[VMSL 2008/09] CAT Division Meeting

[dezza]

Is anyone going to the VMSL CAT meeting tomorrow?

The agenda is nice and vague...

1. Restructuring of the CAT system and various ways of improving it!
2. Other items of importance



Does anyone have any bright ideas to bring forward? (aside from the obvious suggestion of killing it)

[Reccos]

Originally Posted by dezza

Is anyone going to the VMSL CAT meeting tomorrow?

The agenda is nice and vague...

1. Restructuring of the CAT system and various ways of improving it!
2. Other items of importance -

Does anyone have any bright ideas to bring forward? (aside from the obvious suggestion of killing it)

I ended coaching in the VMSL due to the CAT system and the difficulty of recruiting players for House League Soccer but here is my take.

1. Improvements - eliminate the CAT system - it's house league at best. Return the players to competitive game situations where they can compete at all levels for berths in the Imperial and Province Cups - just like the old days when the VMSL was inarguably the best league.

If you want one improvement that will lead to Azzi's threat to resign if mentioned is this. This always ends the discussion on this topic as no one wants to challenge King Willi (as he is called behind his back).

Have the CAT sub rule mirror that of Canadian soccer when you enter the Province cup or national cup play. 18 man roster of which you sub 5 during play stoppage but unlimited subs with no slips at half time. Willi goes nuts at that rule as he thinks coaches will run it likes a kids' game. Earth to Willi... it is a far better way than the current House League system you put in place for over a third (or whatever) of the teams in this once super league!!!

I think the same sub rule for province and nationals should be used in competitive soccer games fo the VMSL to be level in experience with this rule when BC teams go to nationals.

I doubt any would put 7 subs on at half time and then 5 more changes from their 18 man squad during play stoppage but I do think BC team coaches would learn how best to use that half time unlimited sub rule for their team if they had a chance to get to use it more than in a single knock out competition - but then again Azzi doesn't give a sh$t about teams once they are not playing VMSL games. No one empties their bench in summer games at the half either.

2. Other items of importance - see #1.

Azzi had a dream of European style clubs for the VMSL but it is totally been a night mare and contributed hugely to the departure of players and teams from the once mighty best league in all BC - the VMSL.

The reality is that you can't have this in the Canadian soccer set up. You can't move players up and down like the EPL anyway when it comes to cup play so what is the point?

Players when they get to senior soccer want to play competitive soccer - winning cups or avoiding relegation. CAT has the chance to win cups but when I was a CAT coach, the best players were all signed to Premier as insurance and the two years I did it and entered a team in the Imperial I had to sign pick ups for our ONE cup game just to field 11 players.

Other leagues now have good teams there (BMSL) and some very good players are now spread into Richmond leagues or stayed in the FV and play there now vs competing for spots on the top Premier sides.

If the proof is in the pudding, under King Willi the VMSL quality has gone downhill. CAT has played a huge part as players aren't attracted to the league any longer or they come and see CAT House soccer and leave. I don't much agree with Larsson often but he is right that the VMSL is not what it used to be and you need only look at the CAT system for part of the problem.

I had a team in the VMSL in Div 2 that managed to make it the final 8 of the Imperial only to lose out 3-2 to Firefighters who went on to win the double IIRC that season. That is like the FA cup in English football where any team can get on a roll and do some damage.

[dezza]

Originally Posted by Reccos

[b]

If you want one improvement that will lead to Azzi's threat to resign if mentioned is this. This always ends the discussion on this topic as no one wants to challenge King Willi (as he is called behind his back).

Have the CAT sub rule mirror that of Canadian soccer when you enter the Province cup or national cup play. 18 man roster of which you sub 5 during play stoppage but unlimited subs with no slips at half time. Willi goes nuts at that rule as he thinks coaches will run it likes a kids' game. Earth to Willi... it is a far better way than the current House League system you put in place for over a third (or whatever) of the teams in this once super league!!!

I think the same sub rule for province and nationals should be used in competitive soccer games fo the VMSL to be level in experience with this rule when BC teams go to nationals.

Interesting that you think that would be the rule change that would force Azzi to resign, seeing as he passed it into the constitution last summer and all CAT + U21 teams played with unlimited subs (no slips required) at halftime in the 2007-08 season.

It helped a little bit with getting more players playing time, but I don't think it had a huge impact.

The only team I saw use it in the "nightmare" scenario of changing the whole squad at halftime was Shaheen... and it still didn't help. The 11 of us that played the whole 90 mins still beat them 4-1

[Reccos]

Originally Posted by dezza

Interesting that you think that would be the rule change that would force Azzi to resign, seeing as he passed it into the constitution last summer and all CAT + U21 teams played with unlimited subs (no slips required) at halftime in the 2007-08 season.

It helped a little bit with getting more players playing time, but I don't think it had a huge impact.

The only team I saw use it in the "nightmare" scenario of changing the whole squad at halftime was Shaheen... and it still didn't help. The 11 of us that played the whole 90 mins still beat them 4-1

Wow. That is exactly what Azzi said at a meeting when it was brought up. I quit coaching soccer due to CAT so hadn't heard they made that move. You are right that a wholesale change like that doesn't work.

My point about doing that move before was this. The Premier coach often wanted a guy who was coming off injury to get 15 min on a Saturday pre their Sunday game but that meant a CAT player wouldn't get any game. Or just play a Premier sub on Sunday who didn't play on Sat. It was stupid.

[Mr Base]

Cat system does not work. Premier clubs have twenty guys on the roster forget cat system. U21 with four over age player and you will see how kids get developed.