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Qman
06-20-2015, 11:17 PM
The whitecaps are setting up an academy in London.



CSN has confirmed that the Vancouver Whitecaps have partnered with the North London Soccer Club to set-up a satellite academy in that Ontario city. The announcement of the partnership is expected in July.
According to an e-mail sent to members of the London soccer community, the club will be called the London Youth Whitecaps and it will be “the sole club within the district with the ability to enter teams in Regional and Inter-District Leagues for the (2016) U14 and below age divisions.”

The e-mail, which was by London area coach Geoff Painter. In it, he explains the decision: “Our view is that it is advantageous for our players and teams if they have other high level teams from within the same Club above and below them in age division to allow for call ups and also to provide a unified administration. Consequently, we will be initiating the necessary process to transfer the TPS rights for our current OYSL and WOYSL teams to London Youth Whitecaps.”

It’s important to note that the club will not be participating in the Ontario Premier Development League, the Ontario Soccer Accociation’s preferred system for elite development. Additionally, CSN has been told that efforts to start an OPDL team in London are actively being resisted by the district. A source said that the district went so far as to write a letter of non-support for the OPDL application.

The OPDL approval process is confidential so there is no way of knowing if the alleged letter has negatively affected the application. Regardless, even if the OPDL application is successful the two clubs will be in direct competition for talent, with the London Youth Whitecaps operating in the YSL system, which does not have the same level of LTPD standards required (which is different from saying the Whitecaps won’t employ those standards – CSN reached out to the Caps to comment).

Of note, Painter has a contentious past with the CSA and OSA. In 2009 he was suspended by the OSA for six months for, in the OSA’s opinion, “actions detrimental to the game.” The charge relates to him allowing his team to play a game at the national championships with nine players during the second half of that game. His team had already clinched advancement and Painter later claimed that he had no choice but to play with nine players due to fatigue and injury. He said the charge was without cause.

The London Free press reported on it at the time. You can read that article here (http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Columnists/DallaCosta/2009/05/23/9547396-sun.html).

Beyond the youth development implications, the move by the Whitecaps is a brazen one. They are moving into the doorstep of TFC’s restricted academy area. It’s important to note that TFC would be unable to do a similar thing. The Whitecaps have exclusive rights to everywhere in Canada west of the Ontario/Manitoba border, whereas TFC only has exclusive rights to a 50 mile radius from its training facility in Downsview Park.

molenshtain
06-20-2015, 11:22 PM
Beyond the youth development implications, the move by the Whitecaps is a brazen one. They are moving into the doorstep of TFC’s restricted academy area. It’s important to note that TFC would be unable to do a similar thing. The Whitecaps have exclusive rights to everywhere in Canada west of the Ontario/Manitoba border, whereas TFC only has exclusive rights to a 50 mile radius from its training facility in Downsview Park.

how in holy fucking hell is this possible?

TFC07
06-20-2015, 11:24 PM
I see Whitecaps are desperate for talent that they need to come to TFC land (Southern Ontario) to recruit players now. :)

molenshtain
06-20-2015, 11:26 PM
I see Whitecaps are desperate for talent that they need to come to TFC land (Southern Ontario) to recruit players now. :)

they already did that with Teibert and Alderson.

I refuse to lose more local talent to those fucking lumberjack west coast fucks.

TFC07
06-20-2015, 11:35 PM
they already did that with Teibert and Alderson.

I refuse to lose more local talent to those fucking lumberjack west coast fucks.


Blame MLS for creating this academy rights area crap so they can balance it out to make it fair for small market teams to field competitive academy teams.

This is why Whitecaps can come to Ontario and steal players but TFC can't since they live in market (GTA) that is rich with talented soccer players.

If you look at number of kids playing soccer outside of Ontario, you will be shocked how small that number is.

