Let us blame ourselves, we are all guilty....

[Ricardo06]

Hi guys....

I have been a great voyageurs fan. You guys are awesome in the leadership of soccer in canada. I am a former national youth member and am familiar with the soccer community inside out. I am have relationships with many of the current u20 team and also know most national coaches. I do not want to make this very long but I do want to get one message across.

In my career, I have heard so much criticism and such lack of action. What I want to say is that, yes! criticism is important for accountability and essential given our current state in Canada. However, more importantly, we must keep ourselves accountable. It is sad that most critics are those who sit in the chairs and point fingers at those in the spotlight. When challenged, the excuses come in. I will give an example. Let us compare a dale mitchell vs a soccer parent. Dale Mitchell has taken on a group that is underfunded with an organization that is highly bureacratic and unexperienced. He has served his country as a player extensively in a very discouraging country in soccer terms. He has dedicated his life and work to canada soccer. He has his criticisms about many of his resources but at the same time he does his best with it.

Now the soccer parent which frustrates me. Doesn't attend soccer events because the drive is too long, or because it is too expensive, or whatever. Does not take any action in becoming a leader in his/her community. Lacks much of a contribution to soccer canada.

Now my aim is not seclude soccer parents as some are fantastic supporters and great people but it is the most common case that I have noticed. At the end of the day, our recent outcome in the fifa u20 is not the lack of work that csa, or dale mitchell, or the u20 team has done but a compilation of our effort as a country. It is the thousands of people who did not show up in edmonton. It is the person who did not call his cousin across the country to encourage him to attend some game. It is the parent who did not want to commit his kid to the local soccer team. It is the shortcomings of all our efforts.

Similar to what JFK said many years ago. Ask what you can do for your country rather then what your country can do for you. So let us focus on what we can do. For the soccer parent, become the local technical director, push your kid to his very best, organize team events, fundaraise. The select team coach, endure bureacratic battles, develop your players to their best, innovate the development system. The soccer fan, attend every event, lead your cheerleading, create fan clubs, publicize soccer.

So we are in a state where our environment is very discouraging. Any action towards promoting soccer is out of the norm and deemed useless by society. We are in crucial need for leadership in this country. So this is the era where the heroes of soccer canada will be born. Those who will stand when nobody cares to and slowly this stand will turn into a sporting revolution. Others will open their eyes and begin to stand too. This stage has already started. We have more people playing soccer in Canada more then never. Our national teams development are slowly improving in resources and talent. Toronto Fc fans and new MLS have elevated soccer to new heights in Canada. Exceptional attendance in the u20 WC. We have such great potential due to our multicultural attributes but most of the world does not understand or see this. But our success is soon to come and I cannot wait until it does.

Until then, become a grandfather of soccer canada, be a hero and stand up. Yes keep others accountable through sound input and criticism. But foremost, make sure your doing everything possible to support soccer in canada. That is the simple solution to our struggling state. Let's go Canada. Let the revelution begin!!

[aussoccerfan]

quote:Originally posted by Ricardo06

Hi guys....

I have been a great voyageurs fan. You guys are awesome in the leadership of soccer in canada. I am a former national youth member and am familiar with the soccer community inside out. I am have relationships with many of the current u20 team and also know most national coaches. I do not want to make this very long but I do want to get one message across.

In my career, I have heard so much criticism and such lack of action. What I want to say is that, yes! criticism is important for accountability and essential given our current state in Canada. However, more importantly, we must keep ourselves accountable. It is sad that most critics are those who sit in the chairs and point fingers at those in the spotlight. When challenged, the excuses come in. I will give an example. Let us compare a dale mitchell vs a soccer parent. Dale Mitchell has taken on a group that is underfunded with an organization that is highly bureacratic and unexperienced. He has served his country as a player extensively in a very discouraging country in soccer terms. He has dedicated his life and work to canada soccer. He has his criticisms about many of his resources but at the same time he does his best with it.

Now the soccer parent which frustrates me. Doesn't attend soccer events because the drive is too long, or because it is too expensive, or whatever. Does not take any action in becoming a leader in his/her community. Lacks much of a contribution to soccer canada.

Now my aim is not seclude soccer parents as some are fantastic supporters and great people but it is the most common case that I have noticed. At the end of the day, our recent outcome in the fifa u20 is not the lack of work that csa, or dale mitchell, or the u20 team has done but a compilation of our effort as a country. It is the thousands of people who did not show up in edmonton. It is the person who did not call his cousin across the country to encourage him to attend some game. It is the parent who did not want to commit his kid to the local soccer team. It is the shortcomings of all our efforts.

Similar to what JFK said many years ago. Ask what you can do for your country rather then what your country can do for you. So let us focus on what we can do. For the soccer parent, become the local technical director, push your kid to his very best, organize team events, fundaraise. The select team coach, endure bureacratic battles, develop your players to their best, innovate the development system. The soccer fan, attend every event, lead your cheerleading, create fan clubs, publicize soccer.

