60% of CANWNT players are from Ontario - Why?

[Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action]

Just looking at the list of the CANWNT players who qualified for Rio and 60% of them are from Ontario.  What is it about soccer in Ontario?  Honestly, if I had to guess which part of Canada dominates in soccer, I would've guessed B.C., the warmer province.  I am sure all of us would agree that it doesn't matter which part of Canada our women are from but as long as they are representing our country.  But out of 13 provinces and territories, 60% is a whooping percentage for Ontario.  Does anyone have a guess as to why?  

Here's the list of the players' hometowns:

Janine Beckie, Highlands Ranch, CO
Josée Bélanger, Coaticook, QC
Kadeisha Buchanan, Brampton, ON
Allysha Chapman, Courtice, ON
Sabrina D’Angelo, Welland, ON
Jessie Fleming, London, ON
Stephanie Labbé, Stony Plain, AB
Ashley Lawrence, Caledon, ON
Diana Matheson, Oakville, ON
Nichelle Prince, Ajax, ON
Rebecca Quinn, Toronto, ON
Deanne Rose, Alliston, ON
Sophie Schmidt, Abbotsford, BC
Desiree Scott, Winnipeg, MB
Christine Sinclair, Burnaby, BC
Melissa Tancredi, Ancaster, ON
Rhian Wilkinson, Baie-d’Urfé, QC 
Shelina Zadorsky, London, ON

[Joe MacCarthy]

Because over one third of the country lives there? 

Did anyone here think something else when they saw this "60% of CANWNT players are,,," 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

34 minutes ago, Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action said:

Just looking at the list of the CANWNT players who qualified for Rio and 60% of them are from Ontario.  What is it about soccer in Ontario?

Nothing. Not statistically odd. Ontario is about 40% of the country. Urban centres with the infrastructure for players to develop. All are from the greater GTA except Flemming.  Both BC players are from the lower mainland. Our Albertan is from a suburb of the province's city with the best soccer high-level infrastructure: Edmonton.

 

*yawn*

[Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action]

18 hours ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

Because over one third of the country lives there? 

Did anyone here think something else when they saw this "60% of CANWNT players are,,," 

I have no idea what you're referring to?

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

19 hours ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

Did anyone here think something else when they saw this "60% of CANWNT players are,,," 

No.

55 minutes ago, Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action said:

I have no idea what you're referring to?

A topic that bears no relevance to soccer. See some stupid old locked thread created by some troll here:

http://www.thevoyageurs.org/forums/topic/24484-does-womens-soccer-cause-lesbianism/

 

 

 

[Joe MacCarthy]

It's obvious that you did think of that and of course it has nothing to do with playing soccer itself but if one chooses to have a non PC discussion about it, there was a school of thought about how it could affect team dynamics.

If people want to have a rational discussion about it fine, re team dynamics, but we'll just let it go if people want go the sexist, bigoted route and are unable to discuss it.

[dyslexic nam]

8 minutes ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

...we'll just let it go if people want go the sexist, bigoted route and are unable to discuss it.

It seems like you and I have a very different understanding of those terms.  For me, the more "sexist and bigoted route" would be to arbitrarily introduce the issue of sexual orientation into a thread about geographical representation on the CWNT that has nothing whatsoever to do with the topic you want to discuss.

Can player X consistently get a nice first touch on the ball?

How is their match fitness?

Are they coach-able, and able to adapt to different systems?

Can they put a keeper-testing shot on frame in the midst of play?

Are they fast and strong on the ball

Those are the things I care about.  Who they choose to sleep with and some vague suggestion that it might impact their ability to effectively play a team sport with others? 

Not so much.

 

[Joe MacCarthy]

1 hour ago, dyslexic nam said:

Those are the things I care about.  Who they choose to sleep with and some vague suggestion that it might impact their ability to effectively play a team sport with others? 

Not so much.

Agree with everything you said except the above.  I'm not talking about ability I'm talking about interactivity that might or might not affect team dynamics.  I really don't want to speculate and use hearsay because I don't believe it is an issue now but again the rumours and hearsay from several years ago (and it may have been all BS) may have adversely affected the team and selections.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Now that I think about it, sexuality has nothing to do with it. If we substitute the word clique for couple, you can have that on any team, male/ female and that process can still affect selections and adversely affect team dynamics. 

Nothing to see here, moving on.

[Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action]

Yeah, let's not go there.  BACK ON TOPIC PLEASE!  Anyone else want to take a guess as to why 60% of our players are from Ontario?  Thank you for the previous input, by the way!

[ted]

^ Well, the obvious answer already given above works with the following addition: population density .

It is not just the absolute numbers but the density which allows for more competition and easier scouting. It is almost pointless on the prairies or the interior of BC as the population is too thinly spread to create enough teams to truly challenge young players to be the best or get them seen enough by scouts.

[BearcatSA]

I find it interesting that the region of Canada (the Lower Mainland) where you can play all year round, has a high population density, and with that a history of producing national team players doesn't have a more significant presence in our younger programs; correct me if I am wrong but I think there was only one female BC player on last year's Pan Am games and U20 WC team.  (However, I think it's different with the most recent edition of the U17s).

I realize there are many other factors that come into play (such as growth of indoor facilities, the coaches doing the selecting, the costs involved, etc.) but even when I look at the Canadian men with the Whitecaps, the senior roster features only one Lower Mainland developed player (McKendry).

