Developing soccer players in Canada is not cheap.

So Canadians want Canada to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.  Awesome.  Let's do it.  OK now, let's talk about the cost. 

Hey, where did everybody go?

Soccer is a game that can be played by the masses, regardless of gender, physical ability, income or social position, anywhere, anytime, 1v1 up to 30v30, with a ball, can, stuffed bag or whatever else will move if you kick it.  But the environment has to change when it comes time to move a player to the next level.

There has been a lot of talk in Ontario the last 12 months about our new Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) and the proposed costs associated with it.  And this is just an extension of the talk that has always existed about the price tag for private soccer academies.  OPDL is a standards based program introduced in Ontario.  The first season is 2014 and will feature only U13 boys and girls programs at 18 host clubs.  Eventually, this will eliminate our current provincial team system.

There is a painful reality of a more consistent, high level, professional system and that is the reality of
money.  Physical space, equipment, support staff and professional coaching all cost money. 

Around the world, the development system is delivered by professional teams who have made their youth system an

Does club/institutional support matter in soccer?

I came to a realization this week in regards to my soccer experience.  I'm spoiled.

Is having a good organization to work with important in sport?  At the end of the day, you have to be a good coach to deliver the final product, but back-end support is very helpful, and in some cases necessary, to setting up a proper environment that fosters a quality program.  This ties into a previous article I wrote regarding your stakeholders.

Among my many soccer related activities, I have three busier roles right now.  I coach Niagara College's Men's and Women's Varsity soccer program, I deliver development programs for the

Grassroots Soccer. Coaching less ... not easy, but rewarding

I wrote an article in September about being "not so loud" when coaching.

Last night we started our Fall U8-U12 Wizard Academy at the Welland Soccer Club.  We run two programs in the fall and winter for players U6-U7 and U8-U12.  Rob Lalama, our Technical Director, has done a fabulous job engaging the grassroots through various initiatives.

Our session had 56 players, 5 coaches and 5 stations.  I will not get into the stations and organization as I've done that before.

I enjoy doing stations for a number of reasons.   The most important being that it keeps the kids in smaller group and busier.  LOTS OF SOCCER.  But my other side alternative is coaching development.

Even if a coach is experienced, I give them the plan for the station and coaching points.  And my initial message to them is to give the kids their problem to solve and let them solve it.  Fight the urge to coach too much.

I know how difficult it is to not over-coach.  As a person who has faith in humanity, I have to believe

What does your board of directors do?

I haven't written anything in a while.  I've been very busy with our Niagara College Men's and Women's Soccer programs, but I've been doing a LOT of listening lately.

Just about every Non-profit Organization has a board of directors.  This includes most sports based clubs.

(Moving forward I will refer to Board of Directors as BOD and Non-profit Organization as NPO.)

Why am I writing about BODs?  It's not to criticize, but to offer suggestions for directors and club members.

In Welland, there have always been grumblings at one time or another about boards and they all take their turn being accused of bad decisions.  Soccer, hockey, basketball, baseball or lacrosse.  Somebody, somewhere did something wrong to somebody else.

Even at a district, regional, provincial or national level , decisions on sports are analyzed and criticized.

Over the last few years:

• Canadian Soccer implementing LTPD
• Canadian Hockey moving the age for body contact
• Quebec Soccer implementing, then rescinding, a ban on religious head-wear on the field
• The way Ontario Basketball tiers teams for provincial championships
• The most recent controversy is Ontario Soccer's selection of clubs to start the new Ontario Player Development League.

We aim our criticism at emotional targets like "nobody cares about the kids" or "in it for their own

Grassroots Soccer Festival at St Christopher School in St Catharines

On Tuesday, Septemer 17, I had the pleasure of organizing a Grassroots Soccer Festival for the Grade 3/4/5 students at St Christopher School in St Catharines, ON.

In June 2014, I was one of 30 coaches invited to a FIFA Grassroots Soccer course held in Toronto, hosted by the Ontario Soccer Association.  The objective of the course was simple "Football for Everybody".  What we did at St Christopher was based squarely on what we did during this course.

Back to the festival.

I've been itching to do one of these festivals at a school since the course.  I've organized similar group events for multiple teams to come together in a "station" type set up, but a school is where I wanted to find myself at some point.  For me, it's a good way to present an enjoyable side of soccer and a