Honda Most Valuable Player/Budweiser Golden Boot – Dwayne De Rosario
In his first season with Toronto FC, the Scarborough native made the impact many were hoping he would when he signed in December of 2008. Appearing in 28 games, the Canadian International finished the season with 11 goals and 6 assists to mark the first time in Toronto FC history a player has hit double digits in goals scored. De Rosario finished tied for fourth in MLS scoring, and third in shots on goal with 36. He was named to the 2009 MLS All-Star squad for his efforts, but due to CONCACAF Champions League commitments with Toronto FC was not able to attend. He finished second in minutes played logging 2444, just 34 behind leader Jim Brennan. His hat-trick in the final game of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship in Montreal was a testament to his ability and desire to win, and his performance earned him the MVP of the tournament. It was also the first hat-trick in the team’s history and solidified the championship as Toronto FC won their first piece of hardware. Twice this season he was named “Man of the Match” (May 23 vs. New England, and July 18 vs. Houston), as well as taking home two Toronto FC Player of the Month Awards in July and September.

Defender of the Year – Stefan Frei
Selected in the 1st round, 13th overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, Frei quickly became the team’s number one goalkeeper after a fantastic pre-season. The University of California – Berkeley product started the team’s first game in Kansas City, a 3-2 win and didn’t look back. He started all 26 games he appeared in missing the team’s final few games due to a finger injury. Frei posted a GAA of 1.49 making 98 saves, good enough for fourth on the MLS list. A testament to his play, the 2009 MLS Rookie of the Year candidate was awarded the league’s “Save of the Week” honour for three straight weeks. The keeper also took Toronto FC Player of the Month honours back to back, in the months of March and April. A member of the Generation Adidas program, Frei looks forward to another strong campaign for Toronto FC in 2010.

Humanitarian of the Year – Jim Brennan
The team’s first signed player finishes up his third season with another piece of hardware in the team awards category. A previous winner in both “Defender of the Year” and “Most Valuable Player” categories, Brennan completes the set by being awarded the Humanitarian award. Always front and centre in the community, Brennan added two more causes to his already busy community calendar this past season. The defender became an ambassador for both KidSport Ontario and “Spread The Net” – an organization that helps raise money for bed nets for Liberia and Rwanda helping to stop the spread of Malaria.

Previous Toronto FC Award Winners
Most Valuable Player
2007: Jim Brennan/Carl Robinson
2008: Carl Robinson
2009: Dwayne De Rosario

Golden Boot
2007: Danny Dichio
2008: Chad Barrett
2009: Dwayne De Rosario

Defender of the Year
2007: Jim Brennan
2008: Marvell Wynne
2009: Stefan Frei

Humanitarian of the Year
2007: Chris Pozniak
2008: Todd Dunivant
2009: Jim Brennan

“We are excited about the idea of having Marc with us for the next two seasons,” declared Impact technical director Nick De Santis. “He has proved his abilities as a coach by leading the team to the USL-1 championship. He managed to instill his winning mentality to all players. He is a coach who is devoted to his work and who is strongly committed to the team’s success.”

In his first season at the helm of the Impact, Dos Santos was named finalist for the Coach of the Year award of the USL First Division. He led the team in all its victories in the regular season and maintained a 12-8-6 record in 26 matches in the USL-1. He then led the Impact to a third championship in club history after six consecutive wins in the playoffs.

“I’m very happy to be back with the Impact,” mentioned Dos Santos. “This agreement shows the amount of trust that the team managers have in me. I’m thrilled to have won in 2009, but there are still many other things that I wish to win with the Impact.”

Marc Dos Santos’ assistant coaches will be announced at a later date.

TRIP TO PORTUGAL
Nick De Santis and Marc Dos Santos are back from a 10-day trip to Portugal. They had the opportunity to meet with Portuguese clubs, evaluate a number of players and visit training facilities.

EDUARDO SEBRANGO OPERATED
Impact forward Eduardo Sebrango underwent a successful surgery Tuesday for a sports hernia (groin). He should recover in time for the start of training camp.

De Boer answers questions on Coach and Player Development at the Ontario Soccer Association International Coaching Conference 2009

More OSA International Coaching Conference
Full Story

Goodbye Lensky, and good luck
A quarter of a century ago in Costa Rica, Canada’s soccer team was competing for a spot in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. At halftime, one of the Canadian players was shivering, shaking and involuntarily urinating in his shorts. His fever-like state was unusual considering the temperature was 34.

