Toronto Lynx Academy (the girl's side)

[Rocket Robin]

I could see this was going to happen as soon as the Toronto Lynx bought the Toronto Inferno that it wouldn't take long before there'd be a women's side to their academy. Which of you readers mentioned there's big money in this?

........................................................

TORONTO LYNX PREMIER SOCCER ACADEMY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LYNX ACADEMY ANNOUNCES U16 GIRLS SUPER Y LEAGUE TRY OUTS FOR 2005!

Wednesday, December 22, 2004 (TORONTO, ON) – The Toronto Lynx Premier Soccer Academy today announced the open try out schedule for the 2005 U16 Girls Super Y League team. The sessions will be hosted at the Hangar at Downsview Park alongside the boys’ teams tryouts on Sunday January 9th and 16th, 2005. The session times for interested elite female players (born on or after January 1, 1989) will be from 2:00 – 3:30 pm on both dates. Players will be expected to attend both sessions. Details of tryouts for the girls U19 SYL team will be made available in early January. Further information regarding plans for 2005 together with Super Y League details is available by contacting Academy Director, Duncan Wilde at 905-469-8783 or by email at premiersoccer@scdm.ca.

“We are extremely pleased and very much looking forward to adding an elite girls SYL opportunity to our year-round Academy programs,” commented Wilde. “We are in the process of recruiting an experienced coaching team that will be responsible for presenting a high caliber technical program for the U16 girls in 2005”. Suitably qualified and interested coaches are invited to contact the Academy Director before January 9, 2005.

The U16 Girls Jr. Lynx will participate in the Great Lakes Region Conference of the Super Y League operated by the USL in 2005. The scheduling will be completed at the SYL Operations Meeting to be held in Chicago in February 2005. It is anticipated that the League schedule will begin play in late April with League games being completed in early August followed by North American Play-Off Championships to be hosted in November 2005 in Orlando, Florida. Full details regarding the Super Y League are available at www.superyleague.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TORONTO LYNX PREMIER SOCCER ACADEMY

1333 North Service Road West, Oakville, Ontario

905-469-8783 www.premiersocceracademy.com

SUPER Y LEAGUE OPEN TRYOUTS

DUNCAN WILDE and BILLY STEELE, Academy Directors

together with the Junior Lynx Super Y League coaching staff

INVITE

ALL ELITE PLAYERS, ages Girls U16, Boys U15, U16, U17 and U18/U19 to attend the

Junior Lynx – Super Y League Open Try Outs

for identification for our 2005 SYL Teams.

[Kelly]

CA CHING.

If the Ottawa Fury can charge 250 a month per player. That's 3000 grand a year. Then I wonder what the Lynx will charge. The question for these players is whether the SYL will provide better competition that the OYSL or an in to the W-league team considering the mark up.

Very few Fury kids are on the W-league team at the moment.

[dutcy]

What are the players supposed to get out of this Super Y league? Watching couple of the training sessions at the U15 and U16 boys level,I find it hard to believe that the Toronto Lynx owners hope to attract that many talented players, and have this program become popular. Maybe the old scholarship bate might still work wonders. Who knows?

[Ivan]

Sorry Kelly, and others that are posting about the fees charged by the SYL teams, I do not understand.

If players, and their parents, agree to pay these fees and feel they are getting their money's worth, what exactly is the problem?

[jaydog2006]

Someone a a few months back my guess is a very bitter parent said the fury charge $250 a month.I have confirmed it that they do not charge that they charge $600 for the season.

[Richard]

Have any of you Y-League whiners ever watched a Y-League game?

Try going to a few of their games (not practises) and compare them with your regular local competitive youth league games.

Your insiteful comments might be more credible once you are better informed.

[jaydog2006]

I did see one game once the fury played the boston bulldogs.It was a solid game under 17 boys.The problem with ottawa right now is there is way two many elite teams you have the syl,oysl,ersl,ocsl.

[dutcy]

I don't think it is a mattter of Super Y league whining, as it is a question what do the players get out of the whole deal.Now for the most parts most players pay the money for the development plus to play in a top level competetion. The Whitecaps and Fury organizations have delivered a quality product and this shows in most of the results in most of the age groups. On the other hand I frankly don't think the Toronto Lynx have come close to provide any type of

professional type of development,nor any resemblance to any European type of academy.

So bringing whole teams from OYSL clubs and just giving the name U17,or U18 Junior Lynx or so, does not speak highly of development. So what good does it do to play in the SYL and pay $2000 or whatever they charge for the season, when the development is mediocre. So this brings us to the next question,is the League worth the big bucks just for the competetion? And by the way if one is going to try out for these programs, and pay that kind of money for 10 or 12 games, I would assume that they would want to check out their practices and training and not just the SYL games.

