The OSA News Bulletin  

If you want to hear why Dwayne DeRosario, Diana Matheson, John Herdman, Nick Levett and many more very well respected soccer leaders world wide feel so strongly about the benefits of Long Term Player Development, then click here.
 
The purpose of this OSA "LTPD" YouTube channel is to share with all those who visit the site relevant comments from Canadian and international soccer leaders and players about why it is so important to focus on developing the skills of our young players.
 
The comments here will help create a better understanding around LTPD. Every individual highlighted here offers valuable perspectives on why LTPD is the best approach for all young players as they progress in their soccer life. From the absolute importance of understanding physical literacy to why Canada has work to do to "catch up" with much of the rest of the soccer-playing world, the comments available here are well worth listening to.
 
To view some of this very valuable and educational information from leading players and coaches in soccer in Canada and internationally please click here.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

On Wednesday, March 2013 from 7 to 8 pm, join OSA President Ron Smale on "Red Card" with host Anthony Totera for an open discussion on the beautiful game of soccer in Ontario. You are invited to call in and ask questions of the President regarding "Grassroots Soccer" in Ontario.

The call in number is 1-888-999-5880 starting at 7 pm for your opportunity to talk about soccer. To listen to the upcoming show on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 click here

OSA Membership!

The CBC asked me to write a short piece on “scoreless soccer” because they had received a lot of reaction to my update a week ago posted on the OSA web site. Let me start by simply saying the premise of that statement is not correct. The OSA is not introducing across-the-board “scoreless soccer”. While we will be de-emphasizing scores at the young ages (U8-U12), kids are inherently competitive and will always strive to score goals and keep score. It’s part of the fun of playing games.

The Rationale

All we are doing is shifting the undue focus away from creating a situation where everyone—Clubs, coaches, parents, League administrators, etc.—focus so much on wins and losses and medals and standings that we don’t help to develop skill in ALL our players.

Meanwhile hundreds of kids essentially get tossed aside every year. They sit or stand and watch others play. Too few coaches take the time to develop the skills of all the players, or provide appropriate playing time for all, because they are driven by the need to “win” right now. We lose thousands of kids to the sport every year because it’s no longer fun for them. We have the data. It’s a fact. The research is clear: kids leave by the age of 13 (often even before) because they are tired of being yelled at by adults. It’s not all the “fault” of parents and coaches. We are all responsible, but we’ve lost our way.

Our Best Players Know This Is the Way To Go

Just this past weekend, one of the best players Canada has produced in recent years, David Edgar, came out strongly in support of Long-Term Player Development. Others have before him, like Diana Matheson and Dwayne De Rosario. Many internationally respected players and coaches in Canada and around the world have said the same thing: we absolutely need to focus on developing skills, so players won’t be afraid to try things in games that they learned in practice. We need to build a generation of youngsters who are comfortable with the ball at their feet, before we throw them into the “high-pressure” environment they will need to be able to conquer down the road—when they are mature enough to handle it.

We Are Losing Good Players Every Day

However, a soccer culture in Ontario that yells at children from the sidelines to “get rid of the ball” and “get it out, send it” is not about building skills. I’ve been on hundreds of soccer sidelines over the past twenty-five years as a parent and as a volunteer—including as a referee and in my years as an executive with the OSA. I’ve seen this “phenomenon” in person. Sadly, it’s often about racing to the “top” at the age of 10, whatever that means. And it’s meaningless, if we’re all honest.

We want all our players to have fun, compete, learn, improve and get great coaching—and stay in the game for life. We know that won’t happen with every single boy or girl who registers for soccer, but that’s our dream. We are working diligently to enhance our coaching standards and certification programs so coaches know how to train, teach, develop, motivate and build confidence in their players—all their players, not just a select few.

LTPD Is For All

LTPD is for both recreational and elite pathway players. If your child wants fun, activity and fitness, LTPD absolutely provides that. If your son or daughter is passionate about a future in the game, this approach will help give them the tools and support they need to get there.

We’ve also lost countless young referees because of the verbal abuse they suffer every year from overly aggressive parents and coaches—again, all in the name of “winning”.

Competition Is Alive And Well

We’re not “killing competition”, as so many are saying. In fact, we believe that we will build a better system, by providing those who really “want it” the opportunity to compete within a pathway that prepares them not just to be good “in Ontario”—but well beyond.

And as our young players mature and develop, they will be much better prepared for truly elite competition (when “winning and losing” actually matters), while being coached by superbly qualified trainers. They will be playing at a truly “elite” level.

We’ve Missed Too Many Good Players In The Past

Where in the past maybe a handful of players made it to the pros, or somewhat larger numbers earned scholarships, we will strive to see those numbers increase significantly. For every five players identified for such honours in the past, we have probably missed fifty who deserved a much longer look.

We need to do better than we have in the past. And that’s what we are endeavouring to do.

If you haven’t already registered for the upcoming OSA Coaches Conference (March 24 at the OSA Centre in Vaughan) we encourage you to do so while space is still available.

The Ontario Soccer Association is very pleased to announce two internal appointments that will be pivotal in providing leadership around the ongoing phased implementation of Long-Term Player Development.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

We listened intently during our recent 11-city “tour” of the province and we continue to engage on a daily basis with Districts, Clubs, leagues, coaches and parents from across the province about their support for and/or concerns stemming from the continued implementation of LTPD. Especially in light of media coverage in different parts of the province in recent days, I sense now is a good time to deal with some of the legitimate questions and also some of the myths and misconceptions that continue to be spread around what we are doing:

Let’s briefly discuss each of the above:

1. Kids are leaving soccer because of LTPD

While some unhappy parents may be looking at other sport options for their child, the facts are actually as follows: we have been losing kids in big numbers in recent years and the feedback is inevitably the same: kids are pressured at too early an age and coaches and parents yell all the time. If winning and losing games at the age of 8 or 9 is why a parent chooses a sport for their son or daughter, it may be important to re-assess why children are involved in youth sports. Kids want to have fun and “get better”. We have tried to deliver that message but perhaps parents are not receiving the full message and our broader intent. We will be working very hard to ensure we get the right information in the hands of parents so they can make informed decisions.

Of course competition is a part of life. Players will be competing against each other at each practice session and each game from 6 years of age. But we’re talking about soccer at the early ages where we will de-emphasize standings and there will be no promotion and relegation. There will be plenty of competition and plenty of games and competition at the young ages—we just won’t focus on standings.

Cell # 289-314-5588
Office # 905-264-9173

"Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success."

1. A competitive environment while still respecting the LTPD principles under a unified set of provincial rules.
2. An appropriate level of play for all players based on their skill level and level of commitment.
3. A balanced and fair competition at all levels—local, district, regional and provincial.

• We are working to ensure a balance at the U12 level that does not unduly focus on standings but still recognizes the need for competition—and also the relative abilities of a given team within a Club.
• As our Clubs know, we are introducing the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) next year—a League that will see entry/acceptance based on Club standards, not the old promotion/relegation system. We are making significant progress on the business and financial model for the league. Further information will be widely disseminated in early March, with final information released at the Soccer Conference in April.

My personal belief—is that many of us will look back on 2012 as a pivotal year in the way we think about soccer in the province of Ontario. Not only has the OSA continued the process of instituting important programs such as Long-Term Player Development but as significantly, we, together—our staff and as a Board and an Association—have been working diligently to adjust the culture of soccer and how the overall soccer experience is delivered for our youngsters in every corner of the province. Our Board of Directors recently approved our Strategic Plan for 2013 – 2015 which will model four pillars of excellence. They are; Organizational Stability, LTPD, Membership Value and Programs and Services. Each pillar has an athlete, coach, referee, administrator and volunteer focus.

Cell # 289-314-5588
Office # 905-264-9173

"Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success."

Recently, I was pleased to be part of a cross-province tour with our Executive Director, Lisa Beatty and our Chief Technical Officer, Alex Chiet. We wanted to meet with—and hear directly from—all those who will be part of moving Long-Term Player Development forward in the months and years to come. We were well received by our Districts, Leagues and Clubs every step along the way.

At each of our nine “stops”—from Bowmanville and Windsor to Fort Frances and Ottawa—we were challenged, questioned and pushed to think outside the box. I found it to be an exhilarating experience, because we were surrounded by coaches, referees, parents, volunteers and administrators from so many of our Clubs and Districts who, like us, want what is best for all of our young players—which is what LTPD is all about.

I came away from these sessions with a few key “takeaway” thoughts:

• Unity within our soccer community is crucially important going forward.
• We need, more than ever, to work with one another and not against each other.
• The OSA has to continue to re-build its credibility with members and stakeholders who have too often felt (and rightly so) disenfranchised in the past.
• We need to aggressively explore even stronger relationships with bordering provinces (Quebec and Manitoba) and U.S. states (Michigan and Minnesota) to further inter-provincial (and extra-provincial) relationships and also competition opportunities for our players.
• We need to “de-layer” the system.
• We must make our rules and regulations simpler and easier to understand as we build a clear, understandable player pathway that is about our players, first and foremost.
• Coach and referee education and opportunity for growth is paramount.
• We must break down old barriers, reach out to non-OSA stakeholders and forge new and stronger relationships to grow and benefit everyone in this great game.
• We need to listen and act on your concerns, and not rush the process of change.

I also came away recognizing that the OSA has to continue to communicate regularly and openly with each of you. I believe we have done so in the last 18 months, but historically, we have fallen short in this regard. You expect and deserve more and we are working hard to be better.

Because some Clubs want to be part of the new Ontario Player Development League (OPDL), there may be, in some instances, efforts to affiliate or even amalgamate Clubs, if OPDL membership is a priority for particular Clubs. We understand that and where feasible, we support that. But it is vital that we also continue to support and embrace the role of our small Clubs, and at the same time, honour the legacy that those Clubs have created over many years.

Hopefully we will soon reach a point where Clubs will think less in terms of being “in competition” with other nearby Clubs, and instead, will focus primarily on player and coach development. For example, if it is what they do best, Clubs should take immense pride in helping a player along at the early ages. Then, when they can’t do much more for a particular youngster, they should ensure that young boy or girl can move on to a Club or Academy that will be in a position to accelerate the young player’s development. In the same breath, we at the OSA have to do a much better job of celebrating and recognizing those local successes, so our smaller local Clubs do not feel they have somehow “lost” something. They should be applauded for their great contribution to developing that young player, even if the player ultimately leaves the Club.  

In relation to resources we have LTPD Champions, Learning Facilitators, Master Learning Facilitators throughout the Province who will support you in communication and education opportunities in the future. Please contact Jennifer Granger at jgranger@soccer.on.ca to book a resource. In addition when you have questions, need answers or have concerns, contact us at ltpdquestions@soccer.on.ca

There are other important observations I’d like to share with you, and I will do so in subsequent updates.

Thank you to all the Districts and Clubs that hosted us, and those who took the time to attend one of the recent sessions. I congratulate all those who are looking at the big picture and doing all that you can to build a positive future for soccer in Ontario.

Cell # 289-314-5588
Office # 905-264-9173

"Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success."

On behalf of The Ontario Soccer Association, it is with pride that we congratulate and celebrate Silviu Petrescu on being selected as the 2012 MLS Referee of the Year!

A Canadian has captured one of Major League Soccer’s annual awards. The Ontario Soccer Association would like to congratulate Kitchener native, Silviu Petrescu on his selection as the 2012 MLS Referee of the Year. Silviu, a FIFA referee, not only received more votes from MLS players (36.78 percent of league players) than any other referee, he also received 50 percent of the media votes. He is the first Canadian referee to be honoured with this prestigious award.

Silviu, upon arriving in Canada from Romania, became an OSA Regional referee in 1998 and worked his way up through the ranks to where he is today. Silviu’s career has been followed by many of the OSA referees who aspire to one day reach his level. Silviu’s latest achievement will serve as further motivation for them to achieve their goals of officiating at a higher level than they currently are. Congratulations to Silviu, his family, and his referee "family".

3 Canadians will be refereeing the 2012 MLS Final. They are:

• Silviu Petrescu, Ontario
• Darren Clark, British Columbia
• Daniel Belleau, Quebec 
  

Your efforts and dedication continues to be outstanding. Congratulations to all who continue to advance refereeing within our soccer community. This is a tremendous achievement and very inspiring for all officials striving to reach the highest level of honours within the game of soccer.

Cell # 289-314-5588 
Office # 905-264-9173

"Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success." 
 

At our Soccer ’12 Conference this past April, we committed to an ongoing process of education and consultation around Long-Term Player Development.  We recognized at the time that the implementation of LTPD, even phased-in over a period of years, would be a cultural and attitudinal shift for many of our Club’s and coaches.

I can now update you that we have just concluded an extensive tour of the province to update our Districts and Clubs about where we are with LTPD, the Ontario Player Development League (which begins play in 2014) and how we can work together to do what is best for our young players in every corner of the province.

We didn’t conduct these sessions simply because we said we would.  We needed—and wanted—to hear directly from you about any questions and concerns you might have.  We began our consultation in Bowmanville, and since that time have visited Kingston, Hamilton, Windsor, Fort Frances, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Barrie and London.   We also hosted a session for Clubs from Toronto, York, North York and Scarborough at the Soccer Center in Vaughn. I would like to thank the Districts that all did such an outstanding job in helping to organize and promote these sessions. 

We know that transparency around what we are doing is very important to everyone in the soccer community.  We wanted to meet with as many of you as possible in an open forum to ensure we were communicating directly with those affected by these changes.  We attracted quite significant turnouts at most of our sessions, with great dialogue at every stop.  Those of us on hand from the OSA walked away from each meeting with very useful feedback and food for thought.

The messages we tried to share were in line with the information that we have stressed through these updates for the past 18 months:  that positive change is a great opportunity for all of us, that everyone in the overall organizational structure is important—parents, administrators, Districts, Clubs, coaches and most of all, players.  Hopefully we all agree that our young players    need to be placed first in any decisions that we make.

Further, we stressed—throughout the province—the importance of unity, to ensure that we can work collaboratively to repair a fractured player pathway and make things better than before.

Some outstanding materials—written and in video form—are available on the LTPD section of the OSA web site, including articles from around the soccer-playing world on why LTPD is so important for players at the youngest ages.  There are slides, handouts and presentations that can be downloaded to help you with your own awareness-building efforts within your Districts and Clubs.

If you have not seen our LTPD video, I urge you to check it out and to share it with others in your Club and District.

Please consider contacting us to set up a session with one of our LTPD Champions.  They can share a wealth of information in an informal setting to help you as you explain LTPD to your coaches, parents or Board members.

We genuinely appreciate your feedback and questions.  It is important that we hear from you.   We will continue to provide updates as we progress. 

2013 will be a critically important year as we move forward with the next steps in the implementation of LTPD.  Things will go even better if we work collectively—and move together, in the same direction.

Alex Chiet

Chief Technical Officer

This is a critical time for the OSA and for all of us who care about soccer—and our young players all across the province. With that in mind, as promised at our Soccer ’12 Conference back in April, our OSA Technical Staff will be hosting a series of information sessions this fall to build further awareness and to seek input around the continued phased-in implementation of Long-Term Player Development. While a number of Districts and Clubs have already embraced LTPD and made significant strides, we recognize that there is also some uncertainty about what LTPD “means” and the impact it will have on our Clubs.

A few meetings won’t solve all the issues that are “out there”, but at least soccer people will be able to talk together respectfully. The OSA can’t try to address a concern if we don’t hear directly from the individual or Club that has questions. Rather than guess or spread misinformation, please contact us at ltpdquestions@soccer.on.ca. The OSA wants to do what is best for our young players but also our coaches, Clubs, Administrators and referees.

Again, please contact me if you have any questions at all. Come to the scheduled meetings prepared, open-minded and ready to share—but also to listen.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

OSA TAC Member Jason Devos  discuss Long-Term Player Development with their guests Bill Condy and OSA TAC Member Bobby Lennox

Click on the link below to view the show.

http://www2.tsn.ca/window/podcastcentre/#podcastid=12738&id=51

Sept 27, 2012

The OSA conducted another very successful Provincial “B” license coaching certification course this past weekend (September 21-23, 2012). Hosted in Ottawa, 40 candidates—all seeking to enhance their learning and coaching credentials—took part in the five-day course.

We are delighted to see this surge in interest in the number of our coaches taking advantage of the opportunities that the Association is providing to achieve higher levels of certification. A big part of our ongoing efforts around Long-Term Player Development has to do with ensuring that our coaches have not only the necessary technical and tactical skills and knowledge but also the proper understanding of “youth” players and how best to nurture the needs of young athletes as they develop. As more coaches make the commitment to further their knowledge and awareness, LTPD will have the impact it should. Most importantly, coaches will be able to work holistically with all of our players right across the province—whether they want to play strictly for fun or also aspire to a future in soccer.

When Clubs invest in their coaches, they are also investing in and doing all that they the can for our young players.

An example of how Clubs are already responding enthusiastically to LTPD is the clear increase in demand for our pre-B coaching courses. Typically, the OSA conducts 9 pre-B courses per calendar year, but at the moment, we have 16 different courses scheduled in various parts of Ontario. Many more requests are being received, so we anticipate a very full schedule for the rest of this year and throughout 2013.

