award as well, for an outstanding season where he scored 18 goals. Vucemilovic-Grgic, however, was two goals shy of the Top Goalscorer winner Dražen Vukovic, who plays for SC Waterloo. Both players had great seasons in the first division, but in the CSL Second Division, both the MVP and the Top Goalscorer awards went to the same player: Gino Berardi of Windsor Stars B took both prizes home. Rookie of the year was a closely contested affair, and the Toronto FC Academy was well represented on the ballot sheet. Players like Nicola Paunic and Sergio Camargo were up for rookie accolades, but that title was given to Jonathan Osorio of SC Toronto. Though Toronto FC’s senior academy players lost out to SC Toronto, Mark Wadid of Toronto FC snatched the second division Rookie of the Year title up; Toronto FC’s only other award came for Mark Rogal, 40 December/January 2013
who won Goalkeeper of the Year in the CSL Second Division. The Impact was also nominated in several categories but only managed to pick up a Defender of the Year title for Maxim Tissot, who was exemplary in Montreal’s backline in the CSL First Division. For the Montreal Impact Academy’s first season in the CSL, they performed above expectations. What’s interesting here is that both Toronto FC and Montreal Impact’s academies, though provided with all the professional resources a club could ever need, do not have MVP or Top Goalscorers on their rosters. For clubs who pride themselves on being topclass football sides, it is the players on
Dick Howard (left), presents Antonio Ilic with the CSL Goalkeeper of the year award.
Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic was the Most Valuble Player in the CSL First Division.
smaller, surrounding teams that have done well. Teams like Toronto Croatia, SC Toronto, Windsor Stars B, SC Waterloo and Niagara United not only remained competitive, but actually triumphed ahead of many Toronto FC and Montreal Impact players; it’s a sign of how deeply entrenched some of these clubs are. Toronto Croatia has a rich history in the city, having been around since 1956; with an established name, they have won the title again and also have an MVP player on their roster. It’s something Toronto FC Academy’s management will be looking at closely. Yes, Toronto FC Academy won the Second Division title, but the question has to be asked; why aren’t players like Dražen Vukovic, Marin VucemilovicGrgic or Goalkeeper of the Year Antonio Ilic (also of Toronto Croatia) playing for Toronto FC? Food for thought! Other notable award winners include Windsor Stars head coach Stefano Vagnini for Coach of the Year and Malcolm Mings of Niagara United B for Second Division Defender of the Year!
Enio Perruzza was honoured with a special award for being the PA announcer at 3,000 games since 1986.
Toronto Croatia president Joe Pavicic (centre) with Antonio Ilic (Goalkeeper of the Year) and midfielder Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic (MVP)
Toronto Croatia forward Bozenko Lesina (left) and defender Kai Morton of Montreal Impact Academy, reach for the ball in the CSL Championship won 1-0 by Toronto Croatia. InsideSOCCER 41
COACH DAVE: MY CORNER
IT’S TIME FOR INDOOR SOCCER Indoor Soccer Games – COUNT ME OUT! Hurt Player Development BY DAVE KENNY
Photos by Kathleen George
The summer season has comes to a close. Champions have been crowned, trophies have been handed out, Christmas sales are almost here and the usual autumn question is asked by parents, players and administrators: “When are we starting indoors?” Indoors? The sun is still shining, its 10 degrees outside and there is no snow on the ground. Yet for some reason we are already talking about indoor soccer. Unfortunately, living in Southern Ontario, we apparently no longer have the desire to extend our soccer season beyond the first of September. For some unknown reason, sometime within the past few decades someone decided that the soccer season should end around Labour Day. I remember as a player and referee, back in the “old days” (about 30 years ago), house league finals were played the last week of September or the first week of October. Now, house league programs are finished by the middle or end of August. So what happened? Quite simply, the business suits took over from the tracksuits! At the youth level, soccer has become a business, not
42 December/January 2013
just a sport. Registrations have boomed. Towns and cities have raised user fees for field rental, clubs have hired paid staff to do jobs that volunteers used to do and many soccer clubs have hired professional coaches to operate their programs. When all the calculations were completed by the financially minded people, someone decided that a soccer season should last 14 weeks. That means the schedule can fit between Victoria Day and Labour Day. Even with my U13 rep team, our 18 game league schedule was jammed between May 29 and September 4. Back in the old days, when soccer season ended, hockey season started, usually around Thanksgiving. There was a slight overlapping in some cases because hockey try-outs would often start in September. Hockey did not usually interfere with soccer try-outs because
