Niendorf Update?

[youllneverwalkalone]

I don't know how accurate this is, but check out this link:

http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/wasserman-media-group/details/berater_440.html

Both Niendorf and Loic Favre are listed as agents here. Very interesting to me, because I felt there was some intimation that Soehn had something to do with TN exit from the Whitecaps. It's been reported that Favre is the guy helping Soehn with scouting in Europe, so it makes me wonder if TN is actually still involved with the Caps on some level?

[Strider]

Check out this post by Lord Bob last year.

[TheKottonmouthed1555362307]

New Head Coach???

lol

[masster]

It seems like Niendorf is running an academy in Victoria. Not sure how long they have been up and running. Anybody know?
http://www.pacificsoccerinstitute.com/staff.html

 

[Grizzly]

2 hours ago, masster said:

It seems like Niendorf is running an academy in Victoria. Not sure how long they have been up and running. Anybody know?
http://www.pacificsoccerinstitute.com/staff.html

 

Reading the profiles of their staff it looks like a pretty impressive group of coaches including two former German pro players with UEFA coaching licences and coaching experience at professional club level and a Soviet Master of Sports. Tuition is not cheap but one would hope that it might be a BC version of Sigma in the near future turning out a lot of Canadian talent. 

[Alex D]

It seems more of a cash grab to me. It's 16K a year and they are only working with 17-18 year olds. Can this program make 17-18 year olds better, probably, but the peak of the development curve is already over. I don't think it would be worth the money. 

[shermanator]

IIRC, Niendorf had been involved with the Calgary Chinooks Soccer Association recently. *Let's just snip this uneducated comment shall we* I can't recall a single professional that came from the association.

Interestingly, their head office is apparently just a few blocks from my house, and I never knew this until now.

[Ed_S]

On 4/4/2017 at 4:27 PM, shermanator said:

IIRC, Niendorf had been involved with the Calgary Chinooks Soccer Association recently. Never heard of them? That's because they're irrelevant in the development scene; I can't recall a single professional that came from the association.

Interestingly, their head office is apparently just a few blocks from my house, and I never knew this until now.

Calgary Chinooks are one of the original 6 district clubs when CMSA had geographic zones for teen boys: Blizzards, Eagles, Eastside, Celtics, Foothills, and Chinooks. Long history there. Niendorf is still associated with them at arm's length. His new venture has some very good young players and is focused on getting players into the the top U19 league in Germany or NCAA.

In regard to your condescending 'never heard of them?' remark,  you might want to do some more research.

[Oranje]

17 hours ago, Ed_S said:

Calgary Chinooks are one of the original 6 district clubs when CMSA had geographic zones for teen boys: Blizzards, Eagles, Eastside, Celtics, Foothills, and Chinooks. Long history there. Niendorf is still associated with them at arm's length. His new venture has some very good young players and is focused on getting players into the the top U19 league in Germany or NCAA.

In regard to your condescending 'never heard of them?' remark,  you might want to do some more research.

Crown Vic Ed, is that you?

[Ed_S]

10 hours ago, Oranje said:

Crown Vic Ed, is that you? 

Not an apt description anymore but I am the original Ed on these boards. The highway sofa was put down some time ago.

[Unnamed Trialist]

On 4/4/2017 at 11:54 PM, Alex D said:

It seems more of a cash grab to me. It's 16K a year and they are only working with 17-18 year olds. Can this program make 17-18 year olds better, probably, but the peak of the development curve is already over. I don't think it would be worth the money. 

I agree it is disgusting, it is anti-football and unjustified. 

What we really need in Canada is for someone with money to put it down so everyone can play, a free or near-free academy structure, with competitive leagues. And we need the SAs to impose a unified system so kids on these cash-grab academies can compete and see they are no better paying this amount of money. And then the parents can realize they are getting nothing for their money. Because, for sure, they are getting nothing for their money.

Seriously, I pay 500 euros a year for my u-19 kid in Barcelona. And the clubs request grants to help kids who can't pay. And all coaches have a licence, and are paid (though little). 

[Grizzly]

So your kid is getting coached by guys equivalent to someone who has been head coach in the 2nd German Bundesliga and 1st Austrian Bundesliga? Yes it would be better if we had a developed club academy system in Canada where players could train due to their ability not the ability of the parents to pay for the academy. However, it looks like Niendorf has put together a pretty impressive staff and I suspect any players with talent going in this academy are benefiting from it especially given the lack of similar options in Canada. 

[Ed_S]

I have friends with a 15 yr old boy Grade 10 paying $16,500 for tuition in a school with an advanced hockey program. The hockey program adds up to another $15,000. The money being spent at Niendorf's academy provides good opportunities for a 17-18 yr old. You should see the coin being thrown by parents for their girls to play Tier 1 here in Calgary with the faint hope of getting a scholarship somewhere. Very few get a full ride these days. And Jeffrey, don't bother comparing the fees you are paying at one of the richest clubs in the world.

 

[Obinna]

On 4/4/2017 at 4:27 PM, shermanator said:

IIRC, Niendorf had been involved with the Calgary Chinooks Soccer Association recently. Never heard of them? That's because they're irrelevant in the development scene; I can't recall a single professional that came from the association.

Interestingly, their head office is apparently just a few blocks from my house, and I never knew this until now.

Chinooks have a decent presence in the local soccer scene. I wouldn't say they are as relevant as Foothills, but the club runs senior teams in CUSA, normally in premier or division 1. I'm less aware of what's going on in the youth scene, but in senior soccer their teams are better than Eastide (who are EMFC) and bounce between division 2 and 3 (the latter being where the table splits into two divisions and the quality takes a big drop, apparently). Celtics (Ed correct me if i'm wrong) are now Callies who are considered the top senior program in Calgary, if not Alberta. As for Blizzard, I think they are strictly a youth club and I am not familiar at all with Eagles.   