If the demand is there, and we hope it continues, we will do everything we can to host and deliver as many Coaching certification programs as possible in the months ahead.

Alex Chiet

Chief Technical Officer

The OSA Board of Directors met on the weekend of September 14-16,2012 and strongly endorsed the ongoing phased-in implementation of Long-Term Player Development across the Province. In particular, the OSA Board formally approved the LTPD Recreation and Development Matrices for the 2014 season.

Highlights of the LTPD Recreation and Development Matrices mandatory implementation for the 2014 season include the following:

• No promotion and relegation from U12 and below
• No league tables from U12 and below
• Small-sided games with fewer players on the field (5v5 at U7 and U8, 7 v 7 at U9 and U10 and 9 v 9 at U11 and U12)

Please remember the OSA strongly recommends and supports the implementation of the above, where possible, in 2013.

The LTPD Matrices can be viewed and downloaded on the LTPD Resources page here.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

As our member Clubs are well aware, we continue to move thoughtfully along a path to phase-in the implementation of Long-Term Player Development in the months and years ahead. As we continue to plan our own formal consultation for this fall, we are heartened to see that some of our Clubs are forging ahead to do their own fact-finding as we prepare for, among other important changes to our player pathway, the introduction of the new Ontario Player Development League (OPDL).

LTPD is a challenging but welcome shift for all of us, and we are already seeing so many positive results. We are receiving feedback weekly. Shortly, we will be announcing our schedule of locations for meetings that we will host in October/November. We hope to create broader awareness around LTPD and the more unified player pathway as we seek to consult with as many of our Club Board members, administrators and coaches as possible in the weeks ahead.

In the meantime, we look forward to the feedback we will receive from the Burlington initiative, as it will help us forge further ahead on this collaborative path. While OSA staffers cannot be in attendance because of a longstanding commitment (our regularly scheduled OSA Board of Directors meeting takes place September 14-16), some members of our Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will be on hand to participate in the Burlington forum. We look forward to continued consultation and cooperation with—and from—all of our members, Clubs, administrators, staff and Board representatives in the days ahead.

Thank you.

We continue to receive feedback (mostly positive!) and questions on a regular basis about the ongoing implementation of Long-Term Player Development. We want and need this feedback because it will help us to even better understand the challenges that Clubs face as they phase-in the various development stage approaches around LTPD.
We know people are very busy and may not have had time over the past few weeks to read the updates we have sent out about some of these changes. As we settle into perhaps more of a regular “routine” after Labour Day, I wanted to share some links that will hopefully help to answer a few of the questions that Clubs, coaches and parents may have as we progress along this path.
When you have a moment, click on any of the links below for more information:

1. Clarifying some misconceptions around LTPD
2. An FAQ specifically for parents
3. Links to many different articles about the impact of LTPD in soccer-playing countries around the world
4. A link to the new OSA LTPD video
5. Where do smaller Clubs fit within LTPD?
6. Do referees have a role in LTPD?
7. How Clubs can host a presentation on LTPD

We will have further updates for you over the next month, including a large surge in coaching courses and ongoing progress around league structure. For now, the above links provide some additional perspective on the rationale behind the steps we are taking.

Alex Chiet
OSA Chief Technical Officer

We continue to make patient but certain strides forward with regard to the phased-in implementation of Long-Term Player Development principles across the province. For some Districts and Clubs it has been a very seamless transition but we realize that for others it remains a work in progress. There are challenges to be sure, even for those Clubs who have already successfully taken steps to move forward with LTPD, because it its indeed a cultural shift for all of us.

I want to provide an update while assuring you that we are working on a Club Development Plan that will, to the best of our ability, strive to meet the needs of all of our (700 plus) Clubs, including our medium and smaller-sized Clubs. Specifically, as we move to September and begin preparations for a new indoor season and the 2013 outdoor season:

• We are developing detailed documents and resources that will hopefully give Clubs the assistance and guidance they need to a) understand what LTPD really means (and also what it doesn’t) at the different development stages and b) why we are moving forward with these changes to our competitive structure.
• We are very aware of all the questions that have been raised around LTPD. In fact, we receive feedback, comments and questions on a weekly basis. While many Clubs are reporting excellent progress (and favourable results, in terms of player and parent satisfaction) we also know that there will be stumbles along the way.
• In October we will embark on a major initiative to reach out and consult with as many stakeholders as we can. (We will communicate with you soon about dates, times and locations for the upcoming sessions.) But as I mentioned above, we are already communicating regularly with a number of coaches as well as Club Board members and administrators who have sought clarification on various points.

What LTPD really means

It’s perhaps important to re-state a few things about LTPD. We are absolutely focused on, in conjunction with our Clubs, doing a better job of developing our young players—whether they want to play strictly “for fun” or have aspirations to achieve a future in soccer at a high level. Clubs have done many good things over the years, but it has become clear that the “winning” mentality had to shift at the early ages. Far too many Clubs, along with their coaches and some parents, were driven by game results at the ages of 7, 8, 9 and 10. This has led to not only poor player development outcomes, but also thousands of youngsters unnecessarily leaving soccer because they were anxious, unhappy or simply didn’t have the skills to be able to continue playing the game comfortably.

Feedback we’ve received

• We’ve had feedback from people saying, “we don’t care what the rest of the soccer world is doing—this is Canada”. But the fact is, we are well behind what most of the best soccer countries are doing, and those countries are all focused on the best ways to develop players. And it is now universally accepted that focusing on winning games at the early ages is not how to do it. Having said that, we are not, as some media outlets keep saying, “killing competition”. In fact, there will be plenty of competition for players at all age groups and all levels of ability. We’re simply shifting the focus, especially at the early agrees.
• One concern expressed is that LTPD will be too expensive to implement. The fact is that as Clubs prioritize and develop their business models, LTPD should not be punitive in the least. Regardless of whether Clubs intend to join the new Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) Clubs need to invest in their coaches. If they have not done that, then now is the time. Our players deserve the best we can offer, especially considering what families are spending for our services.
• We also hear that LTPD is “only about developing elite players”. Let me be clear: LTPD will help us identify more players in every corner of the province who have the passion and ability to advance in soccer. That is indeed one of the objectives behind LTPD. But LTPD is so much more than finding a few more elite players. Our current player pathway has been broken for some time now. It needs to be streamlined so there is an understandable, unified approach to developing our young players. We need to provide the right development environment so youngsters will get comfortable on the ball, enhance their skills and have the comfort and self-assurance to make plays under pressure—so that when winning really does matter, they are ready to play with absolute confidence in games.

Going forward, we need to spend less time debating this shift in philosophy and much more on actually training our coaches to help our youngsters love the game and get better every day on the practice field. Our coaching certification programs have improved measurably in the last year and there is more to come. We will soon have more—and better-equipped—coaches than ever before.

Small Clubs need not fear change

• Our job is to assist you, and also help you recognize that if you want to, for example, focus exclusively on recreational soccer, you should do precisely that. As before, strive to take your players as far as you can, and then pass them off to a Club or Academy that can take those players to the next level in their individual development. Feel pride in what you helped to develop, rather than frustration at “losing” a talented and aspiring player. They deserve the opportunity to advance as far as they can. You will ultimately be recognized for your contribution.
• We need to work together—from smaller Clubs to larger Clubs, Academies, all the way up to Toronto FC—so our provincial pathway works for our young players as well as coaches and referees who want a future in the game as well. Just like our school system “hands off” youngsters from elementary to high school and ultimately college or university and the work place, youth soccer Clubs do the same, and should feel pride in their role in the player development process.
• LTPD is just re-shaping what we are already doing. There will not be unnecessary costs to Clubs and parents due to radical field changes and the need for more coaches. In fact LTPD will be more cost effective in many ways as there will be more efficient use of fields.
• In some cases fewer coaches will be required as we move to Clubs structuring practice and competition in groups/rosters (i.e. U9 development stage) that have qualified coaches setting curriculum. Those coaches will also oversee programs, with support from parents and other helpers to deliver those programs and activities.
• Our Clubs are the hub of Ontario soccer. That will, thankfully, never change. But we can always do things even better. And that now includes working with instead of fighting one another. LTPD will help eliminate player “poaching”. It will take us away from promotion and relegation to instead ensuring that Clubs adhere to high standards, rather than building their teams with the biggest, oldest and fastest players they can get at the early ages to ensure “promotion”. That approach doesn’t help develop players in the least and some of Canada’s best players, including Dwayne De Rosario and Diana Matheson, keep telling us that. They are huge supporters of LTPD.

Please keep in mind that “player development” means a lot of things. It has to do with the physical development of youngsters, yes, and their technical soccer skills, but also their social and emotional growth. We’ve often done a very poor job in that regard and that needs to improve—and it will, as we integrate LTPD.

I’m firmly of the belief that, 10 years from now, even critics of LTPD will come to recognize this isn’t just a fuzzy academic exercise or a passing fad but a commitment to actually putting players and their development first. We can always find excuses for wanting to maintain the status quo, but there has been an elephant in the room of Ontario soccer for far too long, and it’s time we got rid of it. And that elephant is an approach that makes winning all-important at the early ages and leaves too many youngsters behind in the name of short-term gratification. Some Clubs and coaches (and even some parents) don’t want to let go, and that’s a shame.

Take a moment to visit the LTPD section of our OSA web site and review even one or two of the articles that demonstrate the positive impact of proper youth development. In those articles, you will see why top coaches from so many countries have already moved in this direction, and didn’t let “critics” stop legitimate progress. Tellingly, many “critics” screamed about “small-sided games” 20 years ago, but that is now a standard—and invaluable—element of player development. We can’t stand still.

We will do everything we can as an Association to support you, our Clubs. We hope you will support us, and one another, in the days ahead.

Alex Chiet

OSA Chief Technical Officer

-Connect and contribute to soccer community of 60 clubs and over 50,000 people in Ottawa

- Certification to coach kids aged 4-9 anywhere in Canada

Eligibility: New Canadian aged at least 16 years of age Dates: October 20-21 / Nov 17-18, 2012

Duration: Active Start (4hrs), Fundamentals (8hrs)

More info on courses: http://www.canadasoccer.com/wellness-to-world-cup-s14682

http://www.ontariosoccer.net/LTPD.aspx

Location: TBC in Ottawa

Details and Registration: asherman@soccer.on.ca

Registration closes one week before course dates. Courses confirmed with 15 participants

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As we enjoy the summer months I just wanted to connect with parents and coaches across the province again to update you on an important aspect of our ongoing implementation of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) principles.

As some of you are aware, LTPD is being phased in throughout Ontario over the next few years. This will ultimately lead to a clear, unified player pathway and an opportunity for many more of our young players to stay in the game and reach their real individual potential.

One of the first things we are doing is integrating the LTPD approach at the early ages. Specifically, this season we have moved away from the traditional tournaments to “Festival” events throughout the province in the U8 age group and below. A number of our Districts have also progressed to implement “Festival” events for players in U9 and U10 age groups in-line with the future LTPD changes within Ontario. These Festivals bring together youngsters for a day of competition and fun. Moving away from league and tournament schedules means far less travel-time for parents, and importantly, more opportunities for youngsters to actually train with their coaches and have a ball at their feet.

Festival games are played on smaller-sized fields with fewer players on the pitch. There is no formal scorekeeping, so there is an opportunity to play creatively, without fear of making “mistakes” and “losing games” as a result of trying tricks and turns that the youngsters have worked on in practice. We want our young players to try things, be creative and work on improving their skills, without the fear of failure.

While this approach is indeed new for us (though already long in place in other parts of the soccer-playing world) and has been an adjustment for some parents, the feedback we continue to receive is overwhelmingly positive and supportive. There will be plenty of serious competition for our players as they move through the “system”, but at the early ages, our focus will continue to be on skills development and ensuring that all of our players enjoy the soccer experience.

I’d like to share some comments that we have received about the Festivals. Bobby Lennox, the Technical Director of the York Region Soccer Association, just sent me a note with the following:

With almost 100 games, during two YRSA under 8, 5v5, weekend festivals successfully in the vault, I think we can now confidently look back and say, "I’m very glad we have done this, this is good".

To see 8 year-old boys and girls playing and having fun, on field and goal sizes that add to the enjoyment, we can all be proud of what was accomplished.

With the stress of a results-driven environment removed from the adults (coaches and parents) they can now let the young players play with freedom and creativity without the fear of making mistakes and potentially losing a game.

To witness, for example, the Aurora girls coach encourage his goalkeepers (there are many as they rotate positions) put the ball down and dribble up the field, to a background of cheers and claps from parents, tells me we are on the right track. The ear-to ear-smiles from the goalkeeper and her teammates as she dribbled the ball was the icing on the cake.

As coaches from various clubs gather in groups to talk soccer and share ideas, it can only improve the environment and the experience for our young players.

The Technical Director of the Durham Soccer Association, Sanford Carabin, also has found that the Festivals are generating a very enthusiastic response:

The U8 Festivals held in the Durham District to date have been very well received by all the member Clubs, coaches, referees, parents and players.  Member clubs have been very pro-active in their organization and management of the one-day Festivals. The coaches—while initially skeptical of the validity of the Festival format—have been pleasantly surprised at the overall level of play and have shown their support by registering all their teams for each Festival. Referees have reported zero sideline behavioural issues and both the parents and players have responded very positively to the format.

We continue to hear that the atmosphere on the sidelines is indeed much better, which in turn makes the experience for the youngsters that much healthier.

Again, we fully understand that it will take time for everyone to see the benefits of this initiative. In the short term, some will focus solely on the idea that we are not giving youngsters a chance to play a lot of games and “compete”. The truth is, the most important thing at the young ages is not playing a lot of games, but learning the skills needed to be good at the sport so that, when winning does really become important, players will be ready for that challenge. Youngsters need lots of touches and time on the ball. To reach their potential, they need to develop confidence and need to be able to play without fear of making what we adults call “mistakes”.

Again, thanks to all those who continue to support these initiatives. We will begin to see the results on—and off—the pitch in the months and years ahead.

Alex Chiet
OSA Chief Technical Officer

VAUGHAN, ON — As many of you know, several Districts and Clubs across the province are already in the midst of phasing-in the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) model. While there are always challenges (and resistance!) whenever the status quo is changed, the clear benefits of LTPD make it an approach we must adopt.

If you have missed any of our regular updates regarding LTPD over the past few weeks, please visit the OSA web site, which devotes an entire section to what we are doing to support this important initiative across Ontario.  If you did not see our most recent message—which discussed various questions and misconceptions that have been raised about the new player-centered pathway, the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) to be launched in 2014 and what this all means for coaches and referees as well—please click on this link.

Please also take a few moments to watch a new video produced by The Ontario Soccer Association on what LTPD can mean.  Released at the recent Soccer Conference 2012 in Vaughan, you can access the video by clicking here.

We hope the video is one more tool that you can share and utilize to educate and create greater awareness around what LTPD really is—and maybe even to help dispel some of the misconceptions that continue to surface.  The short film includes comments from some of Canada’s finest male and female players, who are imploring us to move forward with these changes.  By all means share the video with your parents, who deserve an opportunity to fully understand the significant benefits that LTPD offers youngsters.

We fully recognize that Clubs face hurdles and will need to build awareness around LTPD with your own constituents, most notably parents who may have questions about why we are doing this now.  With that in mind, the OSA has created the  “LTPD Champions” – a group of knowledgeable presenters who know soccer intimately and can explain in detail why we are moving in this direction.

The “Champions” group came together recently to share their vision and discuss current “best practices” when it comes to how we should work with our young athletes. They are excited about the opportunity to share their experiences, and to explain how LTPD is being phased-in between now and the year 2020.

We have three different presentations available, geared to your various specific stakeholder groups.

1. Technical key messages (“The kick stops here, pass it on”)
This technical overview will be very useful for your coaches, as the presentation explains the importance of physical literacy and how important the right environment (coaching and competition) is to player’s development.

2. Parent Information overview and key messages
This presentation is tailored specifically for parents and caregivers, providing information that will help them make informed decisions that are in the best interest of their youngsters when it comes to sport and soccer.

3. Board and Administrators overview and key messages
This presentation will address any matters that are highly relevant to administrators and Board members, ensuring that decision-makers are also being fully educated regarding this important philosophical shift.

If you would like to host an information session for your Board, coaches or parents, please visit this page on our website and fill out the application form to book a presenter for your event.  If you have any questions contact Jennifer Granger at the OSA by e-mail to Jennifer Granger jgranger@soccer.on.ca.

Again, please visit the LTPD section of the OSA web site and check out the video.  And if one of our speakers can help in any way, please contact us to arrange a session on LTPD.

Thanks for your continued support!
Alex Chiet
OSA Chief Technical Officer

For additional information, see:

• OSATv Soccer Conference LTPD Workshops — Comments & Highlights
• OSATv Coaching Conference LTPD Promotional Video
• OSATv 2012 OSA Coaching Conference Highlights
• LTPD Video

WORKSHOP VIDEOS
Click links below to see recent workshops “live”.