hockey was long over before soccer started. Now the two sports do overlap. Sometime in that 30-year span between the old days and today, the two sports decided that try-outs for next year’s teams should be after the current season is completed. I guess I am “old school” because I would prefer to select next year’s team, well, next year. I am not a fan of the current try-out system as it stands in most Ontario clubs. Consider the following: A house league player, hoping to play rep soccer “next” year, sits idle from August until rep tryouts in October. Most clubs want the rep teams selected within three weeks. Does that house league player have a legitimate shot at making the team? Is he really going to impress in three sessions? If a rep coach wants to improve his team, is he going to gamble on a house league player? No, he’s probably going to gamble on a rep player from another club. Our current rep system with promotion and relegation, determined by league standings, encourages coaches to recruit players rather than develop home grown players. Why would a coach want to spend the time to develop a house league player when there is already a “qualified”
player on the other side of the city? Why do we need to pick our rep teams in the fall when the season does not start until seven months down the road? Some parents need to know where their child will be playing next year. Will he or she be playing for an A or B team? In some cases that question is in what city will he be playing? So in reality, what is the hurry? Unfortunately, the reason is financial. Club administrators will tell you they need to have completed rosters in order to plan for the next season. Uniforms need to be ordered and deposits need to be paid. With most clubs operating on a “non-profit” basis, the money for the deposits comes from the players. The perception is that uniforms need to be ordered earlier in order to allow time for the manufacturing. The reality is, most uniforms are now manufactured offshore and, yes, there is lead time required to order, ship and print the uniforms. Does that require seven months? The manufacturers may tell you that, but it takes far less time than that. More prep time is needed if the supplier offers custom coloured uniforms, special numbers and multi- coloured sponsor prints, etc. However, since most uniforms are now straight out of a catalogue or “off the shelf,” manufacturers need more time to stock the uniforms than they do to actually process the orders. In addition to uniform deposits, players today have many other items to pay for prior to the start of the season. Many teams are forced to select their rosters early in order to start the neverending search for money. Fundraising has become an important aspect of the season’s preparation. Fundraising is required for tracksuits, bags, tournament entry, travel costs and more. As a result, there are now numerous companies that cater to the soccer market and the need to raise team funds. Teams can sell meat, chicken, water bottles, flowers, scratch tickets, cookie dough and so much more. Much of the funds raised needs to go towards indoor training, which has become somewhat mandatory if teams hope to compete the following season. New guidelines for player development
suggest we need a 10 month program in order to develop our players to their maximum potential. In most Canadian jurisdictions, that means we must go indoors. We don’t really have a choice. Renting school gymnasiums is still the cheapest option for indoor soccer, but competition is stiff. Basketball, volleyball, badminton, Boy Scouts and Girl Guides all want school gyms. Many soccer specific indoor facilities have popped up over the past few years. Some of these are owned by local government, others by soccer clubs or private enterprise. It is generally easier to find available hours for team training in these faciltiies. Unfortunately, these indoor soccer structures are not cheap to rent, with fees being in the neighborhood of $200 per hour. I accept that a 10 month program, in theory, will develop players better than a five-month, May-to-August schedule, begging the question of whether we should play in an indoor league or should we just train? Will another five months of games really help that much? I have discussed this topic with many coaches at various levels and opinions are split. Coaches with the highest level players generally support indoor leagues as a way to “stay competitive.” Lower league coaches often would rather see the kids play something else in the winter. Midlevel league coaches, among whom I apparently fall, have mixed thoughts on the subject. I like the idea of expanding the season, but for me there is too much emphasis on joining leagues and playing games. I prefer the system of training and developing during the off-season. I think players should take a break and not go
straight from outdoor to indoor and then back to outdoor soccer. (To emphasize in a “Canadian” way, even Wayne Gretzky didn’t play hockey all year round). Not only do players need time off, but I think that coaches need a bit of recovery time too. From early spring to early September, my team played close to 40 games (exhibition, league and tournament play) and had over 80 training sessions packed into a six month period. Even for a non-parent coach, such as me, that is a lot of days and nights away from family, friends and vacations. Indoor soccer, in a way, has become a sport of its own. The Ontario Soccer Association even promotes its Indoor Provincial Championship. You can play regular rules (if your indoor field is large enough), the futsal version or the mini version of the outdoor game. Soccer clubs that have their own facilities run indoor house leagues. Registration is cheaper than hockey, and these leagues attract a large number of players. They also create a nice cash flow for the OSA, which requires a player to register specifically as an “indoor” player. Even a summer rep player wishing to play in a pre-season indoor game will still be required to register as an “indoor” player. I consider this a cash grab, disguised as an insurance issue, and I will do my best not to be a part of it. So why don’t I join indoor leagues? Personally, I think development comes from training and not games. I do not believe the benefits of indoor league action are justified by the costs. Consider most leagues fees are around $2,000 for a 15 game schedule. The way leagues are set up in my area, all teams travel to InsideSOCCER 43
