Blogue

I don’t expect people to be interested in what I do on a daily basis. Certainly nobody asks! But, as almost all of my work as a self-employed consultant is related to CS4L, there is some sort of relationship between what I’m doing and the progress of the movement. Last month’s work provides a few illustrative examples.

This blog post has been reproduced with permission from the Ontario Soccer Association.

There is no question that the introduction of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) to Ontario has brought with it some concern—and push back. The very notion that there would no longer be formal league standings—or even scores—at the early ages continues is a sea change for most of us.

But increasingly, Clubs, coaches and parents are recognizing what so many top soccer minds in the most serious soccer nations throughout the world have been saying for years: that is, helping all young players on every youth “team” develop skills and confidence with the ball at their feet at the early ages is much more important than winning a game at the U9 level, for example, simply because a particular team may have bigger, faster, stronger players.

Que ce soit au moment de considérer un changement mineur ou une modification  au système dans son entier, il est fréquent pour une fédération nationale de sport de se sentir intimidée par ce type de défi. Une modification au système de compétitions peut évidemment devenir un long processus pour l’organisation.

L’organisation nationale de sport est convaincue qu’un changement au système de compétitions est nécessaire mais elle ne sait pas toujours pas où commencer, qui impliquer et comment procéder. 

Il existe plusieurs théories sur le processus de changement et des documents de travail ont récemment été produits par un groupe de professionnels issus du monde du sport en tentant d’incorporer les principes fondamentaux du mouvement ‘Au Canada, le sport, c’est pour la vie’. 

The town of Squamish is situated at the head of Howe Sound, a roughly 50 kilometer long fjord extending northwards from Vancouver, British Columbia. It lies at the approximate halfway point on the Sea to Sky highway between Vancouver and Whistler. The town was historically all about resource industry – logging, railroad, port – but now is evolving into a different kind of centre.

A large sign on the highway at the outskirts of Squamish greets visitors: “Welcome to Squamish: the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada.” One might think at first this slogan is just local Chamber of Commerce bumpf, but it is not long before one appreciates the substance behind the branding.