The player was suffering from the onset of dehydration, more from excessive exertion than the lack of water intake prior to the game. Regardless, he played the second half, which ended in a scoreless tie that eventually led Canada to the one Olympic berth available for the North American, Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) region.

It was a watershed moment for Canada’s soccer team and program, the beginning of a stretch of unparalleled success. This success was marked by a pride for representing Canada, a grit and determination to beat more-talented opponents, a strong work ethic and a selfless mentality to do it all for ostensibly nothing in return – at least from a financial perspective.

Full Story

The Los Angeles Galaxy became the first No. 1 seed from the Western Conference to survive the first round since Kansas City progressed back in 2004. That had also been the last time that both higher seeds in the West prevailed, a feat Houston helped match with their defeat of Seattle.

It sets up a titanic clash of two teams that tied for the top spot in the conference standings, with the Galaxy earning the No. 1 seed based on their head-to-head record against the Dynamo.

The home-field advantage that is practically non-existent in the first round now becomes massive at the conference final stage, and the Galaxy are pleased to carry that edge into Friday’s match.

Full Story

How Captain Donovan revived the Galaxy
When asked how he’d transformed the Galaxy from a cesspool into a bonafide professional soccer team, Galaxy coach Bruce Arena started with the obvious: the best player America has ever produced yet still capable, by his own admission, of greater things, and often ridiculed and criticized for not attaining them.

“I was spoiled in the early part of my career in San Jose, because we made the playoffs the first four years I was there, so I got used to that,” says Landon Donovan, who won crowns with the old Quakes in 2001 and 2003 before leaving for Germany after the 2004 season and bouncing right back to sign with the Galaxy a few months later.

“Now, having not made it for the three years and the league expanding to make it more difficult each year to get in with more teams, that’s how difficult it is. I think the rut we got into was that losing became a habit. Now, this year, winning has become a habit. You realize the kind of things you have to do to be successful. When you don’t taste that, you don’t really know what it is.”

Arena was unable to guide the Galaxy into the playoffs last year, despite Donovan leading the league with 20 goals and earning the Honda Player of the Year Award, named to the outstanding U.S. international, for a fifth time. Yet both Arena and U.S. coach Bob Bradley quietly and firmly advised him that his performance as a player and a leader still lacked something.

Revamping a team that conceded 62 goals and won just eight of 30 games required a lot more from Arena than motivating his most talented player, but the former coach of D.C. United and the U.S. team knew well that much of a team’s drive and direction comes through challenges, not chalk talks.

“There are a number of things we had to do but I think the starting point was Landon,” said Arena, who took over in August of last year with the Galaxy mired in defeat and beset by bickering. “Once it was obvious that Landon was returning to the L.A. Galaxy [from a loan spell with Bayern Munich], he became our captain, and he accepted a lot of responsibility from our coaching staff and his teammates to make this team better.

“That’s part of concentration and commitment on a daily basis. When your best player gives that kind of effort, it carries over to the rest of the team, and the locker room and the training field every day.”

Pace, stamina, guile, vision and touch are staples of Donovan’s game, yet inconsistency and personal angst have often plagued him. He and actress Bianca Kajlich separated earlier this year, less than three years after their marriage. He underwent therapy to deal with a sporadic, uncomfortable relationship with his father, who abandoned the family when Donovan was very young, only to resurface, very publicly, when his son started blossoming into an incredible player.

Donovan came back to the Galaxy after a failed stint with Bayer Leverkusen in 2005, and despite LA recording the ninth-best record in a 12-team league, it knocked off San Jose, Colorado and New England in the playoffs in a stunning run to a second league title. But then began a dreary carousel of coaches and losing. A lot of losing.

From 2006 to 2008, the Galaxy lost 42 league games, more than any other team, and changed coaches three times before hiring Arena.

“We’ve had a lot of turnaround in coaches and we had a lot of turnaround in players,” recalls Donovan. “To have now Bruce here, who every day makes sure we have a way of doing things, a professional way of doing things, is a starting point, and then having players who follow that lead.

“The successful teams have a handful of good, solid leaders that make the rest of the team better. We’ve found not only a handful, but a lot, maybe eight or nine guys who have helped us do that. Everyone has followed that and it’s made for a successful year this year.”

