Europe - no / Canada - yes

[Robert]

European clubs do not produce Canadian talent, they develop Canadian talent. Canadian talent can only be produced in Canada and therefore a national soccer structure needs to be implimented in order to facilitate this process. The current CSA administration has shown for the last 18 years, that they lack the vision to come up with a framework to support this concept. They want stadiums built, they want two or three Canadian teams to play in the American MLS, they want training camps in Florida and Europe. Not one of these goals is anything more than fodder for the occasional media spotlight the CSA gets subjected to. Canada needs to have a competitive soccer structure in place, where domestic talent has a chance to be discovered and nutured so that more Canadian players have a greater chance of making it overseas where their talent can be developed to a higher level. The bottom line Mr. Pipe (President of the CSA) is, that it all starts right here in Canada.

[Paddy]

Hi,

Under Holger, many of the youth programs were reinstated, so for once I cannot blame the CSA.

I don't feel that we really have trouble producing the talent; our real trouble lies in what to do with it when it comes of age. Owen H. is a prime example.

As long as I can remember we have always been quite competitive at the youth level, but that success is not sustainable without a thriving national league (or participation in the MLS).

So for now, once our youth have outgrown what is available in Canada, they must turn to other markets to continue their development. I personally don’t see a Canadian league being successful – too much travel, too many small markets. I think the MLS is the way to go as far as continuing development of local talent.

[redhat]

I'm assuming that you would advocate for another CUSL model

rather than the current MLS-USL plan favoured by the CSA.

I really don't know if that's feasible, based on the previous

KPMG study. Can the financial pitfalls of the late CSL be avoided?

Because the MLS is well-funded, would this be a better route?

But why discard Europe as the main developer? Stalteri was very

fortunate to be discovered by Bremen and with his work ethic is one

of the Bundesliga's premier backs. But if he didn't get discovered,

would he still be lingering with the Lynx?

I don't know. I can agree with your statement (Robert's) somewhat

and yet not completely. A domestic league demands more than will.

It needs financial backing, marketing, infrastructure, and the

ability to handle the risks. New management may not have the

fortitude.

[Canuck Oranje]

At what point is the talent produced and development begin?

I would argue that we do a lousy job of developing the talent that we produce. The Canadian youth system is fine to about 15-16 years of age. The problem is after that.

[Robert]

quote:Originally posted by Canuck Oranje

At what point is the talent produced and development begin?

I would argue that we do a lousy job of developing the talent that we produce. The Canadian youth system is fine to about 15-16 years of age. The problem is after that.

Oranje Boven

We all know that we have young soccer talent in Canada. How much we really don't, because there is no national system to measure all the talent we potentially have. Just take late bloomers for instances. The current system has proven to be internationally competitive while our talent is in the teenage years, this applies to both men and women. In Canada, we do not pocess the soccer infra-structure to develop the talent beyond the physical abilities of the player. To develop technical ability requires that a Canadian player needs to go out of the country. It does not have to be Europe. I'm sure a Mexican education would also enhance technical abilitiy.

[Canuck Oranje]

The challenge for young players over 15 or 16 is to stay interested. If they are talented enough, there is Europe. If they are not quite there, there is NCAA in the USA or the A-League.

In my opinion, the structure is there. But, the incentive is not in front of young players. Simply spending more money on a structure will not have a significant impact on players without also providing some sense of a professional future.

Then we get to the same old question, who pays? Sorry, I don't think gov't is an option.

That leads us back to getting players into Europe. Kind of where we are now.

[DarnCherry]

quote:Originally posted by redhat

I'm assuming that you would advocate for another CUSL model

rather than the current MLS-USL plan favoured by the CSA.

I really don't know if that's feasible, based on the previous

KPMG study. Can the financial pitfalls of the late CSL be avoided?

Because the MLS is well-funded, would this be a better route?

If there was a KPMG study of the MLS or USL plan before those leagues took off I'm quite sure that the study would say both those leagues wouldn't have been feasible.

[Robert]

This rant was published in today's (December 5) Vancouver Province on page E8. It is the second time I have written to the Province, the first was also published on October 15. The point being that this newspaper does listen and publish soccer reader's points of view. I post this to encourage others to do likewise so our voices may be heard by a larger Canadian audience.

[RJB]

If anyone is familiar with Roman Tulis, you will know that we can produce some quality talent. In fact, if you speak to him, he'll tell you that Canada can compete on a world stage until we're about 16-18, at which point we tail off because we lack quality coaching.

Tulis would often bring a team to Europe, and play in popular tournaments like the Ian Rush tournament in Wales, and he'd be hugely succesful.

[G-Man]

We don't even produce decent coaches. How the hell are we expect to produce decent international calibre players. We need good coaches not more money pit leagues that don't fly.

[Robert]

quote:Originally posted by G-Man

We don't even produce decent coaches. How the hell are we expect to produce decent international calibre players. We need good coaches not more money pit leagues that don't fly.

Why not hire a some good coaches to coach our coaches. A two week clinic with Rinus Michels, followed by two weeks of Beckenbauer and then get Sven when he takes his holidays. Six weeks of the best at $2,000 a week. $12,000 for the whole program. 10 coaches would be $120,000 and then we could pay each of these guys $40,000 each for two weeks of work and it would wind up costing us nothing to get 10 highly trained coaches. Coaching problem solved. Next?

[Canuck Oranje]

We already have the National Coaching Certification Program. The A-licence and B-licence programs are intended to be high level training programs for coaches. The harder part is convince a large enough quantity of quality coaching material to volunteer their time and energy to obtain their C-licence so that they qualify for selection. There is no incentive to give up that amount of time.

For many volunteers, a $40,000 coaching position is not enough incentive. Then again, who pays?

[Robert]

quote:Originally posted by Canuck Oranje

We already have the National Coaching Certification Program. The A-licence and B-licence programs are intended to be high level training programs for coaches. The harder part is convince a large enough quantity of quality coaching material to volunteer their time and energy to obtain their C-licence so that they qualify for selection. There is no incentive to give up that amount of time.

For many volunteers, a $40,000 coaching position is not enough incentive. Then again, who pays?

We, as Canadians, have to become a soccer economy. The CSA has nothing of worth to sell us. It is an empty organization which drains us of much of the little we have. As you mentioned, why would someone invest time and money into a CSA program which will bear no dividends. For Canadian soccer to develop an active market we must boycot the CSA, not Canada, just the CSA. They have nothing to offer. The national teams are international embarrasments, the poorest soccer products I have ever spent money on. The only reason I do so is like many others, out of loyalty to this country. That is what Kevan Pipe lives off of. CSA coaching program according to yourself don't deliver the goods. What is the CSA really good for?