a central location for all games. Nobody actually plays at a home field. Games are usually 50 minutes in length and, therefore, the average player will be on the field for 15-30 of those minutes. If there are 12 players on the field, the most each player will average touching the ball will be two minutes. That’s about 30 touches per minute, which multiplies to a whopping 60 touches of the ball. Factor in the travel time, and I don’t see any net benefit. I would rather spend that hour a week ensuring a player gets 700-1,000 touches of the ball in a facility about 10 minutes from home during a training and development session. So what does my “off-season” look like? First, there is a three or four week break where the only soccer I see is on television or as a spectator watching university games or MLS. That is followed
by a fall/winter training program, which is about one or two hours a week. That lasts until the New Year. It is not games, it is skill training, designed to give players as many touches as possible. I like to get my players out just once a week to keep soccer on their minds, but not so much that they burn out. I want my players to play hockey or basketball or music, because lessons and disciplines learned from other activities are transferable to soccer. For many years we have seen European hockey teams using soccer to get ready for hockey season. Why do soccer people think it cannot work the other way as well? Once I get to January, my program will increase by another two or three hours per week. That is when my team is selected, fitness training kicks in and my fundraising commences. Cost per player will increase
DRILL OF THE MONTH
Players should work for a limited time (30 seconds or one minute) and attempt to make as many passes back to the outside as possible. After each timed session, servers and runners switch positions.
SET UP • Use the centre circle of the field or set out cones in a 20 yard diameter circle. • In the middle of the circle set four cones in a box formation approx 4yds x 4yds. Half the players spread out around the circumference of the circle (servers) and the other half should be in the centre box (runners). • Servers on the outside each have a ball.
START On coach’s signal (whistle) players in the box sprint to the outside of the circle and call for a pass from one of the players with a ball. Runners return the pass to the outside players and run back through the centre box and toward another outside player to call for the next pass. 44 December/January 2013
Variations Start with running players controlling and passing with three “touches” and progress to two and then one touch. Have the server toss the ball from the hands, to the runners’ thighs, chest, head or top of the foot for control or direct “volley back.” Use your imagination to change the game. For instance, have players on the outside switch positions with runners in a continuous fashion.
Coaching Points • Players must “call” for the ball. • Ensure quality service to allow for best
from about $10 per week to $15. Some of my fellow coaches believe teams should play all winter rather than train. It keeps players “game fit” and allows them to play against teams that you never see in the summer league. While playing different teams is attractive, does not playing those teams mean my team will be behind in development when spring rolls around? I don’t think so. In fact, I believe that better ball skill development and winter fitness training will far surpass any benefit the players get by playing in a league once a week. Generally, the teams that play in indoor leagues select their rosters during the fall tryouts, in September or October. As a coach who wants to see the individual player develop, I am not a fan of the fall tryout system. Therefore I do not support fall team selection and, by extension, indoor leagues. I believe indoor soccer leagues actually limit player development. Would I like to play in a league rather than train? Sure I would! I love games as much as the next guy. From a selfish standpoint, I would love not to have to make up practice plans each week or give any individual attention to players. That, however, would be taking the easy way out. My players expect and deserve better.
success on return passes. • Players should sprint from centre square in a definite “change of direction”. • Have players “shoulder check” to look for “defenders”. Keep extra balls close by to replace balls from errant passes. • forces striker to hold the ball and wait for support. • makes midfield players join the attack quickly.
Why This Works Players learn to control ball with various parts of the body while passing and moving. Communication is also improved as players must call for passes.
FOUR REASONS TO PLAY FUTSAL BY KRIS FERNANDES
Photo by Kathleen George
The indoor soccer season has kicked into full gear and with that comes the decision as to where to play during winter.
