ASA Shakeup

[Guest Ed]

Can anybody confirm that the executive director of the ASA was fired at the end of February? And why??

cheers.

[tmcmurph]

Executive Director = vacant

That is all I can see on the website.

http://www.albertasoccer.com/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=BoardofDirectors&category=Main

Hmmmmmm

[Vic]

Job's already closed:

http://www.albertasoccer.com/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=EmploymentOpportunities&category=Main

[fishman]

All I can say is that since Gary Sampley left the ASA back in about 2003, the provincial association has seen at least six people serve as Executive Director. I don't think anyone can keep count. And since that time, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have both seen new indoor, full-sided facilities built, their technical sides improve...and Alberta is seemingly going backwards.

[Guest Ed]

Well club soccer is getting better and better so I am not losing much sleep over that. It was our beloved ASA that first put Hargreaves in touch with the Welsh FA.

[Richard]

^ A the time and under the prevailing circumstances, what would you have done otherwise with a player of Hargreaves potential?

[Guest Ed]

This was just after he was cut by TT in the U17 tryouts but. What would I have done otherwise??? Simply to tell him to wait for the next nat team cycle for Canada and taken him out for a tatoo.

[Richard]

^ Very constructive. I think the ASA made a much better suggestion.

[jpg75]

^ Richard, i'm going to ask you point blank and i want you to answer either yes or no; do you consider yourself a fan of the Canadian Men's national soccer teams?

[Cheeta]

^ Very constructive. I think the ASA made a much better suggestion.

Eh?

[Richard]

^ Richard, i'm going to ask you point blank and i want you to answer either yes or no; do you consider yourself a fan of the Canadian Men's national soccer teams?

I am a Canadian MNT supporter of course, I also support an individual's right to choose. However my response was to the implied criticism by the OP that ASA did wrong by suggesting OH look elsewhere for opportunities in the almost complete absence of equivalent opportunities for him locally at that time. Considering how well he has done versus what might have happened had he stayed in Canada I suggest they made a good recommendation. This has nothing whatsoever to do with his choice of which national team to play on but there I respect his right to make whatever choice he wishes. Many don't enjoy that luxury.

[Richard]

Eh?

You failed to grasp what I was saying evidently.

[jpg75]

I am a Canadian MNT supporter of course, I also support an individual's right to choose. However my response was to the implied criticism by the OP that ASA did wrong by suggesting OH look elsewhere for opportunities in the almost complete absence of equivalent opportunities for him locally at that time. Considering how well he has done versus what might have happened had he stayed in Canada I suggest they made a good recommendation. This has nothing whatsoever to do with his choice of which national team to play on but there I respect his right to make whatever choice he wishes. Many don't enjoy that luxury.

OH would have still had opportunities to leave the country to further his career AND play for Canada. Just because he was cut from the U17's does not mean his development would have been stunted by not pursuing other international options. I am baffled that you do not see the contradiction in a CSA stakeholder encouraging a prospect to pursue playing for a rival national body.

[Guest Ed]

I am a Canadian MNT supporter of course, I also support an individual's right to choose. However my response was to the implied criticism by the OP that ASA did wrong by suggesting OH look elsewhere for opportunities in the almost complete absence of equivalent opportunities for him locally at that time. Considering how well he has done versus what might have happened had he stayed in Canada I suggest they made a good recommendation. This has nothing whatsoever to do with his choice of which national team to play on but there I respect his right to make whatever choice he wishes. Many don't enjoy that luxury.

I think you are missing my point. He was going to Germany that fall/winter anyway. The Welsh opportunity had nothing to do with his trial with Bayern and subsequent success abroad. So 'staying in Canada' wasn't the 'poor' alternative he faced, he was going abroad anyway. I just find it distasteful that people who are employed to build CDN and CDN PROVINCIAL soccer would recommend that a promising player look to play for another country.

This has nothing to do with the eventual choice that Owen made, which has been discussed to death and beyond. It has to do with the behaviour of people employed with the mandate to grow the Cdn game.

[Richard]

"I just find it distasteful that people who are employed to build CDN and CDN PROVINCIAL soccer would recommend that a promising player look to play for another country."