Arena knows the value of having a strong and determined lead dog, no matter how many others are willing followers. He cut loose underperforming players and stocked his roster with proven pros from other MLS teams, and brought aboard internationals like U.S. defender Gregg Berhalter and Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. He bridged a détente between Donovan and David Beckham by challenging them both to live up to their abilities.

And Arena extracted the one element missing from Donovan’s game: consistency, of effort, of performance, of self-evaluation, and of intensity. In a joking reference, Arena said he’d counseled Donovan and Beckham a la Dr. Phil, but away from the TV cameras. Seeing as how Donovan and Beckham’s snarky critiques of each other had been widely disseminated, that course made sense. Arena got the process moving and let his captain, and the former captain, do the rest.

“Sometimes it’s hard to look at yourself in an honest way, whether it’s good or bad,” says Donovan. “Sometimes people say you had a bad day and you can look at yourself and say, ‘You know, I gave it everything I had.’ I don’t need to listen to that. Other times people say, ‘You were great,’ and if you can look at yourself honestly and say, ‘That wasn’t my best, I can do more,’ that’s important.

“Being aware for me has made all the difference. It doesn’t mean I’m perfect, but I’m learning what my role is as a soccer player, I’m learning what my role is as a person in life, and I’m trying to get better at both of those things.”

“As the level of sophistication has grown for USL, so too has the quality of organizations outside of our borders that we are working with,” said USL CEO Alec Papadakis. “Forging partnerships with exceptional individuals and organizations abroad will further enhance the opportunities for USL, the clubs and the players. This is an important element to the business as the soccer world no longer consists of isolated regions. We are moving forward by breaking new ground and reaching new heights, and we are proud to have Beswicks by our side leading the way.”

For Beswicks, it will be the firm’s second consecutive trip to the United States for the USL AGM with executives Tim Bailey, Gary Mellor and Simon Woodings having attended last year. Joining Mellor and Woodings this year are Mark Cartwright, Darren Long and Clive Clarke. In addition to nearly the entire firm travelling to Tampa for the 2009 meeting, Beswicks has invited several clubs to join them such as Burnley.

“Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers and Fulham all indicated an interest in the exciting changes in USL,” said Mellor, who said the three clubs are keen on attending. “We were overwhelmed last year by the interest from the clubs at all levels looking to expand their horizons and linking up with teams around the world. As a result, we are bringing more people. Personally, I had what seemed a hundred meetings last year and I felt we couldn’t do everybody justice. We want to make sure we have enough people there from our firm on hand to meet the demand for personal meetings in addition to the seminars and panels we will be involved with.”

Burnley, which is already working with the PDL and W-League Cary Clarets teams and has taken tours of the United States, playing games against the Portland Timbers and Ventura County Fusion in 2009, will be represented by Brendan Flood, the club’s operating director. Flood recently published a book, ‘Big Club, Small Town and Me,’ chronicling the story of Burnley FCs meteoric rise to the Premiership from an inside perspective, opening the door to the boardroom and telling the story of the most exhilarating, turbulent and breathtaking years of his life.

One individual among Beswicks’ invited guests has first-hand knowledge of USL as former Portland Timber player Sean McAuley is the current Academy Manager for Sheffield Wednesday. He played 16 games with the club in 2002.

The diverse group of attendees will also include Nuno Esteves, the manager of GD Estoril Praia in Portugal’s second flight as well as Portuguese agent Tony Araujo, who also represents a number of African players.

Heading north to the AGM will be a number of groups from Mexico and South America.

Mexican entrepreneurs Rodrigo Suarez and Eduardo Salamonovitz, affiliated with the Johan Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies, will be attending as representatives of a group of Mexican investors interested in launching a club with United Soccer Leagues.

Also expected are groups from Brazil and Argentina.

Statement Regarding USL First Division
United Soccer Leagues, founded in 1986, continues to be the only organization with Division II and III Men’s Outdoor Professional Leagues sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, providing over 20 years of professional league management experience to its member clubs at all levels of the game.

The new ownership of NuRock Soccer Holdings has made a significant investment in United Soccer Leagues through its acquisition of the business and the retaining of strategic business partners such as Nike, Inc. and Premier Partnerships, which is led by the highly-respected duo of Alan Rothenberg and Randy Bernstein.