1. LTPD — The New Vision ~ Alex Chiet
2. LTPD Club Head Coaches Guide ~ Mark Marshall
3. LTPD Facilitation & Activity-Based Learning ~ Marc Schryburt
4. LTPD Active Start and FUNdamentals ~ On Field Session
5. LTPD Facilitator Guide Overview ~ Marc Schryburt
6. LTPD GAG Model ~ On Field Session
7. LTPD LF Operations Manual & Registration ~ Mark Marshall
8. LTPD Overview ~ Alex Chiet

To join in discussions on information, ideas, best practice and concerns in regard to implementation of LTPD across Ontario, click the inks below.

Discussion Forums

• Long-Term Player Development (LTPD)
• OSA Learning Facilitators
  To join the LF Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca
• OSA Club Head Coaches
  To join the CHC Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca

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VAUGHAN, ON — While the LTPD initiative is a directive from Canadian Sport for Life and mandated by the Canadian Soccer Association, it is not something we are doing in Ontario because “we have to”.  It’s time that we change a system that needs to progress and evolve for the benefit of our youngsters in the game.
 
That said, as we move forward with the phased-in implementation of the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) initiative across the province, it is important to talk openly about some of the “push-back” that we are receiving around what LTPD means.
 
I spoke with many of our members at the recent Soccer ’12 Conference and heard first-hand about various perceptions that some people have about LTPD.  I’ve also seen some interesting (and not always accurate) media coverage on this subject.

Let me briefly try to address some of these concerns that I’ve noted.
 
1. LTPD kills competition
 
In fact, a major newspaper article in the Globe & Mail recently used that as a headline.  While the article itself was well crafted, the “headline” was misleading from my perspective.  LTPD is not “killing competition”.  Yes, the intent is to move away at the early ages (U4 through U12) from scores and standings.  But there will still be plenty of games and lots of competition.  But before we focus on wins and losses, we first have to teach our boys and girls the basic skills so they will be in a position to compete successfully—when competition and results actually matter. So we need to focus on proper instruction, skill development and positive coaching approaches at those early “golden learning” years of learning.  Importantly, young players who want a future in the game will find there is all kinds of competition awaiting them as they mature in the game—when it makes sense to compete seriously and focus on “winning”.
 
For those who may not be aware, the new Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) kicks in at U13 starting in 2014.  There will be plenty of opportunity for not only great training but also intense, high-level competition.  So no, we are not “killing competition”—far from it.  But we are only introducing a focus on “winning and losing” in the later years of their development—when it makes sense for the athletes, who are our priority. 
 
2. Young people need to learn to “win” and lose”
 
While this is true, we’re kidding ourselves if we think this has to be “taught” when children are 7, 8 or 9 years old.  Youngsters who are in our sport purely for fun and fitness don’t need to learn to “win” or “lose” at those young ages.  Those who aspire to play at a more serious and competitive level will need to learn about winning and losing—at some point.  The question is one of timing.  Just as we do in the academic system, for example, our young people learn the basics before we test them on complex formulas.  Kids are not taught algebra before they master arithmetic.
 
Academically, we have an entire youth development phase where young people are "assessed", yes, but the "system" works to ensure that they are not discouraged from continuing to move ahead with their schooling.  In fact, we consider it a major societal failure when kids drop out of school.   When that happens too much, we study and assess how we can do a better job of motivating youngsters, teaching them better and keeping them focused and in school—so it has real meaning for them.
 
It’s the same thing with youth sports, including in soccer. When kids drop out because of pushy parents or because coaches sit kids “on the bench” in house-league because they need to "win", we lose thousands of kids every year—and we don’t have to.
 
Again, there will be PLENTY of competition when they are ready for it and when it actually matters.  Learning to deal with winning and losing—and rejection—will come soon enough. 
 
3. Parents aren’t happy with no games/scores, no standings
 
In fact, there will be games at the early ages.  But scores won’t be kept.  (Kids will know the score, of course.  It’s human nature to be competitive.  But the focus from the adults won’t be on if youngsters won or lost a game.)
 
Yes it will be an adjustment for some parents and coaches who live for trophies at the young ages.  But that approach has got us where we are now:  players dropping out of the sport because of senseless pressure from coaches with misplaced priorities and from parents who too often ruin the sporting experience for their own children.
 
The majority of youngsters who start out in sport leave because of the pressure they feel and the fact that the experience is no longer fun for them. We have to recognize this and change course.
 
The focus going forward will not be simply on chronological age but biological age as well.  We have to recognize that children grow and mature at different times.  It’s crucial that we place kids in the best environment for them individually and match up youngsters with others of similar abilities.
 
4. LTPD is only about finding players for the National Team
 
The reality is the vast majority of youngsters who play soccer in Ontario simply want to have fun.  Those who stop playing, as I mentioned earlier, usually do so (and the research is very clear on this) because it’s no longer fun when parents and coaches criticize and take the fun out of the game. LTPD is primarily about keeping youngsters active, fit and healthy playing the world’s best sport for as long as they can.
 
At the same time, it will also be a tremendous boost to our overall player development system in Canada.  We have improved our coaching curriculum.  We are over-hauling our training approaches and the way we coach and identify our more elite players under LTPD.  This means we will be developing better players, and more of our aspiring youngsters will have an opportunity to be “identified” and developed if they have the passion to have a future in the game.  This can mean playing at a high level, including scholarship possibilities, international opportunities or representing Canada on our Canadian national team.
 
So in reality LTPD helps the youngster who primarily wants to have fun and stay active but also is a huge benefit to those who aspire for more.  Neither “stream” is more important than the other.  This is why the Long-Term Player Development document from the Canadian Soccer Association is titled “Wellness to World Cup”.
 
5. What are the details of the OSA’s Club Development Plan?
 
We provided an overview of the Club Development Plan at the recent 2012 Soccer Conference.   For those who were not on hand, we are developing the non-financial support program and resources needed to help Clubs who are looking to meet the different standard levels under LTPD criteria.
 
We want to be in a position to enable those Clubs striving to provide the very best training programs at the recreational and competitive levels to be able to reach their goals within the new player development pathway.  Importantly, individual Clubs will have the choice to determine where they fit, and whether or not they want to focus on a grassroots orientation or might also want to offer even more.
 
Whatever decisions Clubs make, The OSA will work to support you and your goals, and try to ensure that you not only keep youngsters in the sport but also build even more interest in your local community.
 
6. Why are Clubs being pushed to have more coaches certified?
 
While volunteer parent coaches can provide a valuable service to soccer, it has become apparent that if we are to really progress as a sport at the Club level, in terms of how we train and develop players, we need to enhance how we coach the game at all stages of the sport.
 
While there are many fine coaches in the system that do not have their coaching certification, we still need to set a higher bar in terms of what we expect from coaches.  The new Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) coaching curriculum is outstanding.  Any coach, no matter how experienced, will benefit by being exposed to the learning tools available.
 
Our knowledge of the game is always evolving and we must stay current.  These coaching programs will increase our coaches’ ability to work effectively with boys and girls at all stages in their development, from Active Start and FUNdamentals to the Soccer for Life and Train to Win stages.
 
Starting in 2014, coaches who wish to participate in the OPDL must have their Canadian National “B” license.  Coaching courses are being added to help enable our coaches, if necessary, to meet certain standards in order to reach the level of certification they want to.
 
LTPD is very much about improving how we develop our young players in Ontario.  But is also is designed to help our coaches and referees improve and reach the levels they want to reach as well.
 
7. What if Clubs can’t reach the new standards established under LTPD to gain acceptance into the new Ontario Player Development League?
 
First, one of the critical elements of LTPD is that we simply had to move away from the notion of promotion and relegation in Ontario.  It is killing the game.  Too many coaches were constantly poaching the biggest, oldest (those born early in the calendar year) and fastest players to play “kick and run” so they could win games and get “promoted” to the next level.  It has not been an effective way to coach and administer soccer and that system lasted far too long in Ontario.
 
Now, LTPD will have a standards-based focus. That is, Clubs will decide where they “fit” in the new player pathway.  Some Clubs may want to focus on doing a great job at the recreational level, at the young ages.  Others may want to build on that good work and provide programs further along the development pathway.  If so, they can take the required steps to ensure they have, for example, enough qualified coaches, provide the appropriate training environment and practice to games ratio to meet the new standards established under LTPD.
 
No longer constrained by the promotion and relegation system, the OPDL is open to every Club that meets the standards.  That said, not every Club may choose to go in that direction, and may instead focus on other player development or program priorities
  
8. How can Clubs afford to join the new Ontario Player Development League?
 
Just as before, Clubs will need to prioritize how they invest their revenues and resources.  Many Clubs now don’t participate, because of cost and other issues, in the Ontario Youth Soccer League (OYSL).  They prefer to play local competition and focus, for example, on taking their teams to U.S. tournaments.  That is always going to be the Club’s choice.
 
This, in part, is why we are giving Clubs a two-year window to plan and make decisions accordingly.  A Club may not be “ready” to join the OPDL in 2014, but may be in a position to join in later years.  That can be accommodated.
 
Final application packages and information regarding the standards will be available for prospective OPDL clubs in early January 2013. OSA will release further information to assist and support clubs in making this transition later this year.
 
9. Where do Referees fit in LTPD?
 
Referees have a huge role to play in the new player pathway.  A huge component of our “Respect in Soccer” initiative has to do with ensuring that our referees—at all levels—are treated with the respect they deserve on and off the pitch.
 
Implementing LTPD is a significant task, and over time, we will be able to respond with more specifics when it comes to referee development.  But we want to assure our referees that we value their efforts tremendously and that referee development is a key component of the LTPD philosophy.
 
10. Why are we doing this now?
 
In reality, this is a step that should have been taken long ago.  As I’ve written many times before, this approach to developing players is so common in most of the world there is no “name” for it; it’s just the way things are done.
 
For those that don’t have the time to review the vast amount of research that is widely available, or the countless articles from high-level international soccer people pleading for us to take this approach, then I invite you to watch the video we just released at the Soccer ’12 Conference http://www.ontariosoccer.net/LTPD.aspx.  Listen to what some of the best Canadian players, including Diana Matheson of our Women’s National team and current Major League Soccer MVP and Canadian National player Dwayne De Rosario have to say.  They are imploring Ontario to follow this approach.  They both stress that they wish they had this opportunity when they were young players.
 
Our current player pathway is so fundamentally flawed that it’s sad—because the players are missing out.  We now know we can do better and we can’t wait any longer to do the right thing.  Yes, it will be an adjustment, but only for a while.  Some Districts and Clubs are already in the early stages of implementing LTPD and the response from the vast majority of parents is overwhelmingly supportive.  Parents are seeing first-hand why this is being done and can better appreciate the values that this approach inspires.  Importantly, the feedback our coaches and Clubs are getting from the children is absolutely positive.
 
And from a practical perspective, we will be developing much better soccer players—and athletes—down the road.  This is not a short-term fix.  It’s a long-term process.  We have a window between now and 2020 to turn the ship around.  But we can’t delay.
 
Going forward
 
In Ontario soccer, our focus will be on skills development at the crucial young ages.  Once our boys and girls have developed the skills they need, then it makes sense to learn how to train properly and then to start competing at a serious level.  At that point scores will be kept.  Players will indeed win and lose while learning all those valuable life skills that come through dealing with success and disappointment.
 
It is important for everyone to understand that LTPD is based not only on extensive research from the soccer community (research conducted by “real” soccer people, not only “academics”) but on the science around how and why youngsters develop as they do.  We need to understand not just the obvious chronological age of our youngsters, but their biological realities as well.  With science, research—and common sense—as our guide, we need to acknowledge that children mature physically at vastly different rates.  LTPD recognizes this important reality.
 
Way more important than whether they win or lose a game at the age of 9 or 10, is making sure we give our young players the skills they need to play the game properly, to be creative, to try things on the field of play and to make what adults might consider “mistakes” without fear of criticism.  Because if we put so much unnecessary pressure on our kids, we can kill the love that youngsters have for the game at an early age.  We will make them afraid to try things because they might make a “mistake” and “lose the game”.  It’s simply a bad way to teach our young people.  If we keep failing in this regard, we will be “losing” way more than a game.
 
People forget that, more than 20 years ago, parents and youth coaches were aghast at the idea of “small-sided” games in our sport.  “This isn’t soccer” was the cry.  Now, small-sided games are universally embraced as natural and a huge element in developing players with vision, foot skills and a sense of the game.  Now, it’s commonplace.
 
That’s how we will look at LTPD in ten years.
 
As we receive more questions from you, we will endeavor to respond on the LTPD section of the OSA web site.  Please use the following e-mail to contact us with regard to LTPD:  ltpdquestions@soccer.on.ca

Thank you for your continued support. 
  
Alex Chiet
OSA Chief Technical Officer

For additional information, see:

• OSATv Soccer Conference LTPD Workshops — Comments & Highlights
• OSATv Coaching Conference LTPD Promotional Video
• OSATv 2012 OSA Coaching Conference Highlights
• LTPD Video

WORKSHOP VIDEOS
Click links below to see recent workshops “live”.

1. LTPD — The New Vision ~ Alex Chiet
2. LTPD Club Head Coaches Guide ~ Mark Marshall
3. LTPD Facilitation & Activity-Based Learning ~ Marc Schryburt
4. LTPD Active Start and FUNdamentals ~ On Field Session
5. LTPD Facilitator Guide Overview ~ Marc Schryburt
6. LTPD GAG Model ~ On Field Session
7. LTPD LF Operations Manual & Registration ~ Mark Marshall
8. LTPD Overview ~ Alex Chiet

To join in discussions on information, ideas, best practice and concerns in regard to implementation of LTPD across Ontario, click the inks below.

Discussion Forums

• Long-Term Player Development (LTPD)
• OSA Learning Facilitators
  To join the LF Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca
• OSA Club Head Coaches
  To join the CHC Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca

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LTPD Workshops – Comments & Highlights

VAUGHAN, ON — There was a lot of passion on display at this past weekend’s Soccer ’12 Conference hosted by The OSA in Mississauga. Attendance was higher than it has been in many years, an indication that Districts and Clubs across the province are eager to move our great sport forward, together.

A central highlight of the weekend included a series of presentations on Long-Term Player Development, and precisely what this initiative will mean for Districts, Clubs, and of course, players, coaches and our referees in every part of the province.

Friday night’s presentations focused on updating the broad membership on what LTPD really means—not necessarily what people have heard through the soccer “grapevine”. What it means is a genuine emphasis at the early ages on individual skill development, and moving away from focusing on scores and winning and losing in those early years. The best soccer nations in the world have long rejected that old mentality, instead creating an environment where young players can perform with skill, creativity and learn to love the game. We need to catch-up and do the same.

LTPD has been in place for years in many other countries, with great success. More significantly, it is for ALL players. If young boys or girls simply want to have fun, stay fit and learn skills—and still “compete”—this approach provides exactly that. For aspiring “elite” players, the talented pathway element of LTPD will hone the necessary skills and there will be plenty of serious “competition” when the time is right for intense match play. Importantly, LTPD principles will ensure that more young players have the chance to shine, and many more than ever before will be identified and can receive high-level coaching and training and development opportunities. Right now, we lose or miss too many young players because they are “too small” or born at the “wrong” time of the year.

What will be required is an attitude shift for those of us—administrators, coaches and parents—who have long embraced the idea that “winning games” at the age of 8, 9 and 10 is more important than actually developing young athletes with technical skill, vision and a true understanding of how the game can be played.

On Saturday, we covered several very important topics, including

• How many Ontario Clubs have worked through amalgamation successfully
• Details around the OSA Club Development Plan
• Time lines around the introduction of the Ontario Player Development League in 2014
• How we are moving away from promotion and relegation to a Club standards-based process
• The importance of coaching certification and qualified coaches going forward
• The key role of Districts and Clubs in LTPD implementation
• How Clubs will have a choice as to where they will best fit in the new player pathway and how they can self-determine their own future
• How LTPD will strengthen our recreational soccer programs

We received a great deal of feedback on each of these topics, which is exactly what we were looking for. Concerns were expressed about, for example, cost implications, where smaller Clubs “fit” in the new pathway, coach certification expectations, the difficulty in meeting the new standards and the impact of LTPD on our crucially important recreational programs.

We are sensitive to these issues and we were pleased by the overwhelmingly positive response from the vast majority of those on hand over the weekend. We will of course work to address as best we can any and all concerns in the weeks and months ahead. This is why LTPD is not being rushed but in fact phased-in between now and the year 2020. We are far more interested in doing this well than rushing ahead without doing our homework.

I want to draw your attention to a tremendous article on the subject of developing young soccer players, which was just published last week on the blog Soccer Nation.com. There was also a very detailed piece on player development in youth soccer in the Globe and Mail this past weekend.

2012 is very much about continuing to build awareness around how we can ensure that the young boys and girls who come to our sport will embrace the game, receive great coaching and training, and want to stay in the game for life. We need to be able to respond to those who want to play for fitness and fun (the vast majority) and the smaller but important number who have the passion, skill and the determination to play at a very high level. With your help and support, we are now poised to do just that.