Futsal Team and there is also the FIFA Futsal World Cup. Futsal will be an Olympic gold medal sport within 6-8 years and will be in the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. Wouldn’t it be something special if one of your kids put on the Canadian jersey to compete for an Olympic medal? You can’t get there with traditional indoor. 4) FUTSAL IS SAFER: Futsal uses an accumulated foul system like in basketball. Every team has five fouls per half, and when a team hits six or more, the opposing team gets an unopposed free kick on the goalkeeper, essentially a penalty shot. The game rewards technical skill and fair play, while penalizing physically aggressive players. Also, there are no slide tackles in futsal, which forces players to get into better
With a slew of leagues offering everything from 7v7 to full-sized 11v11, the options are certainly there. But with every indoor league more or less being cookiecutter and costing quite a lot of money to play in, you should consider looking at an alternative. That alternative is futsal. Here are four reasons why futsal is much better for your kids’ development than turf indoor. 1) FUTSAL IS ECONOMICAL: With prices charged for indoor turf leagues often ranging from $2,500 for small-sided youth through a bank-breaking $3,500 for 11v11, it has become very expensive to play indoor soccer. And that doesn’t even include the referee fees at every game. In keeping with FIFA rules, futsal leagues typically range between $1,100-$1,600, with most, including referee and district fees. Some actually give big discounts for clubs that divide their teams in two. As a result of high costs associated with turf, it’s now the norm for teams playing in domes to train in gyms simply because they don’t have money to pay for practices on turf. So with gym prices costing a fraction of turf time costs, why wouldn’t you play futsal on courts and save your money? 2) FUTSAL IS SUPERIOR FOR TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT: Imagine you’re typing a document without the use of one of the five vowels. It would be futile, as the whole thing would turn out bad. Well the philosophy behind futsal forces players to become more skilful players, as the focus is on the total team mentality and its emphasis on demanding offensive and defensive responsibility from every player, as opposed to strictly set positions. Consequently, if one key breaks down, the whole keyboard suffers. Futsal
is 5-a-side (including the keeper), and it is played on a smaller court with a low-bounce ball that keeps the ball where it should be: at the player’s feet. Futsal players receive far more touches than in other indoor formats (which is the whole point right?), think and react much quicker, and are constantly moving into position, which enhances their 1v1 skills. Like in hockey, there are also unlimited, on-the-fly substitutions in futsal, which keeps the pace of the game fast. Just ask any coach or parent who put their kid in futsal what they thought. Chances are it will be overwhelmingly positive. 3) FUTSAL IS FIFA’S OFFICIAL INDOOR GAME: You will not see a 7v7 or 9v9 indoor soccer championship at CONCACAF and FIFA competitions. Futsal is the only fully FIFA-supported version of indoor soccer that has mandated its members, including the Canadian Soccer Association, to grow the sport. There is a Canadian National
position to mark defenders and protects players from ankle and leg injuries. Lastly, with no boards used in futsal, unlike in arena soccer, the risk of head and spinal injuries is drastically reduced.
PLACES TO PLAY FUTSAL www.torontofutsalleague.com www.futsalottawa.com www.barriefutsal.com www.futsalsudbury.com www.unohalifax.com www.ligamontreal.com www.lcfutsalleague.com InsideSOCCER 45
Teal Bunbury of Kansas City vs. Richard Eckersley of Toronto FC
GROWING PAINS: HOW MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER DEVELOPS THE BEAUTIFUL GAME BY ARMEN BEDAKIAN Photographs Courtesy of Les Jones – Covershots Inc.
The 1994 FIFA World Cup gave the United States an upclose look at the beautiful game. It was a spectacle for the world (Diane Ross’ embarrassing attempt at goal notwithstanding), an international tournament that hosted the world’s finest footballers. Behind the scenes of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S.A., Major League Soccer began to grow. 46 December/January 2013
Behind the scenes of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S.A., Major League Soccer began to grow. Major League Soccer (MLS for short) was born on the back of the U.S.A.’s successful World Cup bid. The league kicked off in 1996, and slowly grew into a top-class competition. It’s been 17 years since MLS’ inception, and the league has become the top-tier level in U.S. soccer. There are currently 19 teams, 16 American, three Canadian, with plans for expansion to New York City already in the works. Growth has been measured, partly because it had to be: the league before MLS, the North American Soccer League (NASL), grew too fast and collapsed into
itself after financial disparity gave few clubs a real shot at winning. MLS has learned from those mistakes and has taken up the goal of self-sustainability, coupled with a strong, U.S. national team interest. Commissioner Don Garber would tell you MLS is growing safely, as opposed to slowly, and has done so by sticking to a clear, defined goal: Grow the game in the U.S.A. Major League Soccer now faces the challenge of growing in a period of transition, between the era of establishing itself as a legitimate source of high-quality football and becoming competitive with the rest of the world. As such, the goals of the league have changed, and with Canadian clubs now in the fold, the question must be asked - does Major League Soccer ultimately help or hinder Canadian soccer? MLS is a league whose core philosophy aims to improve the game in the United States. One of its primary objectives is to strengthen the core of U.S. players to help with the national team. Many U.S. internationals either ply their trade or kicked off their careers in MLS. The league gives youth players a chance at success, and many have moved on to European clubs. That’s not to say Canadians don’t play in MLS; Dwayne De Rosario, Julian de Guzman, Will