While USL does not oppose the right of an entity to affiliate with USSF per the governing organization’s bylaws, it does oppose the current application before the Federation on the grounds that there is misrepresentation, interference with USL business operations and substantial debt amongst the membership of the parties applying for certification.

Although USL is currently working with USL-1 member teams on reforming the structure of league management, USL’s ownership structure and franchise system has been, and will continue to be, in compliance with all USSF and FIFA statutes since its membership as a professional league with the USSF began in 1993.

There is no FIFA regulation stipulating that member leagues be owned by their respective clubs, and in many cases around the world, leagues consist of individual clubs that play in league competitions managed by the respective Federation such as the English leagues (excluding the Premiership), Bundesliga (Germany), La Liga (Spain) and Mexican Primera Division. While some management systems are similar, the models of ownership structure vary greatly throughout FIFA based on each country’s business regulations as well as respective regional confederation and federation guidelines and principles. While there are universal principles woven throughout FIFA, league ownership models are among concepts such as promotion/relegation and the prohibition of two equal-tiered leagues that are not mandated and not necessarily applicable for every federation, such as is the case in the United States. Every league in every federation has its own nuances that make it unique.

The ownership structure of United Soccer Leagues has played a crucial role in maintaining a stable foundation while advancing the sport over decades of growth through both prosperous and difficult financial times. This structure has allowed USL to support and maintain the operation of member clubs such as Montreal and Vancouver during times when the then ownership of the clubs were unable to continue operating, which would have had detrimental affects on both the competition and on all respective markets across the league. With continued financial difficulties being experienced by clubs all around the world as well franchises and leagues in various United States sports entities, USL believes its model, with upcoming reforms to better serve its teams, is an important aspect to a successful future in the USL First Division.

A cross-section of soccer analysts and editorialists, especially those in the British media, are now calling on FIFA to strip South Africa of the World Cup hosting rights, following last’s March disaster at Abidjan’s Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium.

The disaster, which happened during the South Africa 2010 World Cup qualifying match between Ivory Coast and Malawi, left 19 people dead and more than 100 injured. With the headlines in many Western media screaming – African stadium stampede kills 19, Another African stadium tragedy, this unfortunate accident has rejuvenated the Afro-pessimism and cloud of incompetence that have been over South Africa and its organizational capacity to host event of World Cup’s magnitude since 2004.

“It is not the people [of Europe], but part of the media, who, from the very beginning were not at ease in trusting South Africa, or Africa at all, to organize the World Cup,” explained Joseph Blatter, FIFA President, in the press conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa, 48 hours before the kick-off of last June FIFA Confederation Cup that is World Cup dress rehearsal.

“I do not understand this reluctance to go to Africa and we are here, not only to honour Africa but to give justice to Africa and African football for all they have done for football.”

“But ever since I opened the envelope with the name South Africa they said it would not work. Why? Every year 10 or 11 million tourists come to South Africa. They have organized international competitions and conferences. Why the hell is there always this question mark over football?”

With the Abidjan tragedy, the skeptics are hoping to hit a home run on getting the location of 2010 World cup changed. What is nauseating about this thought is the way that a continent of 54 countries is simply reduced to one big homogeneous space, despite diverse political and socio-cultural structure of these countries. Consequently, they all get vilified by incident that happened in any part of the continent because the continent is cognitively constructed as one gigantic ‘heart of darkness’ in the minds of many in Western world and their media.

If not, how on earth would any sane mind with a slight knowledge of global diversity conclude that the Abidjan’s tragedy is another proof of South Africa’s incompetence to host a safe World Cup? It just does not make sense. It is akin to saying that Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics should not be held again in Canada because of an ice rink tragedy in the US or collapse of a sporting dome in Mexico. Can you imagine how ludicrous such demand will be?

The Confederation Cup, World Cup test-run, was held in South Africa in June. Everything went hitch-free. The local organizing committee got pass marks from the FIFA and the countries that participated in the tournament. With the success of the Confederation Cup, one would have thought that this would have assuaged doubting Thomases of their fears. That is not the case. Afro-pessimism rages on.

UK Guardian writer, Louise Taylor, who is among many that have vowed that they would not attend 2010 World Cup due to security risk, discredited the success of Confederation Cup. Though she was not in South Africa for the event, she was still bold to declare the success as a mere propaganda.