We have a detailed plan. We have time frames in place. Our outstanding coaching certification program is fully updated and is better than ever. The OSA Board is 100% in support of our efforts. Many Districts and Clubs are already moving forward with the early-stage implementation of LTPD, with tremendous results. Unfortunately, there is still a great deal of misinformation “out there” in the media and on various blog sites about LTPD and I’ll have more to share with you on that front next week, but for now, I invite you to take a moment to view the following brief video: LTPD Video

Thank you for your continued support!

Alex Chiet
OSA Chief Technical Officer

Below are links to the presentations and the new LTPD video.
http://ontariosoccer.net/LTPD/LTPDResources.aspx
LTPD Video

Click here to complete
Soccer Conference 2012 Survey

For additional information, see:

• OSATv Soccer Conference LTPD Workshops — Comments & Highlights
• OSATv Coaching Conference LTPD Promotional Video
• OSATv 2012 OSA Coaching Conference Highlights 

WORKSHOP VIDEOS
Click links below to see recent workshops “live”.

1. LTPD — The New Vision ~ Alex Chiet
2. LTPD Club Head Coaches Guide ~ Mark Marshall
3. LTPD Facilitation & Activity-Based Learning ~ Marc Schryburt
4. LTPD Active Start and FUNdamentals ~ On Field Session
5. LTPD Facilitator Guide Overview ~ Marc Schryburt
6. LTPD GAG Model ~ On Field Session
7. LTPD LF Operations Manual & Registration ~ Mark Marshall
8. LTPD Overview ~ Alex Chiet

To join in discussions on information, ideas, best practice and concerns in regard to implementation of LTPD across Ontario, click the inks below.

Discussion Forums

• Long-Term Player Development (LTPD)
• OSA Learning Facilitators
  To join the LF Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca
• OSA Club Head Coaches
  To join the CHC Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca

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Click for Photo Album OSA CTO Alex Chiet presents keynote address at the 2012 AGM

TORONTO, ON — The Ontario Soccer Association’s 2012 Soccer Conference wound up Sunday noon after an intensive two and one-half days of Board Meetings, Workshops and the Annual General Meeting on Sunday morning.

The main theme of this year`s conference centered around the OSA`s adoption and implementation of the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) program across Ontario.

Long-Term Player Development Workshops

Comments & Highlights

Chief Technical Officer Alex Chiet set the course in Friday`s keynote address by outlining Ontario`s Road Map to LTPD implementation by 2014.

Break-out groups discussed LTPD issues and compiled questions for the OSA

A full agenda of six intensive workshops filled all day Saturday with illustrated presentations followed by break-out groups where lists of questions were compiled as part of the LTPD information gathering process on following topics:

1. Club Development Plan
2. Why Are Clubs Merging?
3. Early Adopters: Competition
4. Ontario Development League
5. Roles & Responsibilities of Board in LTPD Buy-In
6. Grassroots: House League Implementation

2012 Annual General Meeting

In a break with tradition, the 2012 Annual General Meeting took place on Sunday morning. The Member organizations received reports for the past year’s activities including the Auditor’s Report; considered approval of amendments to the By-Laws, and elected Officers and District Representatives to the OSA’s Board of Directors.

In the 2012 elections, Ron Smale was re-elected as President and Michael Allison and Winnie Brown were re-elected as Directors-At-Large.

 OSA President Ron Smale welcomed the delegates and chaired the AGM

There were no proposed amendments to the By-Laws and the 2012 AGM Report Book and 2011 OSA Annual Report distributed to the Members included reports from the Secretary, Treasurer, President, Committees, Task Forces, Registration, Competition & Events and the 21 District Associations.

2012 OSA Annual General Meeting in session

Friday’s agenda included an all-day OSA Board of Directors meeting. Following elections held at Saturday’s Annual General Meeting, the 2012 Executive comprises:

• President Ron Smale (Whitby) – re-elected in 2012
• Vice President Ugo DiFederico (Woodbridge) – elected 2011
• Secretary Dan Tomlinson (Burlington) – elected 2011
• Treasurer Robert Vizzaccaro (Mississauga) – acclaimed 2012
• Director-At-Large Ian Duncanson (Ottawa) – elected 2011
• Director-At-Large Winnie Brown (Brampton) – re-elected 2012
• Director-At-Large Michael Allison (Toronto) – re-elected 2012

The following District Representatives, together with the Executive Committee, make up the 2012 OSA Board of Directors.

District Associations

1. Durham Region S.A. — Brenda Brown – elected 2012
2. East Central Ontario S.A. — Dana Nahrgang – elected 2011
3. Eastern Ontario District S.A. – Bob Monaghan – appointed 2012
4. Elgin Middlesex S.A. — John Dutot – elected 2012
5. Essex County S.A. — Mladen Moric – elected 2012
6. Hamilton & District S.A. — Al Carrafiello – elected 2011
7. Huronia District S.A. — Alwyn Vanden Berg – elected 2011
8. Lambton Kent S.A. — Barry Goodwin – elected 2011
9. Niagara S.A. — Nick Palomba – elected 2012
10. North York S.A. — Mandy Aparicio – elected 2012
11. Peel Halton S.A. — William Hay – elected 2012
12. Sault Amateur S.A. – Chris Siegman – elected 2012
13. Scarborough S.A. — Jim Barnes – elected 2011
14. Soccer North District Association — John Labine – elected 2011
15. Soccer Northeastern Ontario — Sean Severin – elected 2012
16. Soccer Northwest Ontario — Rob Zanette – elected 2011
17. Southeast Ontario S.A. — John Nador – elected 2012
18. South-West Regional S.A. — Graham Williams – elected 2011
19. Sudbury Regional S.A. — Sylvie Rodrigue – elected 2011
20. Toronto S.A. – Wayne Butler – appointed 2011
21. York Region S.A. — Russ Turnbull – elected 2012

Center Circle Awards Banquet

2012 Center Circle Awards Banquet

The annual Center Circle Awards Banquet was held Saturday evening. The perennial Masters of Ceremonies were soccer-media celebrities Gerry Dobson and Craig Forrest.

Craig Forrest and Gerry Dobson

The Center Circle Awards are The Ontario Soccer Association’s highest level of recognition and are presented annually to men, women and organizations nominated on the basis of their outstanding contributions to the development of soccer in Ontario and Canada.

Ed Grenda, Al Carrafiello, Ugo DiFederico, Colin Linford

This year’s Awards were presented in the following categories:

Meritorious Service Award

Alan P. Hosey

Alan P. Hosey received the Meritorious Service Award for outstanding service as an administrator, coach, and referee. In the early 1980’s, he began coaching and working in administration at the Agincourt Soccer Club where he served as Competitive Director and Vice Chairman. By the late 1980’s Alan began a 10 year stint as a referee in Scarborough and a four year stretch on the Scarborough Soccer Association Board of Directors. Today, Alan is actively involved with the Ontario Women’s Soccer League and is a member of the Board of Directors. Since 1995 he has held several Board positions including Director of Referee Affairs, Provincial League Director, and Discipline Chair. Currently he is the Treasurer and acting Vice President.

Winnie Brown, Denise Hosey (daughter), Marlon Hosey (wife), Frank Holden

Alex Tough

Alex Tough received the Meritorious Service Award for decades of service in developing soccer in Peel-Halton. During his time with the Georgetown S.C. and the Peel Halton S.A., and still to this day, Alex has been instrumental in the development of the Inter-County Recreational Senior Soccer League. Today he serves as Match Secretary and Discipline Chair, but over the years he has held the positions Assistant Treasurer, Vice-President, and President of the league. Despite all his administrative duties, Alex has also been a player, coach, or manager in the league since 1975. His dedication to the league has helped retain old members and to bring in new ones, so to ensure there is recreational play available for all who want it.

Dan Tomlinson, Alex Tough, Eric Bessler

Garry Moore

Garry Moore received the Meritorious Service Award for his 26 years of service as a coach, referee, and administrator in the Durham Region. In 1986, Garry began his illustrious career in soccer with the Uxbridge Soccer Club as a coach. Over the years, Garry held a number of other positions within the club including Field Scheduler, Club Mediator, Director, Vice President, and President. In 2008, Garry won the Durham Volunteer Recognition Award and went on to win the Bill Brown Award, the highest level of recognition for soccer in the Uxbridge Soccer Club. This award acknowledges individuals who are role models for youth players and officials, as well as for their contribution to the sport of soccer.

Brenda Brown, Garry Moore, Robert Vizzaccaro

Graham Williams

Graham Williams received the Meritorious Service Award for over 30 years of dedicated service to soccer in the South-West Region. As an administrator, Graham has had a significant impact on the region. In 1990, he served as a member on the Cambridge Youth Soccer Complex Committee. In 1991, Graham and some fellow colleagues founded the Cambridge Youth Indoor Soccer League. Graham has also contributed to the game through officiating. Beginning at the grassroots level, he quickly rose to Class 1, refereeing in local, provincial, and national leagues. From 2002 to 2006, he served as President of the Southwest Soccer Referee’s Association. Today Graham is the South-West Regional Soccer Association President and represents the region on the OSA Board.

Ian Duncanson, Graham Williams, Ugo DiFederico

Leon Tipovski

Leon Tipovski received the Meritorious Service Award for his contribution to soccer as a referee and educator. Starting as a referee in 1989, Leon began a long and esteemed career in soccer. His prowess as a referee resulted in a position with The Ontario Soccer Association as a Referee Instructor and Assessor. Noting his expertise, the OSA has implemented Leon’s educational material for its C-4 referee training manual. At the Kitchener Soccer Club Leon has been named the Head Referee and is also a member of the Board. Similarly, the South-West Regional Soccer Association has appointed him Director of Education. Today Leon serves within his community both as a referee and in his various administrative roles.

Graham Williams, Leon Tipovski, Michael Allison

Tony Atkins

Tony Atkins received the Meritorious Service Award for his 40 years of service as a referee and administrator. Upon moving to Ontario in 1972 he began refereeing and is still involved in it today. As he gained experience over the years, Tony attained the level of National Referee and represented Canada overseas in 1980. In addition to his refereeing duties, Tony has also reached the levels of National Instructor and National Assessor. Since 1999 he has been a member of the OSA Referee Assessor Advisory Group serving on the Grading Panel. He is also a member of both the OSA and CSA Referee Development Committees. And in 2006, he was appointed Director on the Peel Halton Soccer Association Board.

Dan Tomlinson, Tony Atkins, William Hay

Center Circle Media Award

Alfons Rubbens

Alfons Rubbens received the Media Award for his outstanding work in developing soccer through the media. In 1977, he not only founded the Whitchurch-Stouffville Soccer Club, but was also a founding member of the York Region Soccer League. Then in 1978, he was one of the founding members of the York Region Soccer Association. In 1992, Alfons founded InsideSOCCER Magazine. In the beginning, the magazine was hardly more than a newsletter sponsored by the York Region Soccer Association. Today, InsideSOCCER is a national magazine that features stories from all across the country and the world. The magazine’s growth and success has attracted renowned writers and photographers, creating a professional, full-color publication that keeps its readers informed and intrigued.

Ugo DiFederico, Alfons Rubbens, Russ Turnbull

Center Circle Meritorious Club Award

The Uxbridge Soccer Club received the Meritorious Service Club Award for its commitment to player development both on and off the field. Since it was established in 1979, the Uxbridge Soccer Club has been committed to developing not only the game of soccer, but human character as well. To better the community, the club emphasizes physical, mental, social, and leadership development for all of its members, young and old. The club has also grown significantly since its inception, having started with only three fields at the Kennedy House facility. Today the club has expanded that facility to 16 fields of various sizes, and has added an additional five fields to Herrema Park to better serve its membership of 1200 players.

Brenda Brown, Francois Bessay, Ron Smale

Life Membership Award

Colin Linford

Colin Linford was presented with the Life Membership Award for decades of exemplary work throughout the province and for his vision to develop soccer across Canada. In 1990, Colin was elected as the South-West Regional Soccer Association Representative to The Ontario Soccer Association Board. Two years later he joined the OSA League Management Committee and in 1998 he was elected to the OSA Executive as Director at Large. Not long after, he was elected Vice President, and in 2002 he was appointed President of The Ontario Soccer Association. That same year, Colin extended his presence onto the national soccer scene as a member of the Canadian Soccer Association Blue Print Committee and Board of Directors. And finally in 2006, Colin joined an elite group of individuals as he was appointed President of the Canadian Soccer Association.

Colin Linford, Ron Smale

President’s Award

Dan Berger

Dan Berger received the President’s Award for his fourteen years of work as the Ontario Soccer Centre’s Director of Facilities. Dan’s most significant contribution to The Ontario Soccer Association was in managing all of the operational aspects of the Ontario Soccer Centre since it opened in 1997 and overseeing all of the major renovations and improvements which make the Soccer Centre one of the top athletic facilities in Ontario. After the Ontario Indoor Soccer League ceased operations, Dan was the architect of the Provincial Indoor Soccer League which he managed with great success. Dan’s contributions went beyond his own job responsibilities by assisting in other key areas such as the OSA’s financial management and serving as a close advisor to CEOs Brian Avey and Guy Bradbury in the overall OSA operations.

Dan Berger, Ron Smale

CSA President All-Candidates Forum

 
Victor Montagliani, Dominique Maestracci, Robert Newman

Taking advantage of the OSA Board’s gathering in Toronto for the weekend’s AGM and looking forward to the upcoming elections at the Canadian Soccer Association’s AGM in May, the OSA hosted a special All-Candidates Forum for OSA Board Members on Thursday evening.

The forum was hosted by Sportsnet’s Gerry Dobson with the aim of providing an overview of the qualifications, experience and vision of the candidates standing for election as CSA President: Dominique Maestracci (incumbent from Montreal); Victor Montagliani (current CSA Vice-President from Burnaby, BC) and Rob Newman (current CSA Vice-President from Saskatoon, SK).

Following the forum, the OSA Board met to consider and discuss the candidates’ qualifications and then decided for whom to cast Ontario’s ballot in the elections at the CSA’s AGM May 5-6, 2012 in Ottawa.

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Soccer is currently the most popular organized team sport in Canada with over 825,000 registered players. Ontario comprises almost 50% of this total. Currently, one out of three children in Ontario play organized Soccer, two out of five players are female and over a million parents and other family members play supporting roles.

The Ontario Soccer Association was founded in 1901 and is the largest provincial Sport organization in Canada with over 600 Clubs servicing some 24,000 Teams with 500,000 registered Players, 70,000 Coaches and Managers, 10,000 Referees and countless Volunteers, Parents and Supporters comprising a direct, multi-cultural community reach of over 1,000,000 citizens.

The Association develops, supports and delivers Programs and Services throughout Ontario in partnership with grassroots Communities, District Associations, Municipal, Provincial and National Governments, University, College, School and Professional Soccer organizations.

An overall goal of The Ontario Soccer Association is to assist with the development of Soccer for the benefit of its members and stakeholders while promoting Soccer as a healthy lifestyle choice which encourages community involvement at all levels.

The Association comprises 21 Districts and 14 Associate Members (Regional and Provincial leagues) who represent 290 Youth and 860 Senior Clubs across Ontario. The OSA Membership includes some 385,000 Outdoor Players, 78,000 Indoor Players, 25,000 Coaches, 10,000 Referees and 14,000 volunteer and professional Administrators from 7 Regions across Ontario.

Report, Photos & Video by Wolf Ruck / OSA Staff
Award presentation Photos by Nicky Pearson / OSA Staff 
With notes from Cathy Watt & Bruce Henderson / OSA Staff

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VAUGHAN, ON — As we prepare for the 2012 outdoor season, I wanted to make contact with all of our referees to ensure you are aware of our plans—short and longer-term—with regard to our ongoing work around Long-Term Player Development (LTPD).

We recognize that you, understandably, have a wide range of questions about where referees “fit” as we move ahead with the planned phased-in implementation of this very important shift in emphasis in the years ahead.

Many of you will know that the OSA’s Technical Advisory Council was struck in the spring of 2011 specifically to provide guidance and to help build the LTPD roadmap for the future. That Council is made up of technical leaders from across the province, but also administrators as well as a referee. At our most recent TAC session (March 22-23) representatives from the OSA Referee Development Department staff were also on hand to provide input and direction with regard to the important issues facing referees as we move forward.

We have been communicating regularly with various soccer stakeholders across Ontario for the past 10 months about LTPD and what it means. And we know that the one group that we need to provide more information to is our referee network. The seeming “delay” in connecting with you has to do with our desire to have something concrete to say.

We have spent a great deal of time working to help Clubs and coaches understand how the various coaching courses aligned with LTPD will be “rolled out” over the next several years, and also developing a new competitive structure for both the recreational and more competitive streams of play. Referees obviously have a crucial role to play, and as we make progress in the above areas, we are determined to ensure that you get the answers you need. We are still not quite where we need to be and as a result, we cannot provide you with all the answers you seek just yet.