Thanks for the history lesson on the district clubs Ed. I was not aware of that as I am not originally from Calgary.

[TRM]

Just curious but what does SigmaFC charge? They have produced excellent players and have Larin, Laryea, Nanco & Awuah to their credit (to name a few).

As for the parents? Well if your kid hasn't been picked up by one of the 3 MLS or 2 D2 teams academies by time they are 18 the odds are slim. Best to be focusing on that education thing.

[TRM]

12 hours ago, Ed_S said:

And Jeffrey, don't bother comparing the fees you are paying at one of the richest clubs in the world.

True but how did they get to be so big and rich? They built it up. It takes time but now they can continue selling a steady stream of players to subsidize the rest and keep their net cast as wide as possible.

 

[Ed_S]

2 hours ago, Obinna said:

Chinooks have a decent presence in the local soccer scene. I wouldn't say they are as relevant as Foothills, but the club runs senior teams in CUSA, normally in premier or division 1. I'm less aware of what's going on in the youth scene, but in senior soccer their teams are better than Eastide (who are EMFC) and bounce between division 2 and 3 (the latter being where the table splits into two divisions and the quality takes a big drop, apparently). Celtics (Ed correct me if i'm wrong) are now Callies who are considered the top senior program in Calgary, if not Alberta. As for Blizzard, I think they are strictly a youth club and I am not familiar at all with Eagles.   

Thanks for the history lesson on the district clubs Ed. I was not aware of that as I am not originally from Calgary.

I have a friend who has played and coached at top levels since he was 16 in Calgary so he knows the history from late 70's on. Eagles are Deerfoot at youth level. I only got heavily involved about 25 yrs ago on the youth side with Elbow Valley (now Villains) and with youth from u4 up to u18 with what is now Southwest United. I don't know that much about the senior level.  BTW, Chinooks player Chris Serban is with Vancouver Whitecaps 2.

[shermanator]

5 minutes ago, Ed_S said:

I have a friend who has played and coached at top levels since he was 16 in Calgary so he knows the history from late 70's on. Eagles are Deerfoot at youth level. I only got heavily involved about 25 yrs ago on the youth side with Elbow Valley (now Villains) and with youth from u4 up to u18 with what is now Southwest United. I don't know that much about the senior level.  BTW, Chinooks player Chris Serban is with Vancouver Whitecaps 2.

I was just about to ask which pros had come from Chinooks when I saw your post, thanks.

What else should I know about this club? Given that they apparently are my local youth club, and I had never heard of them until this thread, apparently I need to learn more.

[Ed_S]

49 minutes ago, shermanator said:

I was just about to ask which pros had come from Chinooks when I saw your post, thanks.

What else should I know about this club? Given that they apparently are my local youth club, and I had never heard of them until this thread, apparently I need to learn more.

Hard to answer your question. I don't know the current staff at Chinooks at all, although I do know TN fairly well and one of the players at his Victoria residency was in elementary and junior high with my daughter).

[Ed_S]

Just saw my buddy and some clarification. 

Original 6 zone clubs for Calgary late 70's and 80's:

NW - Blizzard, N Central - Eagles,NE - Eastside

SW - Vikings, S Central - Chinooks, SE - Foothills

 

No affiliation between Eagles and Deerfoot - Deerfoot SC came later. Vikings became Celtic - and no affiliation between Callies (senior mens') and Celtic although lots of very good Celtic players formed heart of Callies.

Also, Vikings and Eagles had ethnic associations as sponsors, Danish and German respectively.

[TRM]

Good to see you back Ed. You going to make it to some games with us down at the Barcelona Tavern in the future? Sherm has been setting up some excellent parties.

[Unnamed Trialist]

On 14/4/2017 at 6:12 AM, Grizzly said:

So your kid is getting coached by guys equivalent to someone who has been head coach in the 2nd German Bundesliga and 1st Austrian Bundesliga? Yes it would be better if we had a developed club academy system in Canada where players could train due to their ability not the ability of the parents to pay for the academy. However, it looks like Niendorf has put together a pretty impressive staff and I suspect any players with talent going in this academy are benefiting from it especially given the lack of similar options in Canada. 

My kid is in a very modest club, but the head of coaching played Spanish third tier, he was a modest USL level-type pro for ten years. There's a player from the club in MLS, Ilie Sánchez at SKC. But seriously, Grizzly, you being in awe of Niendorf, very well. I can assure you that I have seen plenty of former pros coaching at modest levels, looking to get a start and experience. For a kid, the fact a guy was coaching B2 means charging over a thousand a month? That is anti-football.

My kid has also been coached by a guy who worked with Pochettino at Espanyol as an assistant, yes, same one who is coaching Spurs right now. Santi Pou, he still scouts for Aspire Academy in Qatar and is on staff at Girona, who are set for promotion to Spanish 1st division, he played in La Liga for Espanyol: https://es.linkedin.com/in/santi-pou-ramisa-12a17442.

He has his own academy, which is how my kid ended up with him, when he was u-12. Hell, even when my kid was playing futsal at elementary school, one coach was playing 4th tier and another was in Spanish 2B at Vilanova. School-yard futsal, but they had their own set-up and had a network coaching. I have never paid more than 50 euros a month for football  for my kid in all my years in Spain.

There is no justification to charge those quantities, it is a scam and a disgrace. If you had a proper youth structure, like anywhere in Europe or S America, teams would pure compete, and no one would gouge like that. Simply because you'd test results, and money would not buy them. The guys being coached properly would win, the school hiding behind the aura would lose (because their recruiting pool is very limited, a bunch of kids of wealthy parents), and parents would ask: why pay for that if paying way less my kid will end up better?