So we are in a state where our environment is very discouraging. Any action towards promoting soccer is out of the norm and deemed useless by society. We are in crucial need for leadership in this country. So this is the era where the heroes of soccer canada will be born. Those who will stand when nobody cares to and slowly this stand will turn into a sporting revolution. Others will open their eyes and begin to stand too. This stage has already started. We have more people playing soccer in Canada more then never. Our national teams development are slowly improving in resources and talent. Toronto Fc fans and new MLS have elevated soccer to new heights in Canada. Exceptional attendance in the u20 WC. We have such great potential due to our multicultural attributes but most of the world does not understand or see this. But our success is soon to come and I cannot wait until it does.

Until then, become a grandfather of soccer canada, be a hero and stand up. Yes keep others accountable through sound input and criticism. But foremost, make sure your doing everything possible to support soccer in canada. That is the simple solution to our struggling state. Let's go Canada. Let the revelution begin!!

Great speech!

[Canuck Oranje]

I agree with most of what you have written here and have made my contributions over the years. I have also provided criticisms when warranted and will continue to do so. The most frustrating thing for anyone involved in the sport over the years is not so much that it hasn't had sufficient budget. It is that the CSA has been so quick to throw up its collective hands in surrender. There is more concern at the top levels of the sport to point fingers rather than to provide leadership. Where is a publicized strategy? What is the CSA trying to do to build the collective support of local clubs? What initiatives have the CSA undertaken to raise funds for their own programs through sources other than simply attempting to tax local clubs even more?

If the organization of the sport was more transparent, there would be more cooperation from local clubs and others. There would also be less suspicion about the backroom politics that is going on. It is time for soccer organization in Canada to grow up and act like it wants to compete globally. It needs to accept best practices from around the world and incorporate them into a new Canadian solution. That's not simply shutting the door on foreign coaches and other foreign influences or ignoring criticism from outside the heirarchy. It is becoming more inclusionary rather than exclusionary. There is a lot of knowledge available that is being ignored because the organization does not know how to deal with it. Accept criticism and learn from it.

[putkaputka]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but blaming soccer parents for not doing enough in being involved is crazy. What you are advocating parents do are efforts to decrease obesity across age-groups and involve kids in outside fun, but not build players or competitive teams. Canadian soccer is a hodge-podge of ethnic community enclaves (where each parent is doing everything they can to get some “connection” in the old country so that their kid gets a try-out with a team) under the umbrella of an old-boys all-white apparatchiks (where pple are more interested in keeping their position of privilege at all costs).

[aussoccerfan]

quote:Originally posted by putkaputka

Sorry to burst your bubble, but blaming soccer parents for not doing enough in being involved is crazy. What you are advocating parents do are efforts to decrease obesity across age-groups and involve kids in outside fun, but not build players or competitive teams.

Competitive teams aren't everything.

In Nova Scotia, It's the recreational system that seems to have A LOT of problems.

[aussoccerfan]

quote:Originally posted by putkaputka

under the umbrella of an old-boys all-white apparatchiks (where pple are more interested in keeping their position of privilege at all costs).

What are you saying ?

[putkaputka]

I am saying the CSA are old-boys all-white apparatchiks (where pple are more interested in keeping their position of privilege at all costs) who shun outside knowledge and are afraid of radical change and vision. Dale Mitchell for coach of the Mens team is the perfect illustration of whay I am saying.

[pulsar]

quote:

Similar to what JFK said many years ago. Ask what you can do for your country rather then what your country can do for you.

In my book, that says it all. I have quoted this staetment by JFK on here as well. We gotta tell our kids to forget the old country...appreciate where you come from but love where you are.

[Guest speedmonk42]

quote:Originally posted by putkaputka

I am saying the CSA are old-boys all-white apparatchiks (where pple are more interested in keeping their position of privilege at all costs) who shun outside knowledge and are afraid of radical change and vision. Dale Mitchell for coach of the Mens team is the perfect illustration of whay I am saying.

Kudos for being the first, I think, to use that word on this site.

The all-white argument is not accurate. It is only a visible symptom of a different and more complex problem. But it is not the problem itself.

This is obvious as I don't think anyone in this country would be opposed to Guss Hiddink and an all white Dutch crew taking over.

No matter who is in charge, we don't have the resources to pay for quality well credentialed outside help, no matter what they look like.

Internally it is more difficult. Ostracizing the CSA by individuals and groups on the grounds from everything from justifiable to ludicrous, and I have heard both, does nothing to change things.

It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy to simultaneously wholly shun the CSA and then complain that one is not part of it, no matter your color.

[Joe Keeper]

One thing I can definatley say in Dale Mitchell's favor, is that I believe he will be a NT coach who actually does have the balls to finally call up some of the better u20's to the full WC team.

I think that Osiek and Yallop wasted alot of time in getting some of the previous youth teamers into the full set up. Nik Ledgerwood and Ryan Gyaki(among others) should have been called long ago.