More broadly speaking, here are some of the things you have asked us about in recent weeks:

1. What courses will be available for referees, including assistant referees?
2. Will there be more on-line resources and documentation available to referees?
3. Will the Mini rules be updated?
4. Will the Mini-rules be re-written?
5. Will there be changes in Mini-referee status?
6. Will the OSA implement consistent rules and regulations when it comes to Mini Soccer across Districts?
7. Will referee evaluation, assessment and support change?
8. Will players and parents receive courses and/or at least instruction in the Laws of the game?
9. Where are we with regard to our Respect for Referees program?
10. What are we doing to reduce referee turnover?
11. Will referees receive instruction on the new Festival formats?
12. Will age and accreditation stages change for referees?

In the short term, the Mini-Soccer Rules still apply. We are indeed listening, and working to address these and many other issues that need to be addressed as soon as we possibly can. I can assure you that we will be adding a specific referee information area within the LTPD section of the OSA web site.

Our referees are an indispensable part of our game, and are central to a holistic approach to building a better game across the province. We want to build a pathway for everyone in the game—players, coaches and referees. We know that focusing on individual development, growth and providing opportunities for a future in the game is essential to everyone. That’s what we are in the midst of developing. We will be engaging the referee community in regard to specific projects in the near future.

The reality is that it takes time to change decades of entrenched approaches. So it will take time to lead this cultural shift. We know that we need to provide our referees with all the support we can. We are working to ensure that when we are ready to do that it will be done effectively and properly.

Please bear with us. Change is always challenging and this work is no different. In the meantime, please follow up with Nicky Pearson, Manager of Referee Development who is our key point person for you at the OSA.

Click here to view and subscribe to the OSA LTPD News Feed.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

Mark Marshall
Manager of Coach Development

For additional information, see:

OSATv Highlights 2012 OSA Coaching Conference

WORKSHOP VIDEOS
Click links below to see recent workshops “live”.

1. LTPD — The New Vision ~ Alex Chiet
2. LTPD Club Head Coaches Guide ~ Mark Marshall
3. LTPD Facilitation & Activity-Based Learning ~ Marc Schryburt
4. LTPD Active Start and FUNdamentals ~ On Field Session
5. LTPD Facilitator Guide Overview ~ Marc Schryburt
6. LTPD GAG Model ~ On Field Session
7. LTPD LF Operations Manual & Registration ~ Mark Marshall
8. LTPD Overview ~ Alex Chiet

To join in discussions on information, ideas, best practice and concerns in regard to implementation of LTPD across Ontario, click the inks below.

Discussion Forums

• Long-Term Player Development (LTPD)
• OSA Learning Facilitators
  To join the LF Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca
• OSA Club Head Coaches
  To join the CHC Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca

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VAUGHAN, ON — As we embarked on the next phase of our LTPD implementation a few weeks ago, we initiated a “Call for Applications” regarding the positions of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) Champions.

We were fortunate to have a number of high-calibre applicants. That left us with the difficult task of choosing a select few.

We have identified personable and enthusiastic people with experience in presenting and facilitating who can now passionately promote this new direction in technical development.

Each of these individuals will play a major role in the ongoing education and consultation of LTPD in Ontario.

It’s with great pleasure we announce our new team of LTPD Champions:

• Jarrod Beattie
• Colin Cameron
• Patty Forbes
• Desmond Gardner
• John Hyland
• Les Johns
• Paul Martin
• Peter Menyasz
• Connie Mercer
• Rick Morandini
• Steve Payne
• Dominic Sinopoli
• Frank Suppa
• Paula Tavares
• Ron Weese

The OSA LTPD Champions will be an invaluable group of people that will be available to assist in communicating with the wider membership about the clear rationale behind LTPD implementation. The Champions have been selected to present and facilitate LTPD sessions with parents, technical minds (coaches and Club Head Coaches), boards and administrators within our membership.

LTPD Champions will join the OSA Technical Advisory Council, Master Learning Facilitators and Learning Facilitators who are already educating our membership—and especially our coaches—regarding the benefits of LTPD.

More information regarding how to request an LTPD information session for your Club, District, Board or parents will be communicated within the next 6 weeks once the OSA LTPD Champion training and development has been delivered.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

Mark Marshall
Manager of Coach Development

………………………………………………

For additional information, see:

OSATv Highlights 2012 OSA Coaching Conference

WORKSHOP VIDEOS
Click links below to see recent workshops “live”.

1. LTPD — The New Vision ~ Alex Chiet
2. LTPD Club Head Coaches Guide ~ Mark Marshall
3. LTPD Facilitation & Activity-Based Learning ~ Marc Schryburt
4. LTPD Active Start and FUNdamentals ~ On Field Session
5. LTPD Facilitator Guide Overview ~ Marc Schryburt
6. LTPD GAG Model ~ On Field Session
7. LTPD LF Operations Manual & Registration ~ Mark Marshall
8. LTPD Overview ~ Alex Chiet

To join in discussions on information, ideas, best practice and concerns in regard to implementation of LTPD across Ontario, click the inks below.

Discussion Forums

• Long-Term Player Development (LTPD)
• OSA Learning Facilitators
  To join the LF Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca
• OSA Club Head Coaches
  To join the CHC Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca

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VAUGHAN, ON — Those of you who were able to attend the annual OSA coaching Conference at the end of February should have received the new OSA resources that have been developed for our coaches across the province.

The brochure, which was released at the Conference, is now being made available to all Clubs and we ask that Club head coaches ensure this information is passed on to all coaches and to players’ parents within your Club.

We’ve created a series of brochures in the form of mini-pamphlets that walk coaches through four of the key physical literacy stages of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD). Each of these resources provide very basic but helpful information through Active Start, FUNdamentals, Learn to Train and Soccer for Life.

This project was in response to the many requests for “more information” that we have received over the past months around LTPD. The materials are tailored to address some of the questions many coaches are asking and are targeted at the volunteer coach—giving guidance, reinforcing what players’ needs are at each development stage and pointing coaches in the direction of further development. We encourage you to review the materials carefully and refer to them regularly.

These brochures will provide you with a guideline and some simple reminders to assist you as you plan your training sessions with your players. I should stress that the brochures are not technical documents. We envisage that Club Head Coaches and Technical Directors will assist coaches in their session planning to ensure the appropriate technical work is reinforced at each development stage, thus ensuring the players enjoy every activity. (Wellness to World Cup Volume 2 is a high-level technical document that will assist CHC’s and TD’s with a technical framework.)

Perhaps as importantly, the information will also be instructive for parents. Hopefully, the clear messaging will help parents understand the aims of LTPD and the wide range of benefits of a player-centered approach, one that promotes a genuine emphasis on individual skill development.

We’ve received excellent feedback on these resources already and hope you will make the time to use them. It’s important that all of our coaches understand the basic principles behind why a development stage-specific approach is so fundamental to developing young players properly and ensuring they enjoy soccer—and stay in the game.

Again, please share these materials, and continue to support our efforts to improve the way we deliver the soccer experience for all of our young players—whether they are in the recreational or competitive streams. You will note that, on the back page of the stage-specific pamphlets, there are additional resources you can seek out that will provide more information on the successful implementation of LTPD principles in soccer countries around the world.

LTPD is for every coach, every referee and every player. The more coaches who receive, review and understand these materials, the more we can be assured that the overall coaching and playing experience will be enhanced—and the more that high-quality coaching will also be consistently in evidence in every corner of the province.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

Mark Marshall
Manager of Coach Development

For additional information, see:

OSATv Highlights 2012 OSA Coaching Conference

WORKSHOP VIDEOS
Click links below to see recent workshops “live”.

1. LTPD — The New Vision ~ Alex Chiet
2. LTPD Club Head Coaches Guide ~ Mark Marshall
3. LTPD Facilitation & Activity-Based Learning ~ Marc Schryburt
4. LTPD Active Start and FUNdamentals ~ On Field Session
5. LTPD Facilitator Guide Overview ~ Marc Schryburt
6. LTPD GAG Model ~ On Field Session
7. LTPD LF Operations Manual & Registration ~ Mark Marshall
8. LTPD Overview ~ Alex Chiet

To join in discussions on information, ideas, best practice and concerns in regard to implementation of LTPD across Ontario, click the inks below.

Discussion Forums

• Long-Term Player Development (LTPD)
• OSA Learning Facilitators
  To join the LF Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca
• OSA Club Head Coaches
  To join the CHC Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca

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VAUGHAN, ON — On February 26th, The OSA hosted its annual Coaching Conference in Vaughan. It’s a temptation to always say that the most recent such event was “the best ever”. Those on hand can make that determination for themselves. But it was, at the very least, a great day, with over 400 coaches from all across the province on hand. Rather than make the “best ever” claim—while it hopefully is true—I will focus instead on the excellence and the impact of the sessions delivered by our outstanding guest presenters.

These world-class speakers each delivered timely presentations on the most important opportunity in front of The OSA right now: the effective implementation of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD), which we are in the process of phasing-in.

Dr. David Carr, National Staff Coach for the U.S. Soccer Federation and a renowned educator at Ohio University, conducted a Fundamentals session. Ritchie Wilson, longtime Coach Educator with the Scottish Football Association, delivered a Learning to Train session. Ray Clark, the Canadian Soccer Association’s Director of Coaching, worked with players in the Soccer for Life development stage.

Importantly, these experts, well-respected leaders in the field, re-affirmed that the direction we have embarked upon at The OSA is indeed the appropriate (and much needed) one for our young players across every part of the province. So we are thrilled that the Conference was another key step in educating our membership—and so many of our influential coaches—around the attitude and culture shift we are in the midst of in Ontario soccer.

While, as I’ve remarked previously, we may not be moving quickly enough for some, we are already seeing positive “movement” as more and more Districts and Clubs embrace

a player-centered, development stage-specific approach to working with our young players. Importantly, this is being reinforced in our new Physical Literacy Coaching courses, starting with the Active Starts stage at U4, progressing through FUNdamentals, Learning to Train and Soccer for Life. Our hope now is that, armed with the great information provided this past weekend, the hundreds of coaches who were on hand will become LTPD champions and influence and inspire fellow coaches all across the province to work closely with their players—with LTPD values always in mind.

I can add that, in the months to come, we will be sharing with you more information about our progress around the new player pathway and competitive structure. These improvements will enhance the way we deliver the soccer experience, and ensure that, for both our recreational players and those striving for a future in the game, they—and their families—will soon be able to see and experience a clear, unified player pathway that will a) help identify more players for high-level play, and b) also provide a great soccer opportunity for all—for life.

On that note, it was great to see that the OSA Board voted this past weekend to affirm its ongoing support for staff’s efforts around LTPD implementation, with regard to continued progress in future competitive structure planning.

I should mention as well that on Saturday, February 25, our Club Head coaches’ workshop was extremely well received, with over 100 coaches and Technical Directors in attendance from across Ontario.

We also want to remind coaches at all of our Districts and Clubs, if you haven’t already done so, to register now for the new Active Start, FUNdamentals, Learn to Train and Soccer for Life workshops. Information should be available at your local Club or District or on the OSA Website.

Thank you for your continued support.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

Mark Marshall
Manager of Coach Development

For additional information, see:

2012 Coaching Conference Interviews
Click links below

1. OSATv TouchLine — 210 Dr. David Carr
2. OSATv TouchLine — 212 West Rouge Storm Coaches
3. OSATv TouchLine — 213 Cataraqui Clippers Coaches

WORKSHOP VIDEOS
Click links below to see recent workshops “live”.

1. LTPD — The New Vision ~ Alex Chiet
2. LTPD Club Head Coaches Guide ~ Mark Marshall
3. LTPD Facilitation & Activity-Based Learning ~ Marc Schryburt
4. LTPD Active Start and FUNdamentals ~ On Field Session
5. LTPD Facilitator Guide Overview ~ Marc Schryburt
6. LTPD GAG Model ~ On Field Session
7. LTPD LF Operations Manual & Registration ~ Mark Marshall
8. LTPD Overview ~ Alex Chiet

To join in discussions on information, ideas, best practice and concerns in regard to implementation of LTPD across Ontario, click the inks below.

Discussion Forums

• Long-Term Player Development (LTPD)
• OSA Learning Facilitators
  To join the LF Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca
• OSA Club Head Coaches
  To join the CHC Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca

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Click The OSA Discussion Forum for more information

1. What is LTPD?

LTPD stands for Long-Term Player Development. It represents a philosophy that is much more focused on ensuring players who love soccer stay in the game for life and enjoy the experience.

It further ensures that all players—recreational and the more talented, competitive players—are developed to their full potential. LTPD (though not necessarily with a formal “name” attached to it) is common practice in many of the best soccer nations in the world. It stresses, especially at the crucial early development ages, far less emphasis on games and “winning”, and much more on practice, touches, creativity, skill development and learning how to play and enjoy the game.

In Ontario, we are working toward an approach where players U12 and younger will practice and train much more than they play in “games”, with field sizes and training methods geared to specific development stages, which can be different for every young player.

For the aspiring players, they in later years (U13 and up) will have the opportunity to play in a very competitive elite-level league. Further, such players will have much greater opportunity to be “identified” for regional programs and ultimately the provincial team, and not just at the U13 level, for example.

We are also tackling, through LTPD, the “elephant in the room”, a fragmented competitive and league structure which has hindered creativity and player development for too long in Ontario.

In short, we are committed to a different mindset, creating a soccer culture that is about really getting the best out of our players, so they continue to learn and grow every day. Everything we do going forward will be rooted in this objective: what is best for the player to help them reach their potential.

2. Is this about developing elite level athletes or recreational players?

Both!

The focus of LTPD is to help both the player who is in youth soccer strictly for fun and fitness, but also the talented youngster who dreams of a future in the sport—be it a scholarship and/or to play professionally or for the Canadian National team. At the young ages, we will stress basic physical literacy, and players will go through the various development stages not worried about “winning games” but instead actually developing their individual skills. There will still be competition but the emphasis will be not on avoiding “mistakes”, or coaches selecting the biggest, fastest players to help “win” league games, but rather giving all players the opportunity to play and develop their skills.

3. Isn’t this just another trendy thing recommended by academics who don’t even know soccer?

One of the great things about LTPD is that it is much more than an academic exercise. It is a proven method of developing players—with science and research to back the claims—long already utilized by some of the best soccer nations in the world, including Spain, Germany, US, Australia and many others. England has embarked on this road as well, because top former players and coaches there have identified that the emphasis at the early ages on “winning” hurts true player development.

So while we know change is often resisted, and we understand that, we also know that those who are passionate about soccer in Ontario (and Canada)—whether administrators, coaches or parents—want the best for the young boys and girls who play our great game.

So if you are playing for fun, we want the experience to truly be fun. If you are playing for fun and to go further in the game, we know from international “best practices” that this approach will grow the sport in Ontario and Canada and most importantly, give many more youngsters the chance to shine, be identified and find a future in the game.

4. I talked to my child’s coach and they said they didn’t agree with LTPD. Why is this being pushed on us?

We understand that there will be pushback from some coaches and parents and even some on the administrative side of the game. That’s natural. And we want to be clear. Not everything about the way that soccer has been “delivered” in Ontario has been ineffective. We have many great coaches. Many Clubs and Academies have done some wonderful things for years and are ahead of this curve. But we need to understand that this is the direction that all sports in Canada are indeed moving. Canadian Sport for Life has started the ball rolling, and the Canadian Soccer Association has taken this to the next step. Here in Ontario, we are looking at what is being done in soccer around the world and we are determined to create our own “made-in-Ontario” approach to doing what is right for our young players.

For example, we have upgraded our coaching curriculum to make it much more focused on our players and developing skills. Importantly, we will be spending all of 2012 creating awareness around LTPD and what it means, and hopefully dispelling some of the miscommunication that is out there. We will be looking for feedback from all across the province, so that once we start to phase in LTPD in 2013, we are all working together to make the soccer experience all that is can and should be for all of our players, regardless of where they live in the province.

5. Are you getting rid of the Ontario Youth Soccer League (OYSL)? If so, why? It was a great league for good players!

The OYSL has played an important role for many years. Over the past few months, we have had some top soccer people in the province, part of our Technical Advisory Council (TAC) research what is being done elsewhere (in British Columbia, for example, and in soccer centers around the world) and what is the best way to structure our competitive leagues to ensure we give our players the best chance to develop and reach their potential in soccer.

One of the things we have identified is that, rather than create an elite development league that tends to draw individual teams that are built around “star” players (and unfortunately, quite often players who have been “poached” from other Clubs/teams), we will establish key standards—benchmarks that Clubs must achieve in order to be considered to have their teams play in a high-level development league.

So, rather than promotion and relegation as driving factors (and some of the many negatives that come with that approach in youth soccer) we will be pushing Clubs to meet LTPD standards in coaching, training and administration.

6. LTPD sounds great, but why is it taking so long getting it implemented?

Based on the extensive feedback we are receiving, we know already that we are moving way too fast for some, and way too slow for others. Some want change things tomorrow; others would prefer the status quo.

Our job is to listen to everyone who has the best interests of the children at heart, and then do what is right based on LTPD values—and lots of real-life experience and very current research. It is clear that

LTPD is a great approach, and from a timing perspective, we want to do things right, rather than quickly.

