CP: Canada's Technical Director...

[Winnipeg Fury]

Canadian soccer technical director says challenges abound in the game here

(CP) - Richard Bate says he lives 37,000 feet above Canada these days, criss-crossing the country as he learns about Canadian soccer.

Four months into his job as technical director of the Canadian Soccer Association, the English native now knows what he sees when he looks down.

"It's a massive challenge because there's so much coming at you," Bate said in an interview Tuesday from Ottawa.

"There's a lot to do," he added. "There's a lot of very enthusiastic, very willing people working in the game. Many wishing it was different. Not having the staff or the authority to change things. That's a first impression.

"It seems to be very fragmented. ... Nothing particularly universally co-ordinated."

That will be one of Bate's challenges. He is finding out others as he travels.

Bate has already had a chance to see some of Canada's talent in action. He saw the men's under-20 team at a camp in Manchester in October, watched the senior men's side beat Luxembourg 1-0 in November and saw the women's under-20 team in January at a CONCACAF qualifying tournament in Mexico.

Bate, who was in Ottawa on Tuesday for a coaching workshop, is a hands-on teacher and comes ready equipped with a soccer philosophy: it's clear he wants Canadian teams to play a fluent style based on "possession philosophy."

They need to be adaptable, creative and able to win games in different ways,

To illustrate the point, he uses a quote from star striker Ruud van Nistelrooy sounding off during a poor Manchester United patch.

"We have trouble keeping the ball, have no fluency in our passing and no flow of attacks," van Nistelrooy said. "There are no crosses coming in and we don't win the second balls. As a result we can't maintain any pressure."

Reverse that statement and you have successful soccer Bate-style.

He envisions the CSA with a national coaching style, as successful clubs around the globe do. Manager Arsene Wenger, for example, preaches the same philosophy at every level at England's Arsenal, so players know their role as they move up the ranks.

"If you look at the successful teams in the world, they all seem to have a very strong identity and a very firm playing philosophy to which they adhere," Bate said. "If you look at Brazil, they've got their way. Holland have got their way, Germany have got their way. And I think it would be advantageous if Canada took that on board."

And Bate says his goals are realistic, especially in developing young talent.

"We're not talking about playing Brazilian football or talking about playing like Argentina, we're just talking about playing sensitive, efficient football that would help us to play better.

Goals include providing more challenging games for younger players.

"You can go anywhere in Europe and you'll find that the best players are working in the best clubs and they've got a very, very intense playing program. Now over here that is a problem."

A limited pro setup is at the root of that problem but Bate says Canada's national training centres can fill the void by providing a more challenging game program.

Lack of top-quality matches for young talent is just one of the issues facing the sport in Canada. Climate, facilities - "there's all sort of problems," Bate says.

Fly into Amsterdam, he notes, "and you can see nothing but soccer pitches.

"You fly in over Toronto airport and you can't find one."

More coaches and better coaches are needed throughout the system. Some hard decisions, Bate seems to suggest, will have to be made by the CSA's top echelon.

"How we do it is really down to the politicians. I can make my recommendation but they eventually have to decide how to choose to organize the game."

Bate, 59, came to Canada after serving as a staff coach with England's Football Association. While with the FA, he coached several England youth teams. He has also served as technical director of the Football Association of Malaysia.

The job of technical director in Canada had been vacant since World Cup head coach Holger Osieck, who held both titles, left in September 2003. Frank Yallop took over as head coach in December 2003.

[Bxl Boy]

I met him last week-end in Laval and the impression he gave was quite the same as what the CP journalist had.

He also insisted a lot on mental points (example : a coach doesn't need to be motivating but inspiring. What's that ? When you work with an inspiring coach, you want to try everything he explains as soon as possible.)

He's a very pedagogic man and insists a lot on mental points.

Much charism in his workshops.

On the soccer-specific things (like tactics), he can explain lots of things in a simple way and knows his soccer very well (his resume speaks for him but his workshops still speak better).

Now, he'll have to adapt to some canadian realities : lack of money, like of vision (he has one, hopefully he can force the CSA to have the same), huge proble at the grassroots level (as well for the players and the coaches), mentality (soccer as a leisure, not as a sport), etc.

Someone on another thread asked also his role concerning Frank Yallop. Bate's answer : “I don't have to tell him what to do. His job is to win games. My job is to make sure the players he'll get will be better and better.”

[Guest Jeffery S.]

After plenty of jokes and complaints, what he has to say is very sound. So I am a bit more reassured.

[Cheeta]

quote:Originally posted by Bxl Boy

He also insisted a lot on mental points (example : a coach doesn't need to be motivating but inspiring. What's that ? When you work with an inspiring coach, you want to try everything he explains as soon as possible.)

Sounds like he's comparing two sides of the same apple to me but I understand the point he's making. Big difference between getting the kids to do something because they understand they have to learn to do it and letting the kids do something because they've gotten to the point where they want to.

Seems he's a good talker but can't disagree with any of what's been reported. Just want to comment that everything written seems pretty odvious doesn't it? Thirty year old universal football truths...

"How we do it is really down to the politicians. I can make my recommendation but they eventually have to decide how to choose to organize the game."

And there's the worst of those universal football truths in Canada. Ah well. If Bate has the proper sort of accent maybe the CSA hacks will listen more this go around.

Good articule by the way.

[bettermirror]

it's even fragmented regionally. things are run completely different from city to city even in the fraser valley. no two clubs running with the same philosophy of youth development or playing style.

[Bxl Boy]

Other things he said :

- About fragmentation :

"Soccer in Canada is fragemented. A lot of things are done differently from one place to another. That's not a problem. The problem is almost nothing is done the same way..."

- The two sides of the apple :

"A motivating trainer will shout to a player : “Go for it ! You can do it !” It can be useful. An inspiring trainer will get the same result without doing that."

[Free kick]

His quote: " They need to be adaptable, creative and able to win games in different ways,.."

I like this philosophy. I hope he succeeds.

[The Ref]

I have no disagreement with what Bate says. Many of the problems he points out have been stated before by other foreign coaches. What does surprises me is that it sounds as if these are all proglems he discovered just now. Didn't he do some investigating before he took the job? I really hope that someone will be listening to him and initiate change.

[ANC2]

Quote: "You can go anywhere in Europe and you'll find that the best players are working in the best clubs and they've got a very, very intense playing program. Now over here that is a problem."

A limited pro setup is at the root of that problem but Bate says Canada's national training centres can fill the void by providing a more challenging game program.

Lack of top-quality matches for young talent is just one of the issues facing the sport in Canada. Climate, facilities

This is the true problem. No clubs structured to develop players. No where for players to play past the age of 18. I have always said coaching is not Canada's problem. Canada is simply not a football Nation. No one cares. Present company the exception

[kelownaguy]

at least its nice to hear someone from the CSA coming out with a vision for our national teams ,, as for the longest time we never heard a peep from anyone in that organization .. let's hope we have the ability and funds to follow up on it..