SirBobSaget
06-20-2015, 11:43 PM
TFC has done a pathetic job with the talent at their disposal. In the 50 mile radius protected zone they are drawing from almost 8 million 1st world citizens, no other club in the world has this. Look at what Sigma FC has generated recently; Larin, Bekker, Welshman.

molenshtain
06-20-2015, 11:46 PM
Getting a guy like Uccello goes a long way to showing we're capable of poaching and continuing the development of the best the GTA has to offer. We're getting better at it.

mistercorporate
06-20-2015, 11:58 PM
Since the rest of Ontario is apparently a neutral zone, TFC should setup an academy in London right down the street from the Shitecaps, and blow them out of the water. Show them whose boss of the East! Heck, show them whose boss of this country! :P That sort of disrespect is not tolerated by any proud institution...

ag futbol
06-21-2015, 01:16 AM
TFC has done a pathetic job with the talent at their disposal. In the 50 mile radius protected zone they are drawing from almost 8 million 1st world citizens, no other club in the world has this. Look at what Sigma FC has generated recently; Larin, Bekker, Welshman.
Agreed - we could be pushing it a lot harder in terms of mining local talent. They should be setting up similar things to what the caps have here, but inside the GTA.

There are just too many players to have one TFC setup academy in this city.

spark
06-21-2015, 08:51 AM
TFC has done a pathetic job with the talent at their disposal. In the 50 mile radius protected zone they are drawing from almost 8 million 1st world citizens, no other club in the world has this. Look at what Sigma FC has generated recently; Larin, Bekker, Welshman.

Yeah I would say instead of getting bent out of shape realize this ^ - As well, TFC have had eight years to establish themselves in this province at the grassroots level and have done a horrible job. This is TFC reaping what they've sowed (or not I guess would be more accurate). If this club knew what was what in terms of building for the future, this wouldn't have happened because they would have had a relationship established. And to add insult - SirBob mentions Sigma, an academy who is 15 mins from BMO and they have stronger ties with Seattle, RSL and SKC.

PopePouri
06-21-2015, 09:37 AM
TFC has done a pathetic job with the talent at their disposal. In the 50 mile radius protected zone they are drawing from almost 8 million 1st world citizens, no other club in the world has this. Look at what Sigma FC has generated recently; Larin, Bekker, Welshman.

Aligning with Vancouver is even worse. They've had 5 years and only now they are producing decent talent for the first team. And Teibert is not one of them.

Ossington Mental Youth
06-21-2015, 10:09 AM
Yeah I would say instead of getting bent out of shape realize this ^ - As well, TFC have had eight years to establish themselves in this province at the grassroots level and have done a horrible job. This is TFC reaping what they've sowed (or not I guess would be more accurate). If this club knew what was what in terms of building for the future, this wouldn't have happened because they would have had a relationship established. And to add insult - SirBob mentions Sigma, an academy who is 15 mins from BMO and they have stronger ties with Seattle, RSL and SKC.

Hate to say it but this is very true, that being said i dont think its fair that TFC has such a limited area at its disposal or that the white caps can march into our province and grab ontario players. Should be an equal playing field for all

spe18
06-21-2015, 11:05 AM
http://www.wakingthered.com/2013/5/10/4319708/toronto-fc-academy-territories-and-exceptions :)

Richard
06-21-2015, 12:04 PM
Hate to say it but this is very true, that being said i dont think its fair that TFC has such a limited area at its disposal or that the white caps can march into our province and grab ontario players. Should be an equal playing field for all

Its not limited when you've got a population of over 5 million, but yes I do agree these territory rules are idiotic, but lets be frank though TFC has done a pathetic job with what's available to them.

Soccerpro
06-21-2015, 12:05 PM
TFC has done a pathetic job with the talent at their disposal. In the 50 mile radius protected zone they are drawing from almost 8 million 1st world citizens, no other club in the world has this. Look at what Sigma FC has generated recently; Larin, Bekker, Welshman.

This ^

TFC have put in little to no effort mining for talent in the hotbed of Canadian soccer known as the GTA. At this point, they get what they deserve.