“There is a huge political investment in Africa’s inaugural World Cup proving a resounding success,” she writes, “and you suspect those FIFA delegates who recently gave the country eight out of ten in terms of preparations could be in peril of believing their own spin.”

Her colleagues in other media such as UK Sunday Times are having a field day portraying South Africa as a xenophobic nation of starved people, refugees and cannibals. Issues such as South Africa’s high rate of crime, violence, poverty and HIV/AIDS are also making big headlines, at the expense of country’s rich soccer tradition and triumphant successes in hosting several international sporting events.

These headlines, which create a perception of insecurity, are ritually framed within the familiar Western dominant cognitive model of “usual African violence“, and “barbarism.” As Mark Gleeson, former BBC reporter and South African noted, it is “a perception of incompetence carried by a continent whose coup d’etats, famines and conflicts are often the only news to which the rest of the world is exposed.”

If South Africa was located in Europe or North America, there is possibility that issue of security and social vices on streets might not be hot news items. If at all, it was; it would be a buried news item or simply be given a passing reference. That’s the case with Germany 2006 World Cup.

Mere looking at the other side for less than two minutes to check train schedule, my laptop accessories disappeared at the Hamburg train station during the last World Cup in Germany. This happened right under a surveillance camera.

At the media centres in Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover and Munich during World Cup matches, several laptops, mobile phones and electronic devices developed wings and flew away at the blight of an eye. Complaints and reports were filled with the ever-effective German police. Almost four years after, I am still waiting for my laptop accessories to be found.

These incidents did not overshadow the ‘real news’ of the World Cup and good events staged by Germans.

If it was in a developing country that scores of reporters mysteriously lost their laptops, cameras and cell phones in the media centres or in train station as it was in my case, the incident would have made the biggest headline of wrong kind across the world.

One thing that is clear from this foregoing is that “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,” as George Orwell aptly wrote.

With the new season of Champions League soccer in Europe pulling in unprecedented amounts of money, people in the know and professional forecasters are projecting where this sport is going and where it could be in 10 or 20 years.

And for a soccer aficionado the projections are sort of frightening.

Big time professional soccer, they say, will soon only be played to make money, big time money. It will plainly be a vehicle for advertisers and sponsors, and these people will control much of what is going on on the field. It seems things will go the direction of the big pro leagues in the USA (Football, Baseball, etc) lots of commercials interrupted by some action on the field.

Less than a generation from now with Russian oligarchs, Arabian Sheiks and major United States (and perhaps Chinese) corporations calling the shots, top players in the world will generate ever higher incomes in order to produce more and more revenue. Even though top clubs are already up to their ears in money, those people say this is only the beginning.

This trend is inevitable, the predictions go. It has already begun with several top English clubs having been bought by enormously rich individuals, all foreigners, and more want in before it is too late.

And when you look at Real Madrid having spent $250 million for just two players (Ronaldo and Kaka) they are looking to get their money back rather sooner than later.

It will come to a point, the projectors say, that the top clubs in Europe will simply split away from UEFA and FIFA, form their own league and run their own show as do all the big pro leagues in the USA.

And they’ll do that mainly for business reasons, and most of all, get their hands on all the money available, not only 70 or 80 percent.

At this time, UEFA or FIFA, depending on the type of competition, is pocketing 20 percent and more of the available funds to finance their own organization and support such worthy cases as developing the sport in underdeveloped countries, amateur level etc.

You can see how much escapes the big clubs when UEFA budget for the current season set aside some $400 million to run its own organization out of a pot of some $1.7 billion available from television, sponsors and other marketing projects.

This amount is particularly remarkable in this season of a major recession where nobody is said to have any liquid funds to spare.

This year’s budget is an increase of 33 percent over last year and the figures are projected to rise in leaps and bounds.

This season, the 32 elite clubs in the Champions League group stage are guaranteed $ 11 million each before play even starts. On top of that each victory pays $1.2 million and a tie $600,000. This payout increases until the winner of the final gets an extra $14 million for the title game while the runner up has to make do with $8 million.

Winners of the competition are looking at $50 million overall and that does not count home TV rights, home field ticket sales and sale of merchandise.

Top clubs already can pocket more than $100 million a year from all operations. Some even make more than $150 million.

But that doesn’t seem to be enough as more resources seem to be untapped.

Last year’s winner FC Barcelona earned a total of $50 million from its Champions League play alone while runner up Manchester United got even more, namely $ 60 million. That is because the home television market in England is much richer than the one in Spain.