So we are looking at a phased-in approach to LTPD, with some pilot projects already underway in 2012 and with an eye toward broader implementation—again, pilots, phased-in, starting at the younger ages—in 2013.

7. It makes no sense to play a sport and never keep score and not have standings. How else do we know how our kids are doing?

While parents are of course interested in how their son or daughter’s team is “doing”, most parents are understandably most concerned with a) is their child enjoying the sport they are participating in and b) are they seeing an increase in the skill level of their child. While watching “games” can be enjoyable,

unfortunately too many parents—and yes, coaches—take games and game results far too seriously. This creates a focus on scores, winning games and league standings even at the early ages (U8-U12, for example) when the focus really should be on whether each player is progressing and developing as they can and should.

Parents want to see enjoyment and they like to see improvement. When we really strive to focus on those things, we are helping the child the most.

There will be plenty of room—and time—for competition. House-league participants will still play games, but there will be more practices than games. And games will be played on small-sized fields as appropriate for younger players.

For the serious player looking to play at a high level in the future, there will be no lack of competition as part of a holistic approach to authentic overall skills development. Competitive leagues for talented players U13 and older will provide an extremely challenging environment where winning will be part of the objective—once the players have developed the necessary skills and a thorough understanding of the game.

8. Competition is a natural part of life why take it away from children. Isn’t it better to learn to compete in a controlled environment such as on the soccer pitch?

Competition is “part of life” without question. But at the early ages (U8-U12) we need to focus on enjoyment and skill development. We have been lacking in this regard for too long in Canada. Our kids have natural talent, as much as anyone in the world. But if they don’t receive the best type of training, skills development and coaching at the early ages, those that aspire to play internationally some day won’t be aren’t ready to compete with the world’s best in later years.

Clearly, the present “system” has not worked for Canada. So we need to do better, much better. And we will. And part of that is a focus on skills, rather than just games and “winning”. Once youngsters reach an appropriate age range, likely U13, there will be plenty of opportunity to compete—and to learn how to “win” and lose”—at a recreational or elite level here in Ontario.

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The following post reprinted from the Sportsnet Fan Fuel Blog reinforces the Ontario Soccer Association’s current approach to Long-Term Player Development (LTPD).

BY MICHAEL GARDNER – FAN FUEL BLOGGER

The Ontario Soccer Association has launched a plan to focus on development in this country. In it, they have borrowed from successful models around the world, including private academies here in Ontario, which have demonstrated that development at a young age is extremely important.

Development is not measured by wins and losses and in fact is measured by the child actually developing their skills. Imagine that, focusing on skills over results. It’s not that results aren’t important but there is a time and place for them.

Most successful models don’t include published standings or "playoff" type matches until the U15-16 age group. Besides, if a kid can’t trap a ball, what good is playing a system that is designed purely to deliver results in the win column? Their lack of technical skill will hold them back as they progress.

Rest assured that the countries using these models are well established football powerhouses.

When I coached, I told parents that if you have a choice between missing a game and a practice, miss the game. For the most part, a child has very few touches on the ball during a game. Yet, put a ball at their feet for a 90 minute training session and you can be assured that there will be marked progress.

The models favoured by these countries suggests that the ratio of training to games should be at least 3:1. Unfortunately, in our current club model of tournaments, Cup games, regular table games, "friendlies" and the like, those numbers would be reversed in a traditional local soccer club.

So, why is the idea of development so foreign to North Americans?

I don’t necessarily blame parents who have grown up in a North American culture of competition and winning. I’m not one who likes the idea of participation ribbons being given out like candy. But that isn’t what we are talking about here.

I also don’t blame parents for being confused as to what their options might be. Soccer clubs have done an historically poor job of educating them as to the various options available to them.

What isn’t confusing is the fact that the current culture and lack of emphasis on development is getting this country nowhere. Canada sits 71st in the world, tied with war-torn Haiti. No offence to the Haitians but for a country with riches, facilities and other advantages, that is an absolute embarrassment.

So, if you are a parent of a good, young (under 14), rep level player. What are your options in Ontario?

Well, if they are extremely good, you can have an open tryout with the Toronto FC Academy. Be warned though, there will be an extreme emphasis on skill development and progress won’t be measured in terms of whether the team is winning.

A second option is the private Academy route. The Soccer Academy Alliance of Canada is an association of private clubs that all subscribe to common ideals. The emphasis is on high quality, paid and certified coaches, superior training facilities, trainers and other staff available to help and most of all on development. For players under 14, games are played but standings are not published which removes pressure from parents. The emphasis on training is significant.

Parents also must follow a very strict code of conduct which forbids "coaching from the sidelines" and other forms of distraction. The parent gets two warnings before they are asked to drop their child off at the pitch and pick them up afterwards or simply take their money elsewhere.

These programs are expensive but most generally run from January through November so the overall cost with a Rep program is comparable if you factor in your tournament costs, etc. Players here have made the jump into TFC Academy and as a result of a stronger partnership with the OSA, are now finding eligibility for Provincial, District and Regional teams.

A third option is the one that most are probably familiar with, playing Rep at a local Club. The standards here will vary so parents would be wise to do their homework. Coaches may be extremely well qualified or have the minimum standard. It is not uncommon for a coaches to be parents of a player. Nor is it uncommon for parents to leave one association for another, sometimes as a result of "poaching." Poaching would be recruiting players from one club to another often based on the promise of shiny trophies. At the Club level, the development emphasis is a bit of a work in progress.

A major philosophical shift needs to change within the Club system. Again, the model follows that of private Academies and they follow the model of successful programs worldwide. Parents of younger players will need to let go of their impulse to scream instructions or relish victories in Cup play. It is a major shift but the will is there.

As for what works best for you and your child, I’d highly suggest doing your homework. I can offer that I’ve been involved with both the Academy programs and the Club programs. Having experienced both I would never go back to the Club environment in its current state.

For us it came down to a simple question. While a club rep team might beat an Academy team at a friendly, is that really a sign of progress? If you lined each up of those kids in terms of basic technical skills and then ask which one is in a system that will allow them the most opportunity to develop between now and the end of the year?

Without technical skill, a player’s potential, and that of our nation, is severely limited. Once we understood that and the differences between programs, the answer was obvious.

I applaud the OSA in its direction. At the same time, until they can successfully oversee massive cultural shift, you can have that U8 parent on your sidelines. I don’t want him interfering with my own child’s development.

Follow me on twitter @GardnerFanFuel

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VAUGHAN, ON — While there is still much consultation planned and a need to build even broader awareness, it’s exciting to be able to report that we have officially embarked on implementing the crucially important early-stage building blocks of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD). We are working to put everything in place for our coaches—and our young players—so a thorough and firm foundation is in place in the years to come.

Most of our 700+ Clubs—and many of our Club coaches—are aware that this has been “coming”, but now it’s here. The new coaching curriculum, developed by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) is all about the player—how we engage, teach, train and develop each youngster as an individual and how we can help keep them in the game for life. Our aim is to make our programs player-centered and to ensure they are learning every day and actually enjoying the experience.

We have conducted our first “Active Start” and “FUNdamentals” coaches’ workshops in Ottawa and York Region (Woodbridge). The sessions were well attended and as importantly, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Coaches recognized the value of this approach and how it can have a genuinely positive impact on youngsters when it comes to their basic athletic development—as well as their interest in a possible future in soccer.

Specifically, coaches who attended observed, for example, that the new philosophy was “fresh and exciting” and that each coach on hand for the course was “engaged and involved”. Our Learning Facilitators (LF’s), felt the new format made for more open and relaxed, so that there was genuine discussion between the LF’s and the coaches, which made for a better overall environment.

I should make one thing clear: when we use terms like “player-centered”, we aren’t talking about creating over-inflated egos. We simply mean that, going forward, everything we try to do from a coaching and development perspective will be assessed through the lens of: how can we make things better for the individual soccer development of every boy and girl across the province, wherever they live. www.ontariosoccer.net 7601 Martin Grove Road Vaughan, Ontario L4L 9E4 Tel: 905-264-9390 Fax: 905-264-9445 E-mail: theosa@soccer.on.ca

I also wanted to specifically highlight the importance of development stage-specific coaching, evidenced throughout the new curriculum. The OSA recognizes and supports the NCCP’s approach to education training by, in part, using appropriate adult education principles such as facilitated learning, self-directed modules and the thorough evaluation of both coaches and facilitators.

In these all-important early learning stages—Active Start (up to U6), FUNdamentals (U6- U9 for boys, U6-U8 for girls) and Learning to Train (U9 to U12 males and U8-U11 females)—our coaches will focus on activities and/or training methods that are suited to young players at each of those respective stages. The focus won’t be strictly on chronological age but rather what development stage is each player at. As we all understand, especially at these younger ages, young people develop at vastly different times. Some youngsters mature physically very quickly, for example, and this needs to be taken into consideration.

In our new coaching courses, the overall teaching approach is mentorship and facilitation-based, to help participants learn in a supportive environment. Coaches learn best by “doing” and they can develop and refine their skills when they are given the opportunity to apply particular concepts.

The workshops are designed to allow participants to practice the core skills required in each different coaching situation and to enable them to reflect on how they can apply what they have learned in their own programs later on.

I extend a special thank you to our Learning Facilitators for their great work. Thank you as well to all those who have attended our coaching courses so far. If you have not already done so, please sign up for an upcoming course http://www.ontariosoccer.net/Coach/CourseClinicCalendar.aspx, or ask your Club to schedule one.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

Mark Marshall
Manager of Coach Development

For additional information, see:

WORKSHOP VIDEOS
Click links below to see recent workshops “live”.

1. LTPD — The New Vision ~ Alex Chiet
2. LTPD Club Head Coaches Guide ~ Mark Marshall
3. LTPD Facilitation & Activity-Based Learning ~ Marc Schryburt
4. LTPD Active Start and FUNdamentals ~ On Field Session
5. LTPD Facilitator Guide Overview ~ Marc Schryburt
6. LTPD GAG Model ~ On Field Session
7. LTPD LF Operations Manual & Registration ~ Mark Marshall
8. LTPD Overview ~ Alex Chiet

To join in discussions on information, ideas, best practice and concerns in regard to implementation of LTPD across Ontario, click the inks below.

Discussion Forums

• Long-Term Player Development (LTPD)
• OSA Learning Facilitators
  To join the LF Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca
• OSA Club Head Coaches
  To join the CHC Discussion Group, email enicholls@soccer.on.ca

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I wanted to provide a bit of an update (before we hit the Holiday period and everyone is quite properly engaged in other matters!) with regard to how things are progressing around preparations for the implementation of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD).

On the weekend of December 10-11, the Board of The Ontario Soccer Association approved a number of items that will help in terms of “next steps”, including the allocation of financial resources to help drive the process.

Importantly, the Board also supported the recommendations from our Technical Advisory Council (TAC) in terms of our strategic direction. Let me highlight a few things:

• We are continuing on a path of a “phased-in” implementation of LTPD. We recognize that for some, we won’t be moving fast enough; for others, it may seem too sudden. But at the end of the day our first priority, really, is making sure that this critically important initiative is implemented credibly and effectively for those we are here to serve—our young players across the province, whether they play at the recreational level or at the more competitive levels. So, if it takes a bit longer, but we get it “right” for our youth players, then we are doing our job.
• 2012 will be very much about information gathering so that our ultimate decision-making around implementation is based on actual data, research and facts, not simply “opinions”. We will gather valuable information from some pilot projects at the young ages. Ongoing education and growing awareness around what LTPD is and what it really means—while also dealing with the misinformation that continues to mount—will be a vital part of our efforts next year as well.
• One of the biggest challenges is our ongoing re-structuring of the entire “competitive” structure. As you can appreciate this is no small task, and members of our TAC have been working diligently to develop a) a coherent player pathway and b) a player-centered competitive structure that will develop our players’ skills more than ever before in an environment that will be healthy for everyone—players, coaches and referees—wherever they live in the province of Ontario.
• As we have stressed in earlier updates, we are indeed (at the younger ages, U8- U12) moving away from standings, wins and losses and keeping scores. We are not, however, “killing competition” as some have continued to suggest. We are, though, re-building a broken system, starting with the youngest ages. There will be plenty of opportunities to train, develop and compete all the way along. And, by the time more talented players are at the proper age to begin focusing on game competition, they will have the chance to participate in a highly competitive league environment from U13 onwards.
• Some decisions have been undertaken already: looking ahead to 2013, there will no longer be an Ontario Cup tournament for male or female players at the U12 level. (There will be an Ontario Cup in 2012 for those who will be U12 players next year, but it will be the final year for the Ontario Cup for U12’s.)
• We will continue to maintain an Ontario Cup format for U13 and older teams.
• This will dovetail with the incoming “no scores, no standings” approach that will be in evidence beginning in 2013 at the U12 and younger ages for all District and OSA leagues. The full OSA Board has approved this approach in principle to ensure the LTPD playing format is being followed in every jurisdiction by 2013.
• At the same time, work continues on the development of a new competitive league structure from U13 and up. Rather than the old promotion/relegation system, which saw too many abuses (including “poaching” of players and efforts to build “winning” U8, U9 and U10 teams with the biggest, strongest players), teams will be part of the new leagues based on standards that individual Clubs must meet—including their ability to adhere to LTPD initiatives. This work is still ongoing, and we will provide you with updates as soon as we have more detailed information and more specifics to share.
• It is important to note that Clubs that do not reach the set standards will receive support and development from The OSA and Districts to progress and reach those standards if they aspire to do so. Our goal is to help provide the best environment possible for the players and coaches to enjoy the soccer within their club.
• With the above in mind, 2012 will be very important in terms of communication as we work to ensure there is a consistent, harmonized approach across the province starting in 2013.

The Technical staff is thrilled that the Board has seen fit to support our efforts in terms of not only philosophy but also resources. I will repeat what I have said previously: we know change is often difficult, but tremendous progress is already being made. Mark Marshall I and recently conducted workshops for coaches and Technical Directors in six regions of the province, and we could feel the desire for progress and real change, in terms of how we deliver the soccer experience for youngsters.

There will be resistance and there will be bumps in the road along the way. We understand that. As I mentioned earlier, for some, this is all happening too slowly and for others it is too much, too soon. But we are really and truly being guided by what has already been happening for years in the best soccer nations around the globe. Our players and soccer stakeholders throughout Ontario deserve the best that we can provide. And we aim to provide exactly that, even if we make a few mistakes along the way.

Long-term, I hope that even those who now feel we are on the wrong road will be able to look back and say, “we really did do the right things for the most important stakeholder of all: the young boys and girls who play soccer”.

I wish you all a warm and festive Holiday season.

Best regards,
Alex Chiet
OSA Chief Technical Officer

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It was great to have the opportunity recently to visit six different regions of the province to host some important workshops for Club Head coaches, Technical Directors and other soccer leaders from various communities.

We are in the midst of introducing some significant changes in terms of how we deliver the soccer experience for our young players. So it was important for us to see first-hand the willingness of our soccer communities throughout the province to not only hear about LTPD and our new coaching curriculum but also that they embraced the reasons why we are moving in this direction.

There were many questions, but there is clearly a broader awareness and understanding of what we need to accomplish together in the months and years to come. We have received some very positive feedback from individuals who took part in those workshops. Here are a few of the comments:

"Having Alex Chiet, Chief Technical Officer, and Mark Marshall, Manager of Coach Development, come up to Sudbury was important for Northern Ontario. LTPD and its successful implementation require that all clubs and their coaches be educated and informed about the guidelines. The presentation, along with handouts and resources, transformed the much talked about concept into a tangible reality with a new direction. I think the OSA is realistic in acknowledging it might take some time to change and realize the ultimate benefits, but I am confident we are moving in the right direction for player development in this country."
Giuseppe Politi
Club Head Coach
Greater Sudbury Soccer Club

"It is evident to everybody from the top down that the player is the centre of new soccer universe and I felt the comfort level in the room among my peers. Player-centred. Coach Driven. Community supported. The message is clear and easy to digest. Even through all the questions, coaches seemed confident and comfortable in championing the direction presented by the CSA and OSA. I am excited for the days ahead."
Frank DeChellis
DSL
Welland

"The OSA LTAD implementation workshop held in Ottawa on Tuesday 22 November 2012 for Eastern Ontario was a model of how a new idea and plan for player development should be presented to the stakeholders, the clubs and districts. The OSA strategic plan for province wide implementation was presented in a clear manner with realistic guidelines and timelines. Both Alex and Mark were excellent presenters, delivering a clear message on the implementation plan, engaging the audience in finding solutions to ongoing issues and encouraging and soliciting questions and feedback on the plan. In my opinion, a huge success thanks to the OSA."
Roy Hillier,
Chair, Eastern Ontario Club Head Coaches Forum
Club Head Coach, Ottawa Internationals Soccer Club

“The presentation on LTPD was outstanding and very much liked by our members. The big majority of the people in our district liked the direction that our provincial association is taking regarding player development.”
Mladen Moric
Treasurer
Essex County Soccer Club

“We are strong believers and supporters of the LTPD program. These are indeed exciting and challenging times for soccer in our province. The systematic approach to coaching and player development will ensure that there is consistency and continuity in the programs for both coaches and players. This is a “work in progress” that will require the support and efforts of everyone involved in the game of soccer. You and your staff have our complete and committed support.”
Tony La Ferrara
Club Head Coach
Pickering Soccer Club

While the six workshops we have conducted so far have been very well attended, we well recognize that there is much more work to do and many more coaches to connect with! We will continue to provide information as we have more details to share.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

Mark Marshall
Manager of Coach Development

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Other than our young soccer players themselves, perhaps the most important “faces” of The Ontario Soccer Association’s mission to deliver Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) in Ontario are the coaches who deliver soccer programs in every corner of the province.