[ted]

7 minutes ago, BearcatSA said:

I find it interesting that the region of Canada (the Lower Mainland) where you can play all year round, has a high population density...

 

That is the other side of the coin, you need the numbers as well. Toronto alone has double the population of Vancouver. Add in the rest of Southern Ontario which is within reasonable driving distance and you have the recipe for developing and scouting young players.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

12 hours ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

It's obvious that you did think of that

Not until you posted your "Did anyone else here" question.

 

6 hours ago, ted said:

Well, the obvious answer already given above works with the following addition: population density .

Ya, well said. I think the numbers are weirder on the Men's side actually; the Brampton ratio is out of control!

[rob.notenboom]

39 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

... the Brampton ratio ...

Drink!

[Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action]

10 hours ago, ted said:

^ Well, the obvious answer already given above works with the following addition: population density .

It is not just the absolute numbers but the density which allows for more competition and easier scouting. It is almost pointless on the prairies or the interior of BC as the population is too thinly spread to create enough teams to truly challenge young players to be the best or get them seen enough by scouts.

Oh, very good.  I didn't think of that.

[Pqhbv]

Aside from population, I'd also offer the possibility that athletic talent seems to come in cyclical clusters. Clusters of the right coaches and programs meeting the right group athletes at the right time. Of course, more population increases the odds of these clusters, so in the end it seems to be a numbers game over weather based phenomenon. 

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

 

On 2016/08/07 at 6:55 AM, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

All are from the greater GTA except Flemming...

Two are from London and one from Welland, so that's not the case. Suggests that there is no bias towards players based close to the Ontario Soccer Centre, which I suspect was not always the case in the past.

[TRM]

More than just population density is that they grow up playing against a higher level of competition and that works wonders. 

" 60% of CWNT players are " ... hot? Yes I do think they are very hot ladies. 

[BearcatSA]

On August 8, 2016 at 11:45 AM, ted said:

 

That is the other side of the coin, you need the numbers as well. Toronto alone has double the population of Vancouver. Add in the rest of Southern Ontario which is within reasonable driving distance and you have the recipe for developing and scouting young players.

There's no doubt that southern Ontario should be able to produce the most players.  I just find it interesting that the Lower Mainland and Island didn't have more younger players in the picture. 

[Fort York Redcoat1555362293]

If we were talking cycling I get where you're coming from with the "All year round" statement but footy has a season then they train. Training can be indoors.

[Admin]

BC has some advantages, but also some disadvantages. 

1. Aside from the immediate population difference, the playing populationin BC  is split between the island an the mainland.  Whatever high performance league you have and the long term benefits you aggregate from that is immediately diluted. The time it takes to get from my house in Vancouver to a field in Victoria is like driving from my place in Toronto to .... crap  like a population 2.5 times that of BC, and for significantly less money I might add. 

2. All year weather is a misnomer.  Baseball and fucking ultimate jack the most of the fields in the summer.  It would be easier to perform a brain transplant that do something involving soccer with some initiative during good weather.   Most soccer players in BC play in some pretty crap weather for most of the season, more cancellations ect... 

3. The winter in Ontario wrt indoor facilities offers a change and diversity in experience of play, small sided games, futsal ect..  Very few indoor facilities in BC as a result of the very weather people think give it an advantage.

 

 

[Soro17]

7 minutes ago, admin said:

BC has some advantages, but also some disadvantages. 

1. Aside from the immediate population difference, the playing populationin BC  is split between the island an the mainland.  Whatever high performance league you have and the long term benefits you aggregate from that is immediately diluted. The time it takes to get from my house in Vancouver to a field in Victoria is like driving from my place in Toronto to .... crap  like a population 2.5 times that of BC, and for significantly less money I might add. 

2. All year weather is a misnomer.  Baseball and fucking ultimate jack the most of the fields in the summer.  It would be easier to perform a brain transplant that do something involving soccer with some initiative during good weather.   Most soccer players in BC play in some pretty crap weather for most of the season, more cancellations ect... 

3. The winter in Ontario wrt indoor facilities offers a change and diversity in experience of play, small sided games, futsal ect..  Very few indoor facilities in BC as a result of the very weather people think give it an advantage.

 

 

Yep, we play in the muck and rain in November to March and aren't even allowed on the fields in the summer - fields are set aside for baseball or are closed to allow them to recover so they can be destroyed in the winter again. Indoor facilities are rare - even if you wanted to build one in Vancouver, land is too scarce / expensive or zoning too restrictive to build one (a person I know is trying to get one into place in North Van / Burnaby and there are zoning issues relating to recreational activities in a light industrial zone, which is the only area where it makes economic sense).

 

[BearcatSA]

Lots of good points to ponder in this topic-within-a-topic I've started here.  To me it's a small part of a bigger discussion of kids in sports in general, not just soccer.  Obviously, there are many things which needed to be factored into the equation (as already mentioned by others) but the DNA of almost any sport, not just this one, is the ability to go out on your own or with buddies and just play it, without restriction.  During the winter, for free (without user fee, that is), where in Canada are you most likely to be able to go out and play soccer?

It reflects a great deal about how player development has evolved.  

[Admin]

In the 90's I went to a soccer event at the Hangar while I still lived in BC.  

After watching a bunch of games and those players I went back telling people Ontario would soon be winning almost everything and that most if not all of our players would come from there.