Johnson, Andre Hainault, Ante Jazic, Ashtone Morgan, Dejan Jakovic, and Terry Dunfield are just some of the national team regulars that play in MLS. There’s a couple of things that the league does that keep the game growing; expansion to new cities like Philadelphia, Seattle, and Portland have created new soccer markets, while expanding to Canada with Toronto FC, the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact has helped build the game outside of the United States. Soccer-specific stadiums are another selling point for the league. With BBVA Compass Field in Houston, New York Red Bulls Arena in New Jersey and Livestrong Park in Kansas, the league has built its fair share of shrines for the beautiful game, and the fans have responded in kind. But the soccer stadiums are indicative of a new standard of quality; no longer are old college fields acceptable, nor are American football stadiums. This standard translates itself into the actual football; no longer is physical soccer the accepted format of the game. More and more teams are moving towards a more quick and technical style. The fans appreciate it too, and new (and old) fan bases have grown in the process. Along with a higher standard of play comes higher quality players, and the U.S. Men’s National Team can’t be more pleased; the likes of Kyle Beckerman, Nick Rimando, and Chris Wondolowski have broken through to the national team via their impressive MLS displays. Players like Jay DeMerit or Charlie Davies, who hit road bump in their game in Europe, returned to MLS and thrived. Head Coach Frank Yallop with Assistant Coach Mark Watson of the San Jose Earthquakes.
InsideSOCCER 47
Again, this isn’t a uniquely American situation – many Canadians have resurrected their careers by moving to the MLS: Julian de Guzman, Patrice Bernier and Terry Dunfield are some notable examples. The trio went from warming the bench in Europe to become starters for various MLS outfits. Exposure is important to MLS, as they continue to gain brand recognition. MLS recently signed a broadcast deal with NBC. Designated Players help raise the profile of the league, while bringing their own personal brands to the league; both David Beckham and Thierry Henry have star power that translates into more advertising, more media exposure and more brand recognition. The irony, here, is that even though Beckham and Henry bring the starpower, it is Dwayne De Rosario who won accolades last season, winning the league-MVP award. De Rosario’s success at club level translates well to his international form. More minutes, more success. Internationals can find those minutes in Major League Soccer, instead of fading away on the benches in Europe. As for style itself, U.S. head coach Jürgen Klinsmann has asked MLS clubs to play in a 4-3-3 formation, so that the transition from club to international level can be smoother for the players themselves. The same cannot be said for Canada; Stephen Harts’ former 4-3-3 formation was a system that the three Canadian club teams had no interest in emulating; Toronto FC came closest, but couldn’t make the formation work for them. Players who play for Canada are thrust into a new situation, often out of position; take Will Johnson, who is used to playing wide in a 4-4-2 at Real Salt Lake, and ends up playing central midfield for the national team. Young players in the U.S.A. are being developed to play 4-3-3 soccer under Klinsmann; Canadian youth have no such unified direction. Youth is an important aspect for development. The MLS SuperDraft takes place once a year and gives the top college-level footballers a direct route to professional football. This allows players to pursue football as a legitimate career choice, instead of risking their careers Mounties get ready to present the 2010 MLS Cup trophy at BMO Field in Toronto. 48 December/January 2013
and moving to Europe where there is much less accommodation. Generation Adidas contracts are handed out to a select few, and this incentivizes their signings from the teams who draft them – GA contracted players have their salaries paid for them and do not count against the salary cap. Almost every U.S. national has gone through the SuperDraft, but Canadians are vastly underrepresented. One or, maybe, two viable Canadian candidates surface every year, and most have played in the U.S. for a large part of their youth career; Teal Bunbury is the latest example of a SuperDraft Canadian, but Bunbury chose to play for the U.S.A. instead, since so much of his personal development came from the U.S. soccer setup. Meanwhile, MLS teams have put in place their own personal developmental strategies, with academies and residency programs popping up across the continent. This has already yielded quite a few notable players, including Bill Hamid in DC, Juan Agudelo in New York, and Tristan Bowen in Chivas USA – all three have been involved in the U.S. national team roster since graduating. This is an area where, perhaps, Canada has been equal if not stronger than the United States; Toronto FC has churned out the likes of Ashtone Morgan, Doneil Henry, and Matt Stinson, and the future
of the TFC Academy looks very bright. Vancouver has Bryce Alderson in their roster, and Montreal has kicked off their Academy in style, making it to the CSL playoff finals. There are plenty of aspects of MLS that Canada benefits from, but there are still challenges. Simply put, the MLS has no incentive to grow the game in Canada, so the clubs themselves take it on their shoulders. Vancouver has chosen to use more American or international players to fill out their roster, and have made the playoffs because of it; Toronto FC, meanwhile, chooses to use more Canadians, and have endured a miserable six years in MLS. At the end of the day, MLS’ longterm developmental goals may not coincide with Canada’s directly, but the benefits are far, far greater than the drawbacks. As the league continues to grow in the name of U.S. soccer, Canada has stubbornly benefited from it. With Major League Soccer, Canada has access to all the benefits of the U.S. system, its infrastructure, competition-level and quality providing Canadian players with a world-class league to thrive in. So let Canada thrive in MLS – the real goal is to one day surpass it!