Whitecaps have academies all throughout B.C, Saskatoon and Regina SK, Winnipeg, MB and now London Ont. If TFC had the rights to those areas what would they have in place? Absolutely nothing.

Ossington Mental Youth
06-21-2015, 12:07 PM
This ^

TFC have put in little to no effort mining for talent in the hotbed of Canadian soccer known as the GTA. At this point, they get what they deserve.

Whitecaps have academies all throughout B.C, Saskatoon and Regina SK, Winnipeg, MB and now London Ont. If TFC had the rights to those areas what would they have in place? Absolutely nothing.

I see them as two different issues.
1) TFC has failed on a local level
2)MLS regions in Canada are out of wack

Ajax TFC
06-21-2015, 12:16 PM
As much as I want to be outraged at Vancouver and think that they're stealing talent from TFC, I can't. Let's be honest, if London produced a top soccer talent, does anyone here think that TFC would discover him, let alone secure his MLS rights? This team has a hard enough time securing the MLS rights of top players in their own city. TFC can focus on developing players in Toronto. If the Whitecaps want to help out soccer in London, then that's good for Canadian soccer and I don't have a problem with that. It's not like they're displacing an existing TFC academy

Maybe MLS should do away with protected regions all together. Protection from competition is what allows companies to be shitty at what they do. For example, if the Whitecaps were allowed to set up an academy in downtown TO and started actually working with the local soccer clubs, it might force TFC to up their game if they don't want to see the top GTA talents signed by other teams. Then again, we already have local talents going in the MLS draft that this team should have been able to lock up

Fort York Redcoat
06-21-2015, 12:29 PM
Yeah I would say instead of getting bent out of shape realize this ^ - As well, TFC have had eight years to establish themselves in this province at the grassroots level and have done a horrible job. This is TFC reaping what they've sowed (or not I guess would be more accurate). If this club knew what was what in terms of building for the future, this wouldn't have happened because they would have had a relationship established. And to add insult - SirBob mentions Sigma, an academy who is 15 mins from BMO and they have stronger ties with Seattle, RSL and SKC.

Sure, now they do.

Knowing people from Sigma, they were excited to work with the local team as much as anyone would be. I Wouldn't blame them for their business savvy and TFC's failure to rate players coming in and getting their evaluation wrong.

The relationship would've been very different if we had all the levels we do today when the Academy first began.

james
06-21-2015, 04:56 PM
not saying we don't have any good soccer players in this country...but for a country with a population of around 35million and so many of them coming from countries where Soccer is everything, we have many people who watch and play the sport, yet we are ranked something like 110th. Why can't we actually compete to make the world cup every now and then?

Only thing I could think of is, once you reach a teenager years the sport is not taken serious enough and not the proper training has been available in this country and to often the sport is looked at as a soccer mom's sort of thing where the sport is more just for recreation as a kid but not taken as serious as some take say Hockey. I just hope clubs like Whitecaps, TFC or Montreal Impact can create some good players for the near future. I would love to see more Canadians in MLS and a much better Team Canada.

molenshtain
06-21-2015, 05:06 PM
not saying we don't have any good soccer players in this country...but for a country with a population of around 35million and so many of them coming from countries where Soccer is everything, we have many people who watch and play the sport, yet we are ranked something like 110th. Why can't we actually compete to make the world cup every now and then?

Only thing I could think of is, once you reach a teenager years the sport is not taken serious enough and not the proper training has been available in this country and to often the sport is looked at as a soccer mom's sort of thing where the sport is more just for recreation as a kid but not taken as serious as some take say Hockey. I just hope clubs like Whitecaps, TFC or Montreal Impact can create some good players for the near future. I would love to see more Canadians in MLS and a much better Team Canada.


kids from canada regularly compete well with eruopean and south american teams in international tournaments until they're about 14, when tactics and real coaching comes into play. Most of our problem historically his been inter-club and inter-jurisdiction politics and the orginizations like OSA and specifically CSA are rampant with it. It's getting a bit better now, but you can blame our not being good on poor coaching in the teenage years and stupendous amounts of fuckery on behalf of our governing bodies.