Now if the top clubs in Europe could break lose from UEFA and do their own marketing, they could easily pocket another $10 $20 or $30 million per club (always in 2009 perspective, but a lot more in future years) and believe me, if the super rich smell the money on the table they don’t want to share it with some organization that is only a nuisance to them.

Naturally UEFA and FIFA will fight like hell to prevent this sort of scenario because, if and when it happens, they will be reduced to rather meaningless organizations looking after amateur and minor league affairs which do not generate any funds and still cost money to operate..

And if the breakaway clubs have their own way they might even refuse to provide players for the World Cup and that could put FIFA in a major bind.

But let’s assume the clubs are cooperating and provide their stars for the World Cup. They’ll probably charge FIFA through the nose for their services.

Of course one major question would be: what about promotion and relegation? Well, that will likely be abandoned because once a club is in the fold its entire budget depends on its membership in the big league and its owners will not enjoy being shut out from the trough if their club finishes poorly. One could see some clubs folding and others coming in via the purchase of a new franchise, but relegation? Unlikely.

At this time everything is still in limbo and will be for some time to come. But an attempt to break loose was made some nine years ago by the continents top 14 clubs, at the time called the G14.

FIFA was barely able to block that move by vastly improving the payout for the Champions League and offering other perks. But the problem will not go away. Question is how long FIFA can control the situation.

While Canadian soccer remains at a standstill the founding members of the Soccer Academy Alliance Canada (SAAC) have persevered, hoping that their collective methodology will bring domestic player development into the 21st century. 

For Jake Doodmath the opportunity to develop young soccer players is a far more important mission than garnishing trophies or winning titles.  After years of volunteering in all facets for his local community club he succumbed to the frustrations that infiltrates the Canadian club system where at times political infighting, personal agendas and what he describes as  “a stupendous level of soccer ignorance” takes precedent over the actual teaching of soccer skills.
 
It was difficult for Doodmath to leave an organization where he devoted a large part of his adult life but he found it comforting to be able to gravitate to the philosophy adopted by the Soccer Academy Alliance Canada (SAAC).  The Scarborough resident, now one of the Directors of European Experience Soccer and a guest in the SAAC Inter Academy Competition, understands that it will take a great deal of fortitude for his newly formed soccer school to evolve into a full-scale academy. He holds the SAAC model in high regard describing the umbrella organization as being the future for the Canadian game.
 
Collective Vision
Bassam Naim, Gary Miller, Liam Power and Paul Ferguson may be miles apart in personality but they share a common ideology with respect to how talented young Canadian soccer players should develop. The anchor members of SAAC, representing their four respective academies, are much more than soccer entrepreneurs. They have become visionaries trying to introduce a proven system to an underachieving soccer nation. Their ideologies have always been percolating under the surface of Canadian Soccer yet up until recently they have only enjoyed a distant voice. 

“Several groups, including clubs, Toronto FC, the CSA have reviewed the SAAC standards that we have created and agree with the high level that is there,” reported Gary Miller, President of Bryst International, “ We (SAAC members) all have our eye on developing players within the best environment possible,” added the former Director of High Performance for the Ontario Soccer Association.

With the formation of SAAC four years ago the Academy partners, along with their growing number of associate members, now have a strong collective voice that is making ripples across soccer circles. More and more players are migrating to SAAC affiliated academies, with their parents in tow, embracing a mission statement that completely contradicts historical ties to hyper-competitive club soccer. Membership in SAAC affiliated academies has grown from just under 400 players to over 700 registered players scattered across 51 academy and development teams.

The formula that SAAC advertises is simple and without any hint of malice towards the existing Canadian soccer establishment. Their message – ‘players don’t need an over abundance of meaningless games to progress – they need quality training in quality facilities by quality coaches with the end result to participate in meaningful matches’.

For Bassam Naim, Director of ANB Futbol Academy, the cooperative approach is simple. “Once a common vision is in place and that vision is realistic, automatically bureaucracy and personal agendas are reduced to a minimum,” stated Naim whose resume includes first hand experience of how top international academies are run in such places as France, England, Brazil and UAE. “With SAAC there are four futbol professionals/ entrepreneurs with sound coaching, playing and educational backgrounds who share a common vision about accountability, improving the game, player development and coaching education,” he added.