[DJT]

My concern is how an organization that can't run their men's teams at a satisfactory standard is now going to be able to run women's teams as well.

[Kelly]

Jaydog.

I can tell you that the cost is 250 dollars per month. Which ads up to 3000 grand for a 12 month cycle. This is no big secret. I have gone to the Fury program sales pitch. Call the club.

And you're right . If you are willing pay 250 every month, that is your right and privilege. And, if you're not happy, then stop paying it. If you're are, great. I have no problem with people choosing in a free society.

But at the same time. Others in the local soccer community have the same right to run elite programs that go to showcase tournaments and play in good leagues. The SYL teams do not have exclusive rights to the game. And they do not have an exclusive right to good coaching.

As for the quality of play in the SYL league it is at par with the best 4-5 clubs in the OYSL. And of course their are teams in the SYL, that aren't very good and would finish bottom of a local league house league.

The big problem for the SYL, is that in the states it's just not considered top flight. It's seen as a way for players that cannot make the best local travel teams to get a tracksuit and to feel part of a pro club. For the better players playing SYL. they usually see it as an off high school season event. A quick 12 game season when everything else shuts down.

AND If you want your kid to get a scholarship, then you have to promote him yourself. The lone Ottawa Fury male player to get a scholarship was due to his dad working his ass off for a few years.

The Fury had nothing to do with it.

AND at 3 grand a year, times 4 years (14-18) that’s 12 grand that could be used to send your kid to a Canadian university, if the only point of playing SYL is to get your kid a full ride. What if he doesn’t? It’s a roll of the dice.

Canadian universities now offer scholarships for players. It’s becoming a good place to play. And I found out that some 40 percent of all Canadian athletes on scholarship in the states, return before they finish their degrees.

And Jaydog, that is why my son doesn't play SYL. We made a decision based on our reality. We did our research. Talked to Fury players and parents. Watched games. That is not bitterness. That's just being a good consumer.

The SYL is a business first. My advice to all is to treat it as such.

[Richard]

If the Lynx program is poor relative to the competition it won't last, the Lynx operation, like the Whitecaps, is a business. The SYL does have some cachet however so for many the opportunity to play in a North American wide league against proven competition may be worth the price.

[jaydog2006]

Kelly

I heard $600 from someone very close to fury it may or may not be true.If it is what you say it is yes it hight.But lets not forget the fury have a very heavy travel schedule and they have to get the funds from somewhere to help with this.There have been a few kids from the fury move on to greater things and yes it is beacuse of the fury and the

syl.The league its self does a solid job on attracting scouts and others to game etc.The fury aslo do a solid job on this front.The oysl is a bit weaker then the syl the syl is the elite.Yes you could send you kid to university for what they have to spend on playing for the fury and that kid would have a very slim chance on making the team as a walk on.By going this route you would get the education witch is huge but given up on the soccer.This is why some pay out the cash and hope there kid is good enough.

[Kelly]

Jaydog,

Please name those kids and please state how the Fury or the SYL got them there.

The current W-league had no starters from Ottawa in 2004. The PDL team hasn't played a game yet.

Explain.

[jaydog2006]

For legal reasons i can not post name on a public board.What i can tell you is from last year team they had 4 move on to ncaa schools and a bunch on to prep schools and cis.

[L.T.]

You can say that about every OYSL (Ontario Provincial) team as well.

And in Ontario anyway, your line about the SYL being better than the provincial league is out to lunch.

[jaydog2006]

L.T

May its you who is out to lunch.There is no doubt the oysl is a solid league does it come close to the sysl not a chance.Yes the on field is very close it off field what splits these two leagues.The sysl is a very well run league maybe even better then the cpsl to add they have a deal with fox.

[Kelly]

jaydog.

The SYL has a deal with Fox World? What? How many SYL games were on? Highlights of of the Finals. OYSL gets more exposure on "Kicks for Chicks"

And what do you mean "for legal reasons" People post names here all the time. And if it's good news then great!!!

The SYL has it's share of bad teams. I can rememeber W-league teams showing up with 10 players for games..........and I'll wait to see for myself whether the Fury PDL team is better than what the Wizards put on the feild.

Comparing a youth league with a semi-pro mens league proves you have no idea what the hell is going on.