My point all along has been what would you have suggested for a player like OH under the circumstances prevailing in Alberta/Canada at the time. Where would you have recommended he go to develop his game?

[Guest Ed]

And your point is moot as he was on his way to Bayern for a trial regardless, a very good spot 'to develop his game'. So I would have said 'go to Bayern; play for Canada at your next opportunity'.

[Richard]

So your original implied criticism of the ASA was rubbish then because you have just recanted. Well done.

[Guest Ed]

I think we are off on two different tangents here. My criticism of the ASA is about the ASA suggesting he play FOR another country, not IN another country. I don't follow you in saying that I've recanted my criticism. I haven't.

[tmcmurph]

To be fair OH had much less in the way of choices than current players. In that era elite soccer players had nothing north of Mexico to play in at a serious level. Any player of his skills would have been thinking Europe all along and if anyone suggested anything else back then they were daft. The fact that he chose UK over us makes most of us upset at some level.

These days the Caps still send players over to Germany and England but nobody makes any complaints about it because they play or plan to play for Canada's MNT (mostly so far). Sure I'd love to see Haber in a Caps uniform but he has EPL dreams and it is silly for a club to get in the way of a player and his dreams.

[Guest Ed]

^ What are you arguing about. The fact that he went to Germany has nothing to do with my criticism of someone at the ASA putting him in contact with the Welsh FA. Has nothing to do with club football and all to do with national team football.

[Richard]

He was dropped by Canada, I don't blame him for looking for opportunities elsewhere to further his career, whether it was suggested by somebody at the ASA or not. This whole debate is silly really, the man wanted to play soccer at the highest level he could. He eventually chose to play for England and not Canada, after Canada turned its back on him, plus he was eligible for both and free to choose. Frankly, it was much more difficult to make the English team than the Canadian team in terms of competition for places and it served his professional career well. Much more meaningful on the international stage to play for England than Canada - then and now - good for him for making it. At that level it is business and personal ambition, not nationalism.

[Alex D]

At that level it is business and personal ambition, not nationalism.

Sickening, but unfortunately true.

Cutting a kid from a U17 team is hardly "turning our back on him". You make it sound like we exiled him to the forest to live with the wolves.

[El Hombre]

He was dropped by Canada, I don't blame him for looking for opportunities elsewhere to further his career, whether it was suggested by somebody at the ASA or not. This whole debate is silly really, the man wanted to play soccer at the highest level he could. He eventually chose to play for England and not Canada, after Canada turned its back on him, plus he was eligible for both and free to choose. Frankly, it was much more difficult to make the English team than the Canadian team in terms of competition for places and it served his professional career well. Much more meaningful on the international stage to play for England than Canada - then and now - good for him for making it. At that level it is business and personal ambition, not nationalism.

A couple things:

1) Yes, Richard, we know you believe that everyone is free to choose. That's great, good for you. That's not the issue here.

2) Canada turned it's back on OH? That's a little harsh. He was cut from a junior team. As Ed said, for a Canadian provincial association to then tell him to go play for a different national team is terribly disappointing. I did not know that this was the case. How do we instill a little pride in playing for Canada when we are advising kids to play for other national teams.

3) Also, we're talking about Wales here and not England. From the story that Ed told, the ASA suggested he play for Wales instead of Canada. Playing for Wales is not on the same level as playing for England and I would say is marginally better (if at all) than playing for Canada. It's not like playing for Wales was going to make or break him in his professional career, especially when he was already on his way to Bayern. I doubt that OH saw playing for Wales as his key to a top drawer career in Europe.

[fishman]

After what has been a bit of a thread hijack (any chance to get after OH...especially after he returned to the ManUtd reserves...)

Still, the OH rants might be related somehow. And if they are related, it is through how the dysfunctional operations of a Provincial Association can seriously impact player development in Canada.

FYI, there have been 7 Executive Directors in 9 years, with the longest tenure being 16 months.

[bettermirror]

Mod post: Please return discussion to the Alberta Soccer Association. The OH topic has been rehashed ad nauseum.