Suggestions for important steps to develop CDN talent aside from a pro CDN league

[Juby]

Ya, I don't really an argument with some guys getting paid a bit to help increase the level of play....but to make a proper go of it it needs to be a league-wide initiative I think....ie, 4 semi-pro paid guys per team....? Regardless, that would then mean the team loses amateur status and thus could they even continue in their local premier league? IE, lots of people upset with a team called POCO (Port Coquitlam) here in BC as they suspect they are paying players......I personally couldn't care less but then again I don't play in the league and get my arse kicked by them! They have Kevin Harmse on their team for example....

I doubt they are paying anyone - maybe hired them to work though?

Realistically I can understand the concerns, that's why I used the words 'officially semi pro' a couple posts ago because I'm hoping it would be approved by the leagues and done openly. I always worry about under the table payments, not because I object to them getting paid obviously, but because they players have no legal recourse if they get screwed, I know it's odd to talk about legal rights on a few grand but I can fully understand and agree with people being uncomfortable with shadier dealings). Tbh, if it's in the rules that you can spend to gain an advantage it's great, but as much I want to get more guys paid, if it's officially against the rules, then it's cheating (losing because your only up to minimum standards is one thing, losing because your following the rules is another).

pretty much I think I agree, it doesn't bother me much that guys are getting paid but I'm hoping it keeps going forward more officially. I also think your generally right about minimum standards being useful, I just can't throw the 'the handful of players idea' away completely because on a very small scale, like if newfoundland didn't join any regional league, maybe it would be a good idea to get a guy on every second team contracted (tbh though, I'm also not really the sort to get bothered by a league where the powers are way ahead of the minnows, so imagine one team paid out $25 000 in $5 000 contracts and another had a team payroll of $10 000, it might seem unfair that two teams might dominate but it's better then not paying anyone, sometimes big teams inspire ticket sales as marquee opponents rather then crush opposing support in their team as well so I'm optimistic about the idea)

edit: tbh, your idea to make very low but definite standards is good especially if we can split those contracts into part time and youth, if each team had a minimum budget of 10 000 (pretty damn doable I think for good amateur teams) and had to award one 5 000 contract and two youth (even for a 18 or 19 year old) contract for 2 500, I think it would be a good start for a lot of amateur leagues (and really I think it's the kinda small minimums some of the best amateur leagues outside of ontario and quebec could manage sooner rather than later)

[ThiKu]

2500 bucks is huge toward university, for example! Lots of kids would clamber for that cash....and rightly so.

In theory I have no objections to ya. I won't bother doing research and posting any kind of rebuttle. I like the idea!