[dutcy]

The SYL has given some options to some players to try something different. In Toronto 2 years ago many OYSL players played for the U16 and U17 Junior Lynx for the season, and for the most part many returned to their OYSL teams. Many coaches gave the opportunity to some players to return to their teams. Now many players stay with their regular OYSL or just normal rep teams and they get some good training on the side by those who showcase them to Europe, or the USA, and there is a particular agent in Toronto that has a proven record of arranging for many Canadians to play in Europe in pro youth clubs. This seems to have worked better than the SYL for those who wish to play on the highest level. The bottom line is to shop around and see what fits ones goal.

[jaydog2006]

Kelly

I strongly urge to check the law when it comes to internet use.For people posting names over the age of 18 it happens yes there have been some cases of posters beeing sued for slander.Beleave it there are people out there don't want there name plastered all over the web.When it coomes to people under the age of 18 thats a whole different ball of wax.It is fine to post there first name but never and i mean never there last name your could find your self in a heep of trouble.Here is a perfect exzample there is a jr a league in the states and and a few of the players were talked about on a certain messege board both there first and last names were posted and this posters did cross the line.The

parents of these players found out as well as there teams and those posters faced very big civil lawsuites and there aslo got a life time ban from that board.Now with the sysl and has nothing to do with the w-league ues its a feeder system thats it but for the future yes the sysl has there bad teams that is why there going to a three tire system this year something the oysl should do.The pdl will be fine they have the cash plans on renovating keith harris stadium and more.

[Kelly]

Then this entire board should be sued and shut down. If you go to the Fury sight, they post names of thos eunder 18 all the time- with pictures. Sounds like a ruse to hide the fact that you're talking out of your behind.

At first you say the SYL is great without weak teams and then you admit that it's does indeed have week teams, just like any other league.

And it's going to a 3 tier divisional system in the fall. Sure about that?

[RS]

quote:Originally posted by Kelly

3000 grand

That's like $3 million dollars

[analyst]

In BC, where most youth soccer is played from September to March, Super Y league is a good alternative for players who want to play in the summer and who either don't want to play for the Provincial allstars or don't get picked for the Provincial allstars.

Having watched many Yleague games, I found the quality of games varied. Some Clubs fielded very good teams and others don't. Overall the calibre is better than the best winter youth league. Some Yleague coaches are good, and some are better than Provincial team coaches.

The SuperYleague teams and the provincial allstar teams in BC may cooperate this summer. In the past, the SuperYleague teams cost less to play, the Whitecaps Yleague teams charged $1,000 and Abbotsford was $800, whereas the BC Allstars charged $2,000 or more for a 3 month program.

The SuperYleague is a great option for players in U13, U15 and U17, but the Provincial teams are better for aspiring players in U14 and U16 because there are Canadian championships for U14 and U16 Provincial teams, but not so for U13, U15 and U17. Any player who wants to make a Canadian youth team better have played on the provincial team or they are unlikely to get picked for a national youth team. CSA coaches tend to prefer players who played for Provincial teams.

The U13, U15 and U17 SuperYleague teams have a league to play in, against other teams their age. The BC provincial teams don't have a league, therefore they are forced to play exhibitions and tournaments, often against teams that are a year or two older. Young players get injured more often when playing against older players. Parents of small players in U13, U15 and U17 should seriously consider the Yleague to decrease the chance of injury.

[dutcy]

"Any player who wants to make a Canadian youth team better have played on the provincial team or they are unlikely to get picked for a national youth team. CSA coaches tend to prefer players who played for Provincial teams." Analyst said.

This is so true but very sad indeed, as many young talented players do not pursue the provincial program as they did years ago. I'd even go as far to say the best players are often not in the provincial program, therefore leaving a big question mark about the caliber of players chosen for the NTC, as National coaches do prefer players who have supported the CSA's and provincial infrastructure of programs.

[Richard]

quote:Originally posted by dutcy

"Any player who wants to make a Canadian youth team better have played on the provincial team or they are unlikely to get picked for a national youth team. CSA coaches tend to prefer players who played for Provincial teams." Analyst said.

This is so true but very sad indeed, as many young talented players do not pursue the provincial program as they did years ago. I'd even go as far to say the best players are often not in the provincial program, therefore leaving a big question mark about the caliber of players chosen for the NTC, as National coaches do prefer players who have supported the CSA's and provincial infrastructure of programs.

This is indeed an unfortunate trend, particularly in view of the skyrocketing multi-thousand dollar cost to players/parents of participating in provincial allstar programs which by default automatically excludes many prospects whose parents cannot or will not pay the price of admission/selection. This is definitely a crimp on development of young players that undoubtedly has a long term effect on our MNT and WNT.