oldtraffordPEI
06-21-2015, 05:42 PM
Great for soccer in the country. More grassroots development and competition the better. This will only result in more talent being found locally, more potential on the national level, and more Canadians in the MLS. TFC are going to have to compete and invest more with Vancouver forcing their hand. Its a win win...but yeah, fuck the whitecaps!

portu
06-21-2015, 06:46 PM
TFC has done a pathetic job with the talent at their disposal. In the 50 mile radius protected zone they are drawing from almost 8 million 1st world citizens, no other club in the world has this. Look at what Sigma FC has generated recently; Larin, Bekker, Welshman.
Oh my fucking god I'm sick of hearing how there is "an abundance of talent in Ontario", to put it simply there really isn't, it's just a shit ton of registered players

ag futbol
06-21-2015, 06:53 PM
kids from canada regularly compete well with eruopean and south american teams in international tournaments until they're about 14, when tactics and real coaching comes into play. Most of our problem historically his been inter-club and inter-jurisdiction politics and the orginizations like OSA and specifically CSA are rampant with it. It's getting a bit better now, but you can blame our not being good on poor coaching in the teenage years and stupendous amounts of fuckery on behalf of our governing bodies.
Bit of a red herring. Proportionately they do better than the senior team, but at the same time the competitive landscape is different. We take that shit way more seriously than most other countries who would rather not spend the money. I'm not saying they don't care at all, but they often don't see the ROI in sending small children across the world to compete at an "elite" level. The money gets spent on training kids at home which is a much better use of someone's time rather than running an international piss fest, which is really more about the parents than the participants.

My $0.02 as a coach who's mainly focused on age groups under 12 in Canada and watched completely random games at similar age levels in countries from Mexico, Brazil, France, and England: we are laughably behind.

ag futbol
06-21-2015, 07:00 PM
Oh my fucking god I'm sick of hearing how there is "an abundance of talent in Ontario", to put it simply there really isn't, it's just a shit ton of registered players
I'm half way there with you on this. The GTA has a lot clubs who provide fairly good training and kids play at a competitive level; it goes further than participation. Nationally, it's a cheap form of kids exercise and the numbers are vastly inflated. Things are slowly changing... but have a long way to go.

If this club were to actually drill down and scout at the local level if could uncover some real diamonds. They are simply not active enough. The club relies on recommendations and some really ridiculous referral sources with obvious conflicts of interest. I have some doubts about the actual training being top notch as well... but have nothing to confirm that one way or another.

Soccerpro
06-21-2015, 08:00 PM
Oh my fucking god I'm sick of hearing how there is "an abundance of talent in Ontario", to put it simply there really isn't, it's just a shit ton of registered players

Why are there more pro players out of Onatario than any other Province? Why do Ontario teams usually win all star nationals and club nationals?

portu
06-21-2015, 08:37 PM
I'm half way there with you on this. The GTA has a lot clubs who provide fairly good training and kids play at a competitive level; it goes further than participation. Nationally, it's a cheap form of kids exercise and the numbers are vastly inflated. Things are slowly changing... but have a long way to go.

If this club were to actually drill down and scout at the local level if could uncover some real diamonds. They are simply not active enough. The club relies on recommendations and some really ridiculous referral sources with obvious conflicts of interest. I have some doubts about the actual training being top notch as well... but have nothing to confirm that one way or another.
I am 100% with you on this.

Pookie
06-22-2015, 06:09 AM
Those who follow the developments with the OPDL and know the history of TFC-A in terms of relationships with local clubs won't find this London-Vancouver connection surprising in the least.

There is an OSA question in here too. TFC-A was in the OPDL last year (U13) but not anymore.

molenshtain
06-22-2015, 06:38 AM
that reminds me, pookie.