Credentials
The accents may be varied yet the instructions are clearly received by eager recipients. In one corner of the vast training pitch an Englishman directs his pupils on the finer points of ball control while across the field a former Bulgarian professional puts his young keepers through some rigorous drills. The sounds of Belfast echoe from the far side on another field as eight year olds happily dance to coordination exercises.

The coaching experiences and credentials under the SAAC umbrella are as diverse as they are impressive. To look at their coaching resumes is like looking into a microcosm of the global soccer village. There are coaches who originate from Hispanamerica, the Middle East, the UK, the Caribbean, Eastern and Western Europe as well as some home grown coaching stars.

SAAC boasts that 11 coaches carry their UEFA A/B licenses; three have their Canadian / US ‘A’ licenses; seven have their USSF National Youth Licenses; 13 have their Canadian / Provincial Licenses; and eight have their NSCAA National Diplomas.

Scattered throughout the SAAC coaching ranks are several educators by profession who know a thing or two about teaching.

Perfect Pitch
Outside the stately Crescent School the hustle and bustle of rush hour traffic engulfs the motorways that surrounds this affluent Uptown Toronto neighborhood. Inside the grounds of this prestigious private school there is a calmness that contradicts the hectic ambience from outside its borders. A large sports field covered by perfectly laid synthetic grass dominates the school’s grounds. As endless cars dash home for dinner several vans pull up to the sports fields to unload soccer balls and a wide assortment of soccer apparatus. In less than 30 minutes the sports fields are converted into a professional looking soccer-training site that could mimic anything found in Europe or Latin America. The Power Soccer School of Excellence is up and running with a second Power site also buzzing a few minutes away at the Upper Canada College Campus. “ The school is impressed with our commitment to youth”, offered Liam Power who is confident that his marriage to both Private schools is long term.

Several kilometers north of Toronto in King City the images are repeated with ANB Futbol Academy dominating the landscape at the prestigious Country Day School. Multiple soccer pitches, including an artificial turf field stretch across the school’s vast property. There is a feeling of permanency that soccer belongs at the school. ANB and SAAC are firmly entrenched at the Country Day School as the Academy has secured a very healthy 12- year agreement with considerable expansion on the horizon. Light standards for the main field lie in waiting to be erected while building materials for a domed facility are piled up ready for construction once the finer details of a building permit are secured. On weekends the Private School is home to the SAAC Inter-Academy Competition and to the casual eye it appears that something splendid is unfolding on the edge of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Gary Miller subscribes to the theory that given Canada’s extreme climate the best training should take place on uniform artificial pitches. Therefore the Bryst Academy has retained Downsview Park and the bubble of Wild Water Kingdom in Brampton as its home bases.

With all SAAC members believing that first- rate facilities are significant to any successful soccer venture both Paul Ferguson and partner Bruno Giannotti have raised the bar. An abandoned school covered in graffiti, sandwiched between endless acres of farmland atop Hamilton Mountain, may not catch every one’s attention but for the founders of Dribble, Pass , Shoot Soccer Academy (DPS Soccer) it has become their potential slice of soccer heaven. The two visionaries were able to link up with the Malayalee Association of Hamilton, owners of the property, and they worked out a healthy partnership that sees the Academy inhabit not only the grounds but also significant classroom and office space inside the building. In four short months Ferguson and Giannotti have converted an abandoned educational institution into a very workable soccer epicenter for the Hamilton /Wentworth region. Fields have been meticulously manicured and classrooms have been converted into study areas for Academy students to not only learn some soccer theory but also to prepare for their scholastic futures. There are even plans to build an adjoining indoor facility as well as expand the outdoor fields. Participants in the Academy travel from as far as Cambridge to be part of the DPS Soccer experience.  

Young Guns
It is the mission of all Academies under SAAC to incorporate younger players into the structure of any player development model.

“We run programs for 4 and 5 year olds at our camp and school. We identify the stronger, more skillful 6-7 year olds, “ offered Liam Power.

Bryst started a grassroots-training program last year called Kix 4 Kidz where 5-10 year olds learn the basics of the game with the hope that some youngsters will eventually graduate to the academy ranks while others will enjoy the sport in a non- threatening environment.