And within that group of valued educators, our Club Head Coaches are our leaders— the individuals who forge lasting relationships with their local soccer community and provide a range of training programs for players of all ages, skills and interests.

With that in mind, one of our most important recent initiatives, as we gear up for the phased-in implementation of LTPD from 2013 and beyond, has been working with our Club Head coaches (CHC’s) and Technical Directors in a series of special workshops designed to help them prepare to shepherd in the introduction of LTPD as seamlessly as possible at the Club level.

We have just completed five workshops—in Sudbury, Ottawa, St. Catharines, Kitchener as well as in the Greater Toronto area.
Each session focused on key elements of LTPD:

• the Ontario-specific LTPD vision
• the new Canadian Soccer Association coaching curriculum
• implementation timelines
• the absolute importance of ongoing education
• two-way communications in the weeks and months ahead to ensure we meet this significant challenge.

It’s fair to say that these workshops were very successful, for a number of reasons. First, they were very well attended, so it is clear our coaching leaders understand the magnitude of the work ahead of us and are obviously committed to the process we will work through together in the months and years ahead.

Second, there was a great deal of back and forth discussion (and debate!) in every session. Understandably, coaches wanted to understand why LTPD is so important, and what “proof” there is that this approach to developing athletes is indeed relevant in the world of soccer.

We were hopefully able to explain to everyone’s satisfaction that the research and science behind this is not only well-documented but is not in fact “new”. This approach has been in place for some time now in most of the top soccer-playing nations around the world. It is so common that that many soccer bodies around the world don’t have a “name” for it—it’s just what they do.

Importantly from an OSA perspective, we appreciated that there was so much genuine enthusiasm in evidence during the workshops. It’s clear that we are all involved because we want to help young athletes move ahead and we all have a strong desire to make soccer in Ontario what it should—and can—be. Sometimes we forget that about each other, and may well end up inadvertently working against one another. But we were encouraged to see the experience, passion and commitment so apparent in each workshop with our coaches.

While many of the elements of LTPD will require a bit of a cultural and attitude shift (away from “winning” and “scores” at the young ages and more emphasis on proper training and true player development), it’s also important to recognize that our Clubs have already been doing great work. LTPD will simply enable our Clubs and coaches to do an even better job of reaching out to our young players, whether they are at the recreational or more competitive levels. Without question, LTPD will provide an even better experience for recreational players who want to stay fit and simply strive to have good old-fashioned “fun” in their extra-curricular activities. And for the aspiring elite player, many more of them will have the opportunity to really grow in the sport and to be seen and identified over a much longer period of time under the new competitive structure (and regional-provincial assessment approach) that is currently being developed.

Going forward, it will be crucial that everyone in our sport—Districts, Clubs, coaches and all of us at the OSA—are unified and work in harmony for the betterment of the game and everyone connected to it, be they players, coaches, referees or parents. Once we acknowledge the elephant in the room—that Canadian soccer has fallen behind in many ways and that it is well past the time to finally put the development of our young players first—then we can do the things that need to get done to move this great game along in Ontario, and across Canada.

(If you are interested in seeing some of the recent workshop video footage, please visit the OSA LTPD Learning Facilitators Workshop videos on The OSA News Bulletin section of our web site.)

With a unified, understandable player pathway, appropriate practice to game ratios, improved coaching programs and a healthier learning environment for talented players, our game can grow to the heights it should here in Canada.

We can debate forever what is “wrong” with Canadian soccer, but by believing in—and actually implementing— a philosophy that truly puts the player first, we will go a long way toward fixing a system that has slowly broken down, despite some very good intentions over the past couple of decades.

2012 will be a key year for us, as we will devote significant time and energy around creating a broader awareness and understanding of LTPD and what it really means. We will continue to address the “misinformation” that is out there and also gather information that will allow us to begin delivering against real international soccer standards—and important timelines—in 2013 and beyond.

It has been invaluable for us to once again get out from behind a desk and work directly with those who make soccer happen in Ontario. We will continue to do that throughout the next twelve months, as will members of our Technical Advisory Council (TAC), who are working diligently to build a player pathway and competitive structure that will put the player first.

We want to stress that as important as these changes are (and many would, understandably, like us to move more quickly!) we all need to remain patient.

It will take time to make this work effectively right across Ontario, but we will succeed, because we need to do this right for our young players.

Change won’t mean perfection, but it will mean a better, clearer pathway and training approach that puts our players first.

Thank you for your continued support, we will continue to provide you with regular updates.

Alex Chiet
Chief Technical Officer

Mark Marshall
Manager of Coach Development

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This past weekend in Vaughan, The Ontario Soccer Association hosted a two-day workshop for new Learning Facilitators (LF’s). These men and women will play a critically important role in the delivery of the new Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) coaching curriculum in 2012 and beyond.

When we use the term “critically important” we do so with intent. These individuals will be “coaching the coaches”—the next wave of coaches who will work with our young players—in the years to come as we roll-out the various components of the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) initiative. Their role will be indispensable in making LTPD a success for our young soccer players of the future.

Seventy-two LF’s took part in sessions that focused on the Physical Literacy element of the new curriculum—Active Start, FUNdamentals, Learning to Train and Soccer for Life.

These courses will be available beginning in 2012 and will replace the previous child, youth and senior coaching courses.

The new curriculum represents an important shift in direction, for a number of reasons. In broad terms, we are now aiming to put the young athlete at the center of the learning experience. We are employing different approaches to expand the individual skill sets of coaches and also give them more practical tools to ultimately help foster the best possible learning environment for youngsters.

In more concrete terms, these new CSA courses take what we call a development stage-specific approach with content that is geared to the development needs of youngsters at certain specific ages. For example, we will now be preparing our coaches with the tools to develop the best programs for Active Start youngsters (ages 4-6) and so on throughout the various stages of a young person’s soccer development.

It’s worth mentioning something that may be getting lost at times in discussions around LTPD. That is, that LTPD (and these coaching courses, which are part of the new benchmarks we are developing) is not something simply developed by “academics” that don’t understand soccer.

In fact, this “new” approach is not new at all. We are simply now incorporating what has already been done successfully in leading football nations around the world in terms of how they train coaches and how young players are properly developed. Importantly, this new curriculum is also fully consistent with the Canadian Sport for Life national coaching philosophy.

We want to extend our thanks to our valued OSA Master Learning Facilitators (MLF’s) who trained our new LF’s this past weekend and did a tremendous job. We also all benefited from the involvement of Mark Sychburt, a national Learning Facilitator with the Coaching Association of Canada who did an absolutely wonderful job in leading the entire process.

From our perspective, the workshop was tremendously important, because it was an important step in the implementation of LTPD, and for many of our new LF’s, it was their first real taste of LTPD in action and the new focus that will be required to do this well and get it right.

The weekend was a genuine success. We saw lot of talent—and passion—at the workshop and it was rewarding to be part of that type of environment. We all recognize, though, that what is even more important is where we go from here and how we all work together to effectively implement these strategies around coaching and player development. Embracing “change” is not easy, but our new LF’s really responded to the challenge.

A quick reminder: our Club Head Coaching workshops are being held across the province over the course of the next two weeks. We would love to be able to be in more locations but for now, we are offering the workshops in five regions.

If you haven’t already done so, please pre-register with the host District Association. More details are available on the OSA web site.

Alex Chiet
Chief Techical Officer

Mark Marshal
Manager, Coaching Development

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As we come to the end of October, I wanted to provide everyone, as promised, with some additional information about the steps The Ontario Soccer Association is taking with regard to the planning and eventual implementation of the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) program throughout the province.

Hopefully you received my earlier update, forwarded to you after we initially brought together a group of soccer leaders from different parts of Ontario for meetings back in June.

Importantly, in September, the full Board, comprised of the 21 Districts of the OSA, gave its unanimous approval to—and support of—LTPD.
On the heels of that decision, the Technical Advisory Council (TAC) came together again last week, and made significant progress in key areas to help us move forward with LTPD.

But first, as we occasionally receive feedback that some Clubs are not receiving our updates and therefore may not be fully aware of where things are at, here is a brief summary of LTPD principles:

• LTPD starts with the U4 and up Active Start category and carries through to the Adult Active for Life stage. We want everyone who comes to our great sport to love the experience and stay and play—for life, regardless of his or her individual talent level.
• LTPD emphasizes the need for an even better soccer experience for all young players, not only elite players. This approach to player development is so common in other parts of the (successful!) soccer-playing world that there is no specific terminology applied to the approach. It’s just the way things are done. The focus elsewhere is simply on developing players, not winning games, at the early youth levels.
• LTPD is not a revolutionary approach. It is simply moving us closer to world standards, in order to meet established “best practices” when it comes to training programs and player and coach development. The science and research behind the value of LTPD is clear, and we can provide you with all the examples and documentation you need to explain this approach to fellow coaches, parents and administrators.
• Our Clubs are already doing some great things, and this will only make the delivery of the soccer experience for coaches and players even better, from U4 right through to Adult soccer.
• Within weeks you will start to see the fruits of the new coaching curriculum that has been in development, as we unveil our updated coach education and development programs.
• LTPD is not only better for the recreational player who wants to simply be active, stay fit and enjoy the soccer experience, but also for the “elite” player who wants a future in the sport. Better training, a focus on individual skills development, less focus on winning and more opportunities to be identified at the local and regional level for higher levels of competition will make this program a success.

Here are some of the highlights of what we have achieved along with planned next steps coming out of the most recent TAC meeting:

• Based on our current plan, LTPD will be phased-in, starting in 2013, with the broader “roll-out” expected over the next 6 to 8 years.
• Some Clubs and Districts have already begun, informally, to move in this direction at the youngest ages, with outstanding results and very positive feedback from parents.
• Our current player pathway is so broken, confusing and fragmented that we can no longer avoid the “elephant in the room”. We have to develop a pathway that not only makes sense for but is also in the true best interests of young players.
• One of the biggest challenges we will deal with is the re-shaping of the current competitive structure. TAC will be recommending to the OSA a league structure that will emphasize skills development at the youngest ages (U4 to U12) with a more appropriate practice-to-game ratio and less emphasis on “winning games” and much more on enhancing skill development of all players.
• With the above in mind, we plan to move to a league and competition structure that is not about individual team promotion and relegation, but rather centered on player development with a Club focus. That is, over the next two years, we will introduce a competitive structure based on specific standards. The detailed criteria are still being finalized, but in short, individual Clubs must meet certain minimum standards (registration, staffing, program delivery, number of certified coaches, the ability to implement true LTPD principles, etc.) to meet various designated levels.
• The process of evaluating standards will need to be fully objective and transparent, and will also ensure that grassroots development is foremost in everyone’s mind to facilitate cooperation between Clubs and what is best for individual players—not local “politics”.
• A high-performance league for talented male and female players will be established under the governance of the OSA. The league will use the abovementioned Club standards rather than the current promotion and relegation system to ensure we provide the finest training and player development system we possibly can throughout every corner of the province.

There is a great deal of work to do in the weeks, months and the years ahead. 2012 will be critically important for the TAC, as the Council will focus on creating broader awareness of LTPD and helping to educate leaders across Ontario about how we can move forward together in a healthy and cooperative fashion.

We fully understand there will be questions and challenges. Aware of that reality, we will diligently work to do things “right” rather than rush ahead. We will be phasing-in LTPD while respecting the fine work that is already being done in so many Districts and Clubs across the province.

Beyond the upcoming coaching courses that we are offering, there will be meetings across the province in 2012 to answer questions, consult and help explain the plans for

LTPD and what it means for Clubs, large and small, within the OSA. We look forward to working with you in developing an exciting future for soccer within Ontario.

Kind Regards
Alex Chiet
OSA Chief Technical Officer

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The Ontario Soccer Association will be holding Club Head Coach / Technical Director workshops throughout the province during the month of November.

To be clear, this is not just another OSA workshop. We have very precise objectives that we must deliver on. We want and need your active support. Many of you know we are well into the planning stages of Long- Term Player Development (LTPD).

As we phase-in many critically important changes in how we deliver and coach soccer in the province, these workshops will be indispensable as part of our mutual learning curve.

The workshops will provide new information and outline specific initiatives relative to coaching that will be implemented beginning in 2012. Implementation of LTPD needs to be handled credibly and smoothly. So, we need input and feedback from you as influential and experienced CHC’s and TD’s within the province.

The OSA Technical Director Alex Chiet along with OSA Manager of Coach Development Mark Marshall, will be delivering these Club Head Coach / Technical Director networking seminars.

As Leaders for your respective Clubs and Districts this is an ideal opportunity to help drive LTPD forward in a thoughtful, clear and consistent fashion We want to be in line with not only what the rest of the country is doing, but what successful soccer countries around the world have already been doing for many years.

Given how many players, coaches and referees we are responsible for at all levels of the game, Ontario and the OSA have a huge role to play in the days ahead. You are a big part of helping us shift the focus away from simply winning games but developing all our players to be as good as they want to be whether they are planning strictly for fun or because they want a future in the sport.

We hope you will see this as a tremendous opportunity for growth in the game and in your coaching career.

We have chosen 5 central areas in Ontario with the help of hosting District / Club organizations who are offering the following dates and venues regardless of where you reside.

See you at the workshop!

Mark Marshall, Manager Coach Development
Alex Chiet , Chief Technical Officer
The Ontario Soccer Association

** Please note that you must pre- register through the host organization below for the workshop you wish to attend.

Niagara & Area
Host: Niagara Soccer Association
Contact: Mary Dunleavy
Date: November 14th
Time: 7pm
Location: C A W Centre,
124 Bunting Road
St Catharines
Niagara Registration by email: nsa@soccer.on.ca

S.W. / Kitchener / Windsor Area
Host: SWRSA / Kitchener Soccer Club
Contact: Tammy Scurr (519) 896-8947
Date: November 16th
Time: 7:00 pm
Location:1111 Homer Watson Blvd
Kitchener, ON N2C 2P7
SW/Kitchener Registration by email: programservices@kitchenersoccerclub.com

Sudbury / North
Host: Sudbury Regional SA
Contact :Sylvie Rodrigue
Date: November 17th
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: St. Charles College on
Falconbridge Road
Sudbury On-Line Registration:
Click here to access the sign-up form.

Ottawa / SouthEast Area
Host: EODSA Ottawa
Contact: Joe Scheier
Date: Tuesday, November 22nd,
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Algonquin College
in Room P308
Ottawa On-Line Registration: bit.ly/LTPD_Registration_Form.

Toronto / Central Area
Host: The Ontario Soccer Association
Contact: Estelle Nicholls
Date: November 24th
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: The Ontario Soccer Centre
7601 Martin Grove Rd., Vaughan L4L 9E4
Toronto On-Line Registration:
Click Here to Register for Toronto Workshop

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This past weekend, the Board of Directors of the Ontario Soccer Association unanimously endorsed the OSA Technical Advisory Council plan for the phased-in implementation of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD).

This was a “key step” in our efforts to introduce this important initiative across the province. It means, in simple terms, that the Presidents of every District in Ontario have given their personal stamp of approval to LTPD.

That said, I also know that it will be more important than ever to continue to provide you with as much information as possible so that you, in turn, can explain LTPD and respond to the expected concerns and questions that will inevitably arise in the weeks and months to come.

As many of you know, there are already some misconceptions “out there” about what LTPD is. We need to be clear in responding thoughtfully to any misinformation that we come across and also the concerns or questions that people may have. While I’m sure Long-Term Player Development is generally understood in broad terms, let me go over some fundamental concepts about LTPD:

LTPD is not just a fad—here today and gone tomorrow. It is an approach to player development that is already successfully in place in some of the best soccer-playing countries around the world.

• The science and research behind LTPD is clear. The background research on the benefits of LTPD is exhaustive.
• For the recreational player, at the early ages, (what we call Active Start, FUNdamentals and Learn to Train) we will emphasize physical literacy and building basic athleticism in young athletes while developing programs that most importantly make the sport fun—and keep kids playing soccer.
• Over time we will be re-shaping our League structures so they make more sense geographically and in terms of competition and player development.
• We will de-emphasize, at the earlier ages, scores, standings and things like promotion and relegation that a) are counter-productive to best-practices in coaching, and b) hinder player creativity and individual skills development.
• For the competitive and “elite” player, we will provide an environment that focuses on skill development, understanding the game and decision-making—as is done in the top soccer countries.
• We will better train and develop these talented young players, and will also identify more of them at the local and regional level so more good players receive the best coaching available and have the opportunity to progress to play for our provincial and national teams.