Those who know the history of the TFC academy will know that their inability to poach the best talent isn't entirely their fault. We definitely didn't do our best, or even all that much, to build relationships with local clubs when the Academy started. But the amount of offense taken by teams like Woodbridge and Vaughan because we didn't bend over backward for them was truly astonishing. We could have done more to build relationships and involve local clubs in the process but their pettyness after the fact did a significant amount of damage to our Academy for a while. They would advise players not to sign/train with us etc. There's a reason why a lot of our Academy players came from very certain Scarborough and Missisauga/Brampton clubs for a while.

It's getting better now. The Johnston era was ignorant with the Academy, the Rongen/Winter era was arrogant. From what I've heard, Bez and Co. are doing A lot to go out and mend relationships with these clubs and build a community around the city that integrates local clubs with the Academy. I suspect it's true judging from the certain kids we've been poaching and having TFC play and share resources with a lot of the top clubs from the GTA. I think we're getting everything on track after a pretty bumpy start.

For instance, the last round of academy players from the Winter/Rongen group didn't do us much good. The last under 20 CMNT squad was dominated by the whitecaps and we only had 2 guys on it, Aparicio and Hamilton (though Roberts gets semi-frequent call ups from the National team). On the Other hand, the under 17 team, which Bez and Vanney and co. were mostly responsible for, had 11 of our guys by my count on the last squad. Many of those guys, like Thomas Mickoski, were top players from the GTA and were recently picked up.

I can't really speak to TFC's involvement in recruiting etc. outside the wider limits of the GTA. I have no info on that subject.

denime
06-22-2015, 06:56 AM
Tthis just shows how shitty job TFC does when it comes to development. They are so many talented players in Ontario and for some strange reason they do not play for TFCA.

Month ago there was U15 National team show case at Downsview park, and it was sad to see how bad TFC performed.Vancouver beat them 5-1,Montreal if I'm not mistaken 4-1,and at the end national selection made up from REP-provincial teams lead 3-0 up to 70 minutes,just to drop the game to TFC after they changed half of the lineup.

Sigma sends their players to Vancouver residential program rather then TFC,always wondered why,but but now I get it,Vancouver is serious with their academy,TFC is all about PR.

Shitcaps setting up academy in London is good for Canadian soccer,at least one club in this country is taking development seriously,unfortunately it's not TFC.

If TFC wants to make it right,they should fire all local former REP coaches from their academy,bring coaches for outside,coaches without local REP clubs agendas and coaches with proper knowledge how to develop players,as long TFCA has Ontario REP coaches coaching academy kids,there will be no real progress.

ensco
06-22-2015, 07:06 AM
I don't know the ins and outs of this, but I know something about labour laws. What is to stop us from poaching a Whitecaps Academy player, whether that player plays in Vancouver or London or anywhere else?

Because that is what happens in Europe...

molenshtain
06-22-2015, 07:21 AM
I don't know the ins and outs of this, but I know something about labour laws. What is to stop us from poaching a Whitecaps Academy player, whether that player plays in Vancouver or London or anywhere else?

Because that is what happens in Europe...

If it's the same as in Europe, We'd have to pay a fee. Clubs operating at a similiar stature and revenue as us don't really concern themselves with paying fees for 17 year olds who might not turn out.

I don't know if that's why it hasn't happened here (as in NA), but that's usually how these things go. It's usually bigger clubs poaching kids from tiny clubs, not two medium (in the grand scheme of things) clubs poaching youth players from each other.

Pookie
06-22-2015, 07:22 AM
Well, lack of a residency program stops a lot of >100km poaching right in its tracks. Who would sign on with TFC for the promise of 4 hr return commutes after work 5x a week?

David_Oliveira
06-22-2015, 07:53 AM
Good on the Whitecaps. TFC had 8 years to set up their system. Instead of dicking around the various clubs in Ontario, they should have set up systems that would ensure the best players came to us.

Yohan
06-22-2015, 08:42 AM
If it's the same as in Europe, We'd have to pay a fee. Clubs operating at a similiar stature and revenue as us don't really concern themselves with paying fees for 17 year olds who might not turn out.