MAKING STRIDES: Breakout Canadians of 2012
Montreal Impact’s Patrice Bernier
BY Armen Bedakian Photographs Courtesy of Canadian Soccer Association, Montreal Impact & Les Jones - Covershots Inc.
Do you remember Diego Forlan? The Uruguayan forward was once the talk of the football world. After an impressive display at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Forlan went from being an unknown striker in La Liga to being touted as one of the finest forwards in the game of football. How the mighty have fallen – his form dipped, and after a move to Inter Milan went wrong, Forlan was forgotten by the world of football. The same happens for the Canadian Men’s National Team; players rise and fall, new faces take over from old, established characters, and heroes are born once more. As new players are capped and substitutes become starters, it’s a player’s form that plays a big part in their reputation. Every year, new Canadians win the hearts of football fans at home. Will Johnson was a starlet in 2010; Andre Hainault was the breakout star in 2011; which players stole the show in 2012? There’s quite a few to pick from: In the Canadian Soccer League, there are numerous new players that the national team may one day rely on. Dražen Vukovic and Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic won accolades for their goalscoring, while Tyler Pasher and Maxim Tissot were on the lips of Toronto FC and Montreal Impact fans respectively. Major League Soccer had three Canadian standouts in the 2012 season. Toronto FC’s Ashtone Morgan, an Academy graduate, earned the spot at leftback, starting 27 games (playing 30 out of 34!) while recording five assists. Canada has historically had trouble filling the fullback role, and Ashtone Morgan was certainly recognized as an important squad player for the national side. If Morgan continues
to develop at this pace, he will soon replace an aging Ante Jazic for the starting leftback spot for the national team. Morgan was involved in the 2011 season, sure, but it was the 2012 season that solidified his position with Toronto FC. He played more than 2500 minutes this season, beating his 903-minute mark for the season prior. The argument can be made that Morgan started because of a lack of options at leftback, but it’s hard to think of a player in MLS that can unquestionably be better in his position anyway. Meanwhile, in Montreal, a onceforgotten midfielder was reborn in Patrice Bernier. Bernier had been playing his football quietly in Germany, but moved back to his native Quebec to play for the newest MLS side, the Montreal Impact.
Toronto FC’s Ashtone Morgan
Bernier played 27 games for the Impact, scoring a whopping nine goals from midfield, and earned club MVP honours to boot! Stephen Hart noticed his form, and Bernier became a legitimate challenger to Julian de Guzman’s spot in the midfield. Both players did well at their respective clubs, but neither player holds a candle to the emergence of one Mr. Terry Dunfield. Toronto FC’s Terry Dunfield (right)
Dunfield – who won MVP of Toronto FC this season – went from being a depth player to an undisputed starter, winning the coaches over, and establishing himself as a key figure in Toronto FC’s midfield. The best part of Dunfield’s game was that he was an average player at best. Somehow, Dunfield’s work ethic and character was enough to make him a star. Like Forlan, Dunfield may be one of those players who enjoyed one year of exemplary football, but unlike Forlan, Dunfield will live on in the memory as the top Canadian footballer in 2012. He came from nowhere, scored a handful of goals, and convinced Toronto – and Canada – he was the cream of the crop. Let’s see who breaks out in 2013!