On weekends the north fields of the Country Day School fill with youngsters plying their trade in a competitive yet non-imposing environment of small-sided games. Smiles and encouragement appear to be the priorities over game scores or meaningless standings. Younger players seem to be thriving in such an environment where a pat on the back has replaced the verbal backlash of over competitive parents and coaches. Players appear calm on the ball, able to focus on their developing skill set while coaches seem to take an analytical approach to viewing their young charges.

Economics
Critics of soccer academies suggest that a fee for service delivery is not the best strategy for developing soccer players in Canada. SAAC., however, believes that their work and noticeable results transcends well beyond the bottom line of ledger sheets.

For Liam Power it is a simple equation. “This is a chickens and eggs scenario. One drives the other. To run real quality development programs costs money, good facilities need to be booked, quality equipment should on hand, medical back up is necessary and professional coaches are needed,” explained Power of the fiscal realities in Canada facing good player development.

Gary Miller makes no bones about the business aspect of operating an Academy. “ We must be a business to survive and move forward. If we do not make a profit, we cannot train in top level facilities or have top coaches,” explained Miller who holds Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Souchaux FC, Cruzeiro FC and AC Roma as being top run academies internationally. “In being a business we have created a developmental vehicle for young players to develop, improve their game and move on to a higher level of play.”

Bassam Naim placed the criticism of soccer academies into perspective. “ Academies, professional clubs, soccer schools, summer community clubs are all what you call a business. Without funding, none of the mentioned organizations can exist to that matter,” he explained.

While the four primary academies under SAAC rely on tuition as their primary revenue stream they are also diligently working on strategies to subsidize players.

The ANB Academy has an internal sponsorship program. “All players at ANB cost the academy $5650 per year on an equation of 180 full-time players. The U-8 program is subsidized for 60%, the U-10s are subsidized for 50% and the U-12s and older are subsidized for 40%, stated Naim who believes his biggest daily operational task is to secure monies to cover the balance. ANB has been providing both partial and in some cases full support for a few of its participating families.

Bryst International has two methods available to families to secure funds for their children. Personal sponsors subsidize many of the Bryst players – something facilitated by the Academy but arranged by each player. Bryst and SAAC are in the final stages of establishing a foundation that will be available to families in need of financial support. Supporters and donors to the foundation would be eligible to receive tax benefits.

The Power Soccer Academy has been offering 16 families some form of financial assistance with a few players fully subsidized. Liam Power reported that: “ we never allow finances to be a barrier for a talented player joining the academy.”

It is the dream of all Academy operators to some day have the professional clubs compensate the Academies for developing future stars. A recent visit by English Premiership team Sunderland to Power Soccer has whet Liam Power’s appetite for club to academy compensation. “ The idea for me with compensation is to then be able to put money back into the Academy towards reducing and eventually eliminating player fees,” he explained.

At present there is no working relationship between Toronto FC and SAAC Gary Miller is hopeful that some dialogue will parlay into a logical working relationship once Canada’s only MLS franchise sees the positive residuals in SAAC’s methodology.

Power does not hide behind the fact that soccer in North America is somewhat of a middle class sport but he admitted that academies, like Power Soccer, needs to reach players from all socio-economic levels. “ We could sign 350 players that are not talented enough, families with money but kids without the necessary talent. We do not want this, there is no point,” he stated.

Recognition
The United States Soccer Federation has embraced the significance of the Academy system in the United States by bringing together over 70 organizations under the banner of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Members of SAAC and other academies across Canada are somewhat dumbfounded as to why our national federation is dragging its heals to officially recognize them as part of the Canadian soccer family. 

FIFA, the governing body of soccer internationally, recently issued a directive in the hope of protecting all minors from mistreatment. In Circular 1190 FIFA wants all players attending academies that are not linked to a club registered with their respective national federations.

The Canadian Soccer Association is reviewing the ramifications of Circular 1190 and did not offer a comment to Inside SOCCER before the time of publishing.

Four players represent a cross section of many Academy participants and their proclamation is a common song throughout the SAAC family. Fifteen- year-olds Boris, Jordy, Devon and Sydney firmly believe their affiliation to DPS Soccer has been a blessing. The two girls aspire to some day play collegiate soccer while the boys are looking to play professionally. During a much deserved water break to relieve some intensive fitness testing the four youngsters, all with previous ties to club soccer, proudly announced that: “ we needed more challenges, we needed more soccer and we are getting it at the Academy”.

How can one argue with four teenagers who are thriving from some higher learning?