I don't know if that's why it hasn't happened here (as in NA), but that's usually how these things go. It's usually bigger clubs poaching kids from tiny clubs, not two medium (in the grand scheme of things) clubs poaching youth players from each other.

Nothing stops a team from poaching a youth player except those signed to a pro contract ie mls or usl.

Well, can't claim HG on players in another team's exclusive territory.

molenshtain
06-22-2015, 08:58 AM
Nothing stops a team from poaching a youth player except those signed to a pro contract ie mls or usl.

Well, can't claim HG on players in another team's exclusive territory.

well, like I said, if it's like Europe, it gets a bit more tricky than that with pre-contracts and whatnot. Though I don't think there's an equivalent to that here.

But I don't think it happens because
A) I don't think it's worth it at 14-17 to go cross country or whatever to change academy programs because there's no real incentive
B) it lacks practicality for all parties involved
C) any kid who's 13 or 14 who's worth trying to poach from another MLS academy isn't staying on this side of the ocean for very long.

Basically, there's no real use of trying anything like this. It makes sense for lots of Belgian and Dutch kids to join Premier league academies on pre-contracts. It doesn't make sense for A 15 year old Whitecaps kid to move cross country to our academy for what's likely a similar product in a completely new environment and an entirely new support system, and it doesn't make sense for us to try and poach a kid because it's unlikely he'll come and will hinder our relationship with the Whitecaps.

These things just aren't very practical.

PopePouri
06-22-2015, 09:24 AM
Rongen did his fair share of damage, however I do believe there is an active commitment by Tim B to try mend what happened. Hiring back Stuart Neely was a plus and that Jay Chapman actually wanted to sign for us given his past treatment.

Pookie
06-22-2015, 09:25 AM
I see this as more of a response to the OSA from London than it is about the Whitecaps setting up shop.

I would wager that London clubs, many of whom who fought the OPDL and saw their only awarded franchise fold before the team even played its first game, would have been open to the idea of establishing a "top development" pathway for players in the area. Who called who would be interesting.

Impact on TFC is one issue. OSA future pathways is another.

OgtheDim
06-22-2015, 09:38 AM
Apropos of maybe something or maybe not:

I seem to remember reading a piece by Devos a few months back about the dude running much of the development of soccer in London being against recent CSA decisions vis-a-vis things like giving a damn about the score when kids are 6.

Pookie
06-22-2015, 09:42 AM
This one?

http://www2.tsn.ca/blogs/jason_de_vos/?id=460345

OgtheDim
06-22-2015, 10:39 AM
Thanks.

ensco
06-22-2015, 12:43 PM
I've just spent a few minutes on the web and anyone who says there is anything binding on anyone under 18 in Europe, is making it up. The child labour laws over there are the same as they are here - no child (or parent or guardian) can ever bind a minor to perform work after the age of 18. We all got rid of that about a hundred years ago. You can sign a "training" contract (for the current year) but that's it.

There are obviously some parents taking backhanders to move their kid somewhere, but that kid can still do whatever they want when he turns 18.

There are a lot of stories like this one out there

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/06/28/uk-soccer-spain-espanyol-barcelona-idUKBRE95R0SQ20130628

spark
06-25-2015, 12:12 PM
Sure, now they do.

Knowing people from Sigma, they were excited to work with the local team as much as anyone would be. I Wouldn't blame them for their business savvy and TFC's failure to rate players coming in and getting their evaluation wrong.

The relationship would've been very different if we had all the levels we do today when the Academy first began.

Sorry for the delay on checking back in on this.

FYR - they've had relationships with SKC/RSL/SEA for several years now.

I've spoken with Sigma several times over the last two years and I've never heard them say anything about trying to work with TFC or being excited to set up their academy in proximity. Why would they be excited when they already had strong connections with Ajax, Olympiacos, Genk and a handful of other Euro clubs? They've never needed TFC and it wasn't them going to those US clubs but the other way around because they saw clearly they were producing good players and flooding the NCAA with their graduates.