InsideSOCCER 49
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Ontario’s Path to the Future! Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) is mandated by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), so the question is not whether we do this, but how. We must do it well to get it “right” so it benefits our young players and the future of soccer in Ontario. We understand that change is often uncomfortable but this is the time to shift the landscape so the game, and our players, will be better off 10 years from now. This is one of the most important initiatives in our sport in many years. It will be crucial for the districts, clubs and coaches to get behind this and demonstrate their leadership and support. Without getting into all the science and research (and it is available), LTPD is absolutely considered to be “best practice” by top soccer nations. This is a turning point for soccer in Ontario and in Canada and we need everyone’s support.
54 December/January 2013
EDUCATION
In a nutshell, the philosophy of LTPD is very simple and practical: for “recreational” players, we not only want them to develop basic physical, literacy and be fit, but also receive excellent instruction and have fun. By giving them a strong foundation players are more likely to stay in the sport, if they so choose, hopefully for life. For the player with the desire and or talent who wants “more”, LTPD creates more time on the ball, advanced coaching approaches, great training, challenge, and the opportunity to play “up” or “down” (depending on size, physical maturity, etc.). Importantly, there will be opportunities for more talented players to be team with maybe the same 20 players receiving specialized attention year after year, we will have players identified in many more regions across the province. This will increase the number of players
“When patterns are broken new worlds emerge” Tuli Kupferberg who will have a legitimate opportunity to be “identified”, and not only when they are 12 or 13. Youth players tend to be chosen because of their size and speed at this young age, although there are many other critical components to player development. We have missed late bloomers, by the very nature of our selection process, causing us to miss
some great talent. LTPD is not “new” in the rest of the soccer world. In fact, it’s so “not new” that most countries don’t even use the terminology. It is just the way soccer bodies in those countries develop players, run competition and set up their structure, to ensure the focus is on developing players, not on youngsters “winning games”. Research has proven that, to get the very best out of a player’s potential, they need certain things to be available to them at certain stages of their physical and mental development in the sport. LTPD will provide this. What we are doing currently isn’t working. It’s not that clubs aren’t doing some very good work, because they are. But we need to shift away from emphasizing (at the early ages) too many games and the focus on winning. Instead, we will emphasize improved coaching approaches, more time on the ball and real skills development.
We aren’t stopping competition at all. Kids will still play plenty of “games”, but we are moving toward a different culture, a different mindset. The scope of this approach and what is required across the province. This will increase the number of players who will to implement changes, even phased in over time, is huge. The truth is, right now in Ontario, we have a disconnected, confusing, highly fragmented “player pathway”. So confusing in fact, that it is not really much of a pathway at all. Coaching education is changing. The new CSA Physical Literacy first stream of coaching courses are now ready for delivery in January 2012. They involve a new exciting methodology and philosophy that places the player at the centre of the learning experience.
CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION GATHERING We recognize there will be push back, from some coaches and many parents, perhaps. We want to provide coaches, clubs and districts with all the assistance we can. We will be phasing in LTPD, starting with pilot projects in 2012 and initial implementation at the early ages in 2013. This will be phased in over a 6-8 year period. We do not want to implement sudden changes, to the detriment and disappointment of our players. 4 February/March 2012
As we move through this process, we will be working hand in hand to do this right for our players, our coaches and our referees. This will require patience from all of us. Importantly, we need to stem the widespread misinformation that continues to be put “out there”. We will be gathering important information and having province-wide meetings to discuss concepts to ensure everyone is working together on the best way forward for all of Ontario. InsideSOCCER 55
IMPLEMENTATION
We are absolutely moving ahead with LTPD but want to consult widely so that we create the best possible “made-inOntario” solution for our players, coaches, referees, clubs and districts. We are working on a new competitive structure that will: a) be optimal for our young players and b) respect the challenges each district will face in this transition period. LTPD will be phased, gradual and deliverable from The OSA, through to the districts, clubs, coaches, referees and players. (We will have more detail and much more in the way of specifics for you early in 2012.) New coaching curriculum is in place and we will roll out new coaching courses early in the New Year. We are developing a unified, consistent pathway. A model everyone can understand and that is right for all players, coaches and referees. We have to communicate with each other to share and address any and all concerns and we will need to communicate with all interested parties to deliver a clear and unified message around LTPD.
COMMUNICATION
We will continue to provide regular updates for districts and clubs on all stages of LTPD throughout 2012. • Development of updated LTPD content on the OSA and supporting websites.
• Development of LTPD videos to support and reinforce key messages. • Regular website updates.
• Develop specific Q&A’s for parents and coaches
• Development of Ontario specific LTPD information and brochures.