We have been planning the rollout of LTPD and how we can phase-in certain elements to ensure we will be in a position to implement the approach on a broader scale in 2013 and beyond.

With that in mind, I want to remind you of the upcoming Learning Facilitator workshops on November 5-6, 2011. This development workshop is essential as the OSA Learning Facilitators will be the people “coaching the coaches” as we enhance the coaching curriculum as part of our focus on player development.

Also, the new Coaching courses will start in January, as we begin to roll out the emphasis on skills development. These courses will deal specifically with the first four stages of LTPD:

• Active Start (U4 – U6 female and male players))
• Fundamentals (U6 – U8 female, U6 – U9 male players)
• Learning to train (U8 – U11 female, U9 – U12 male players)
• Active for Life (11 + females, 12 + male players)

Importantly, we will be hosting five separate Club Head coaching workshops across Ontario, starting in November. (We will be contacting districts shortly with dates and locations.)

Because of these important initiatives, our annual Coaches Conference will now be held, as we announced earlier, a bit later than usual—on February 26, 2012.

I recognize that communication, as I mentioned above, will be pivotal in the days to come and throughout the next several months. You hopefully received earlier e-mail updates from me, and if not, please let me know. (I realize that sometimes people may not receive the information as intended. Please also visit the OSA web site for updates or contact the OSA office.)

As leaders in this project, we are all responsible for educating parents and all key stakeholders by delivering accurate information and important messages to build awareness of what LTPD is—and isn’t.

We will continue our consultations at the District and Club levels throughout 2012 via workshops and related communication efforts, to outline and further refine our intended direction and plans in 2013 and beyond.

I appreciate your support, and will continue to lean on you to not only help with the transition to LTPD, but to continue your efforts to make the soccer experience the absolute best it can be for all of our players, their parents, coaches and referees for years to come.

Kind Regards,
Alex Chiet
OSA Technical Director

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VAUGHAN, ON, September 20, 2011 – The Board of Directors of The Ontario Soccer Association (OSA) has unanimously approved the implementation of the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) model across the province. The Board, comprising District Presidents and representatives from the 21 Districts that make up The OSA, strongly supported the plan at a meeting on September 17, 2011.

The LTPD initiative was developed and launched as a soccer-specific player development model by the Canadian Soccer Association in 2009 on the heels of a directive from Sport Canada.

LTPD emphasizes a greater emphasis on player-focused coaching, developing appropriate training environments and individual skill development at all ages, and far less emphasis on “winning” and scores in the early years.

Ron Smale, the President of The OSA, says the Board recognizes that LTPD is a much better approach to development for all players, whether they are playing at the recreational level or competing at the elite level. “We just can’t fall further behind what is going on in the rest of the soccer-playing world. LTPD is not a radical approach, but it does represent a cultural shift in our thinking. We understand that it will mean an attitude change for many Clubs and coaches in the province. That said, LTPD will help create a learning environment for our coaches, referees and athletes that is aligned with what top soccer countries have already long been doing,” said Smale.

The OSA has endorsed a phased-in approach that will see LTPD gradually implemented between 2012 and 2018, beginning with the youngest ages (4-8). Some Clubs are already moving in this direction, and pilot projects will be introduced throughout 2012 to pave the way for broader implementation in 2013. New “Learning Facilitator” workshops will begin in November with coaching programs being introduced in January that will reflect the greater emphasis on player development.

Like Smale, OSA Chief Technical Officer, Alex Chiet, has been travelling to different parts of the province to meet with local soccer officials and to discuss the LTPD initiative. Chiet said that he knows there will continue to be questions and concerns raised. “That’s to be expected. Parents and coaches, for example, will want to fully understand these changes. We are talking about something very important. It’s not just words. We are re-shaping the soccer culture in the province to make sure that years down the road, we are keeping players in the sport because they continue to enjoy soccer. And for the elite players at the very competitive level, this approach will allows us to provide a more appropriate training environment and also identify more talented youngsters in their own districts who can progress to play at the highest levels possible,” said Chiet.

Chiet re-iterated that it will be crucial to provide regular communication updates to respond to the misconceptions that have been apparent in his discussions with soccer providers across Ontario.

“Some people think we are completely getting rid of “competition”, which simply isn’t the case. Yes, we will be reshaping our League structures, and, at the early ages, there will be far less emphasis on scores, standings and things like promotion and relegation. But we know that focusing so much on “winning” in the early years inhibits creativity, skill development and proper coaching. Players will still compete, but in a healthier environment. Importantly, for the first time here, everyone will see and experience a clear, unified pathway for all our players across Ontario,” said Chiet.

“As people see this rollout, I am convinced even those who are concerned now will see this is not just some passing fad — this is being done successfully in so many soccer countries around the world. It’s about making the game fun for kids again and for the talented players, providing them the environment and opportunity to reach their potential, whether that is our national team, scholarship opportunities or a professional career,” added Chiet.

About The Ontario Soccer Association

The Ontario Soccer Association was founded in 1901 and is one of the oldest and largest sport organizations in Canada. The OSA provides leadership and support for the advancement of soccer in collaboration and cooperation with our membership, partners and other stakeholders by providing exceptional and sustainable programs and services. The Association is made up of 21 District Branch Offices and several Associate Members, namely regional and provincial leagues. The Districts’ membership consists of more than 700 clubs across Ontario.

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Hi Everyone,

It’s is an exciting time for soccer and specifically Coach Education in Ontario. With the roll out of the CSA’s Long Term Player Development (LTPD) the first new coaching courses will be delivered within Ontario in 2012.

The objective of this message is to pass on some basic information for hosts (Clubs and Districts) regarding the new coaching courses in 2012 to assist in your planning and also booking of facilities for next year. For booking purposes, I’ve included the names of the new coaching courses and the duration of each course.

More detailed information will follow within the next two months regarding, Learning Facilitator training, appointments, systems / processes and administration involved with the new learning opportunities, for our coaches.

Key points to note are:

• The OSA encourages clubs and districts to be proactive and promote the new learning opportunities amongst coaches within your clubs and district. This is especially the case with recreational (house league coaches) who have not previously taken coaching courses. Active Start is a 3.5 hr commitment and is a great introduction to coaching for coaches of 4 – 6 year old children.
• The requirement to coach a competitive team in 2012 within the new system will be:

  Youth aged competitive teams
  

• Completion of the previous “Senior Diploma Award” (Child, youth and senior)
  or
• Completion of the new ”Learning To Train” course.

  Senior competitive teams
  

• Completion of the previous “Senior Diploma Award” (Child, youth and senior)
  or
• Completion of the new “Active for Life” course
• The new courses will be very interactive and player-focused, with each course tailored to meet the needs of the player as they develop at different ages.

Below are two brief tables capturing the transition from old coaching courses to the new LTPD coaching courses:

Kind Regards,
Alex Chiet

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One the many things that has become even clearer to me since I came to Canada from New Zealand and joined the OSA in April is this: how we engage and develop young athletes is tremendously important.

Of course without you, our coaches, we don’t have soccer at all. It’s that simple. I have a great deal of respect for those who provide this essential service for our youth, and do it with skill and passion.

As you all spend a great deal of time on soccer fields, by now most of you have been made aware of some of the new things that are upon us as coaches within Ontario. Specifically, I am referring to the mandate from the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) to introduce Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) across the country.

Let me provide some background, and a bit of an update.

LTPD is certainly not new. It is rooted in work done many years ago around what was called “Long-Term Athlete development”. This approach looked at athlete development in a holistic, integrated manner. In soccer terms, LTPD has already been in place—and very successfully so—for some time in many of the world’s most advanced soccer nations.

I should add that LTPD is steeped in years of research and a great deal of science. Here in Ontario, we have the opportunity to implement an Ontario-specific model that takes into account the demands and needs of our “market”—Ontario’s young soccer players.

Youth coaches at the Club level have always been and will always be one of our most precious resources. We understand that thousands of individuals dedicate their time for countless hours year-round to help make the soccer experience the best it can be for all of the young boys and girls who want to explore and grow in this great sport.

And from visiting many soccer fields over the past few months, I well realize coaches are already doing some great work. Kids are smiling and enjoying their training. So it’s not like we’re doing “everything wrong”. Far from it.

But that said, we need to ask ourselves: can we do even better?
One of the realities is that we need to ensure that we are not falling even further behind successful soccer nations in a couple of key and very visible areas: our ability to retain youngsters in our sport for the sheer love and enjoyment of the game and at the same time, that we move forward, not further back, in our ability to identify, train and truly develop our most high-level talents.

One of the key aspects of achieving both of the above is where you fit the puzzle—coaching. While I have no doubt the majority of our coaches at both the recreational and competitive levels do an admirable job, I’m sure most of us recognize we can do even better overall for our young athletes.

With that in mind, the CSA has introduced a new coaching curriculum which will offer a modern path for coaches to follow and will also provide fresh ideas that mesh with the values supported through LTPD. Wherever you are or will be coaching through the Seven Stages of the LTPD program (starting with “Active Starts” and “FUNdamentals” all the way through to “Active for Life”), it will be vitally important that you remain current in your own personal coaching progression and development, so in turn you can continue to help our young players right across the province.

We want to provide you with all the tools you will need to do an even better job than ever before. Our new coaching curriculum, along with the phased-in implementation of LTPD principles, will allow us to do exactly that.
Most importantly, we want to make sure that those youngsters who come to soccer will want to stay and will truly love their experience, whether they play “for fun” or also want a challenging competitive experience. The better we “coach”, the more kids will enjoy and stay in the sport.

At the higher competitive levels, LTPD will allow us to re-shape our League structures, and support an environment that is less about “winning” and much more about developing the actual mental and physical skills needed to be a really good player. From now on, we will be much better able to identify, train and develop players for our new regional teams, and ultimately give more kids—regardless of where they live or play soccer— a chance to become great players and represent our community, province and our country.

We will be introducing some aspects of LTPD in 2012, with a phased-in approach in subsequent years. It’s critically important that we move together, in the same direction. With that in mind, upcoming coaching certification programs will begin the process of preparing all of us for what lies ahead.

I have communicated with Club head coaches, and recognize that you will also have questions as we move along. Please keep an eye out for more detailed information in the months to come. 2012 will be a very important year in Ontario for our great sport and you can continue to make a huge difference in the lives of our young players in every corner of the province.

Thank you,
Alex Chiet
OSA Chief Technical Officer

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If your son or daughter is involved in youth soccer in Ontario, you may by now have heard the term “Long-Term Player Development” (LTPD).

What is LTPD?
In short, LTPD is very simple. It is a thoroughly researched, tested, proven, and overwhelmingly well-received approach to working with young athletes in soccer-rich countries around the world. Whether a youngster is in soccer to simply stay active and fit or aspires to play at very competitive levels, LTPD is geared to developing youngsters in an environment that is stimulating, enriching—and fun.

The basic premise is this:
at the younger ages (4 through 12) we will focus, incrementally, on physical literacy, touches on the ball, skill development and eventually, training to “compete”. The objective is to help every player develop to his or her true potential, at whatever level they want to play. We can achieve this through improved coaching methods along with superior training and development programs that we will start to introduce in 2012.

Changes will be phased-in throughout the province next year and as well as 2013 and beyond, to ensure Districts, Clubs, coaches and players will be able to make as seamless an adjustment as possible to this new approach to player development.

What will you notice, as parents?

• At the earliest ages, you will see a real emphasis on movement, coordination and athleticism. This will lead into skill development, ball work and the many skills required to play – and fully enjoy – the great sport of soccer.

Skills Development

• Too, you will notice an emphasis on training, more practice time and individual skills development and much less on games and “winning” and “losing”. We realize this will require a bit of a shift in attitude for many of us, but we have studied what soccer-countries are doing, and this approach has clearly worked. We need to move in this direction.

Competition and education

• Will your sons and daughters stop playing games and stop competing? Not at all. But again, the emphasis will be different going forward. We are working on re-shaping the structure of our leagues to maintain competition and create a healthier model for all.
• This is very much about education—better education, training and preparation for our youth coaches, who in turn will provide an improved environment for players at every age and stage of development.
• Recreational players will enjoy the game much more than before. Importantly, they will also learn more and because they are learning and enjoying their experience, will want to stay active in the sport. Elite players will benefit, because the new player pathway we are developing will ensure that, wherever your son or daughter plays in the province, they will have the opportunity to be seen, identified and recommended for more intensive training at a regional and ultimately “provincial” level of play.

Developing Ontario Soccer Players

• We could not be more excited. The OSA has brought together a Technical Advisory Council (TAC), a passionate group of Ontario-based soccer leaders who are working diligently to take the Canadian Soccer Association’s LTPD model and adapt it so we can have a “made in Ontario” solution to making soccer better for everyone across the province.

Please stay tuned, as we will be communicating with you on a more regular basis as we work through the phased-in implementation of LTPD in 2012 and beyond.

Kind Regards
Alex Chiet
OSA Chief Technical Officer

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It’s likely that just about everyone in the Ontario soccer world has heard the term “Long-Term Player Development” (LTPD). What some may not be aware of is exactly what it means and how it will affect soccer across the province.

Some brief background: The Canadian Soccer Association, following on the heels of a mandate from Sport Canada, has introduced the need for a new and better approach to developing the sport—and individual players—across the country.

The question now is not “if” but ”how” we will implement this critically important program to making the game better for all.

We’re past the point of simply talking. We need action. And we have the opportunity to create our own “made in Ontario” solution and we intend to do just that. While we recognize that LTPD has been indeed been talked about for years, actual planning and implementation has been, we well recognize, somewhat delayed. But sometimes, important changes are worth waiting for.

The good news is that the OSA has established a team of experts to map out the best way to plan and implement LTPD, as part of our new Technical Advisory Council (TAC). The Council is made up of representatives from Clubs, Districts, Academies, referees and other experts throughout the province. The TAC is already in the midst of identifying and working on three key priorities: coaching development and certification, developing a ‘best practices’ player centered pathway and ensuring that we communicate often and clearly about our progress to everyone affected by these changes.

Please be aware that we are working diligently to bring forward changes that will make the game better for everyone, in every corner of the province.

In the meantime, I wanted to share some brief points about what LTPD really is (as opposed to what you might have heard, in the absence of accurate information) and how we plan to introduce the mandated changes over time relating to the delivery of soccer in Ontario.

1. In short, LTPD at the recreational level aims to ensure that coaches will be better trained and players will receive more actual skill instruction and most importantly, have more.
2. The various components of LTPD (Active Start, FUNdamentals, Learning to Train, Training to Train, Training to Compete, Training to Win and Active for Life) provide a logical, thoughtful and well-supported approach to the many stages in a young soccer player’s development, whether at the competitive or recreational level.
3. Players need the right messages and the right activities at the right time at all stages in their development. LTPD principles are designed to deliver precisely that. This approach, properly administered, will aim to ensure that every player can reach their potential while still maintaining their love for the sport.
4. Everyone from coaches and administrators to parents and those who sit on Boards should know that LTPD has already long been in practice in the best “soccer countries” around the world. The science and research behind this model is clear. This is a superior way to bring people to the game, keep them in the game, and ensure they enjoy it whether they are playing at the recreational level or at far more competitive levels.
5. At the recreational and younger elite/competitive stages, there will be far less emphasis on scores and winning and losing.
6. League structure will be re-shaped to create a better pathway for young, talented players. We are looking at competition structure models where teams and Clubs will not have to worry about promotion and relegation, for example. Instead, the focus at the elite level will be on developing excellent coaches and developing –and identifying for higher levels of play—as many talented players as we possibly can.
7. The new program will require, we recognize, a shift in attitude on the part of many coaches and parents who have long focused on “winning”. There will still be competitions and games at the younger levels, of course, but the emphasis will be on touches, skills, and developing practices that engage and make our young talented players even better.
8. Some individual Districts and Clubs in Ontario are already moving ahead with some elements of LTPD, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
9. Our intent is not to make a sudden change. We want to plan thoroughly and seek input as we go. We will be phasing in the different stages of LTPD, with some planned-for pilot programs in 2012 and a broader implementation starting in earnest in 2013.
10. We project that phasing in all of the various elements of LTPD over an 8-year period, to ensure that every region of the province and Clubs in every District will be able to make these adjustments as seamlessly as possible.
11. We want players for life! When a young person comes to soccer—because they like the sport or because their parents are simply looking for an activity for them—we aim to provide such a great experience that the vast majority of youngster will stay in the game for the rest of their life, either as participants, coaches, referees, administrators, and volunteers.
12. Every young player is unique and develops, matures and grows in sport at a different pace and rate of development. LTPD makes sure we don’t “miss” kids with talent, just because they are smaller, are born later in the year, or don’t “show well” in a particular game or “try-out”.

We will continue to communicate with you as we move along this path. Our objective is to do this “right”. We need and appreciate your support!

Kind Regards

Alex Chiet
OSA Chief Technical Officer