I don't follow how the levels of Academy for TFCA would any bearing on their relationship?

Fort York Redcoat
06-25-2015, 12:26 PM
Sorry for the delay on checking back in on this.

FYR - they've had relationships with SKC/RSL/SEA for several years now.

I've spoken with Sigma several times over the last two years and I've never heard them say anything about trying to work with TFC or being excited to set up their academy in proximity. Why would they be excited when they already had strong connections with Ajax, Olympiacos, Genk and a handful of other Euro clubs? They've never needed TFC and it wasn't them going to those US clubs but the other way around because they saw clearly they were producing good players and flooding the NCAA with their graduates.

I don't follow how the levels of Academy for TFCA would any bearing on their relationship?

Why wouldn't they be happy to try to work with the highest level team locally? My comment is in reference to recent past years when Sigma enjoyed some success in having a couple players for TFC that didn't work out.

The different levels of TFC had a direct bearing on how long Sigma boys stuck around in our organization.

ag futbol
06-25-2015, 12:27 PM
Let's not frame this as sigma being a huge deal for all these other teams.

If I'm selling widgets I want to have as many customers as possible. Sigma sells widgets + TFC wants to be the only buyer of said widgets = deal breaker.

All sigma proves is that there is more talent in the GTA than the academy has capitalized on. They are charging fees and still making players .... Under a paid for setup that's run property you'd expect it to be even more potent.

james
06-26-2015, 11:58 AM
I'm half way there with you on this. The GTA has a lot clubs who provide fairly good training and kids play at a competitive level; it goes further than participation. Nationally, it's a cheap form of kids exercise and the numbers are vastly inflated. Things are slowly changing... but have a long way to go.

If this club were to actually drill down and scout at the local level if could uncover some real diamonds. They are simply not active enough. The club relies on recommendations and some really ridiculous referral sources with obvious conflicts of interest. I have some doubts about the actual training being top notch as well... but have nothing to confirm that one way or another.

that goes back to my theory that one reason Canada is being held back is yes we have a lot of people that play Football, but majority of people don't take Football seriously here like they do in Europe and South America. Here everyone knows about Hockey and has the dream to play in the NHL. For many years now more people play Football then Hockey in Canada, but probably a lot of those people are unfamiliar with the many pro leagues around the world, and kids haven't grown grown up dreaming of playing for there favourite local club like Man U, Liverpool, Wolverharmpton, Crystal Palace, or in our case Toronto FC. Many people and parents just signed kids up to play a affordable and good exercise activity. Kids might enjoy it but for many the parents might not actually watch football or care about the sport really. Anyways with Toronto FC and the academies across the country I just hope we have the right training to develop players for the future. I see more kids in the passed 10 years wearing Football Jerseys and playing at the local park or at school then I ever remember back in the 90's. We have teams that get good attandence and have real supporters, and probably more people watch football on TV more then they ever did before in this country. Just need the right coaching and steps now for the future, not sure if we will ever get there, but hope we do.

james
06-26-2015, 12:08 PM
Why are there more pro players out of Onatario than any other Province? Why do Ontario teams usually win all star nationals and club nationals?

All tho sometimes population isn't everything, I mean you see small countries like Croatia play well on the International level, compete for World Cups and Euro cups and they have only a population of about 4 million people. And then you look at us, country of 35 million people and we are ranked at 110th world wide.

But on a country level within Canada Ontario has a population of 12.8 million, Quebec 7.9 million, and BC 4.4 million, Alberta 3.6 million, Manitoba 1.2 million...and goes down from there...so you can see Ontario has a population way above all the other provinces, that equals more people play football in then anywhere else which can lead to maybe Vancouver thinking...hmmm Ontario has over 3X the population of BC, meaning they have the 3X pool to pick from to develop players, maybe we should jump on that and take some of that big pie!