OUTCOME OF OCTOBER TECHNICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL (TAC) MEETING
• TAC has endorsed re-shaping the OSA league and competitive structure. • Leagues will no longer be focused on “promotion” and “relegation”. Instead, the onus will be on individual clubs to meet approved standards.
• Regular communication via e-mail and web site for players, coaches, parents, club and district head coaches and technical directors.
• The specific criteria that will establish the “standard” clubs will be asked to meet is being researched by TAC.
• Consultation schedule developed for 2012.
• The approval process will be thorough and fully transparent.
“It’s the constant and determined effort that breaks down all resistance and sweeps away all obstacles” Claude M. Bristol
SPECIFIC ACTION STEPS IN 2012 •
The OSA has endorsed a phased in approach that will see LTPD gradually implemented between 2012 and 2018, beginning with the youngest ages (4-8). Some clubs are already moving in this direction, and pilot projects will be introduced throughout 2012 to pave the way for broader implementation in 2013.
• New “Learning Facilitator” workshops will begin in November 2011, with coaching programs being introduced in January that will reflect the greater emphasis on player-centred coaching. • Creating coaching resources for each development stage in 2012. • OSA Coaches Conference. • Province-wide meetings and consultation.
56 December/January 2013
RECENT PROVINCIAL TOUR PROVES PASSION FOR THE FUTURE OF SOCCER Recently, I was pleased to be part of a cross-province tour with our Executive Director, Lisa Beatty and our Chief Technical Officer, Alex Chiet. We wanted to meet with – and hear directly from – all those who will be part of moving Long-Term Player Development forward in the months and years to come. We were well received by our Districts and Clubs every step along the way. At each of our nine “stops” – from Bowmanville and Windsor to Fort Frances and Ottawa – we were challenged, questioned and pushed to think outside the box. I found it to be an exhilarating experience, because we were surrounded by coaches, referees, parents, volunteers and administrators from so many of our Clubs and Districts who, like us, want what is best for all of our young players – which is what LTPD is all about.
I came away from these sessions with a few key “takeaway” thoughts: • Unity within our soccer community is crucially important going forward. • We need, more than ever, to work with one another and not against each other. • The OSA has to continue to re-build its credibility with members and stakeholders who have too often felt (and rightly so) disenfranchised in the past. • We need to aggressively explore even stronger relationships with bordering provinces (Quebec and Manitoba) and U.S. states (Michigan and Minnesota) to further inter-provincial (and extra-provincial) relationships and also competition opportunities for our players. • We need to “de-layer” the system. • We must make our rules and regulations simpler and easier to understand as we build a clear, understandable player pathway that is about our players, first and foremost. • Coach and referee education and opportunity for growth is paramount. • We must break down old barriers, reach out to non-OSA stakeholders and forge new and stronger relationships to grow and benefit everyone in this great game.
I also came away recognizing that the OSA has to continue to communicate regularly and openly with each of you. I believe we have done so in the last 18 months, but historically, we have fallen short in this regard. You expect and deserve more and we are working hard to be better. One other thing that was really brought home to me during our recent travels is the importance of our small Clubs. I sensed some anxiety in some of our stops that smaller Clubs feel they are being “lost” as we move forward with LTPD. I want to assure you that that is not the case. Small and mid-size Clubs have been the backbone of soccer in this province for generations. That will not change. Because some Clubs want to be part of the new Ontario Player Development League (OPDL), there may be, in some instances, efforts to affiliate or even amalgamate Clubs, if OPDL membership is a priority for particular Clubs. We understand that and where feasible, we support that. But it is vital that we also continue to support and embrace the role of our small Clubs, and at the same time, honour the legacy that those Clubs have created over many years. Hopefully we will soon reach a point where Clubs will think less in terms of being “in competition” with other nearby Clubs, and instead, will focus primarily on player and coach development. For example, if it is what they do best, Clubs should take immense pride in helping a player along at the early ages. Then, when they can’t do much more for a particular youngster, they should ensure that young boy or girl can move on to a Club or Academy that will be in a position to accelerate the young player’s development. In the same breath, we at the OSA have to do a much better job of celebrating and recognizing those local successes, so our smaller local Clubs do not feel they have somehow “lost” something. They should be applauded for their great contribution to developing that young player, even if the player ultimately leaves the Club. There are other important observations I’d like to share with you, and I will do so in subsequent updates. Thank you to all the Districts and Clubs that hosted us, and those who took the time to attend one of the recent sessions. I congratulate all those who are looking at the big picture and doing all that you can to build a positive future for soccer in Ontario. Ron Smale 6 February/March 2012
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