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BC Youth Teams at National All-star Competitions

PV

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Jul 28, 2003
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The BC U16 boys and girls teams both came back with bronze medals from the recently completed Nutrilite National all-star championships in Hamilton and NFLD. The U16 Boys team was coached by Michael Findlay whereas the U16 girls team was coached by Markus Reinkenns.
The U15 boys and girls teams did not fare as well. The boys team coached by Dante Zanatta finished in 5th place while the U15 girls coached by Donn Sparkes ended up 4th.
Quebec was the big winner this year. Quebec ended up with 3 golds and a bronze while Ontario got one gold and 3 silver.
The format for the competition changed this year due to the Atlantic provinces fielding a single team and Manitoba and Saskatchewan combining to also enter one team. Those changes led to much more competitive games, with no lopsided results.
Approximately 15 players on the BC teams received some kind of financial support this year including two players who had all their costs waived due to family financial hardship.
 

bettermirror

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Disappointing results. Same old song and dance until the identification/tryout process is revamped, and they re-examine not just the training location but also the cost. BCPL *should* help with the identification process. Creating BCPL should make for 8 "Centres of Excellence" whereby the best can be identified and invited - as opposed to expecting kids to shine at the one open tryout they are allowed to attend on a freezing evening the night before or after a league game.
 

Ballbaby

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I looked at all the results and all BC teams were definitely very competitive in every game, especially against the eventual Gold medal winners. I know it's the result in the end, but I am sure that our Provincial coaches have a few stories to tell.
 

bettermirror

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Well I guess we also need to look at - do the results matter? They shouldn't really....but pride gets in the way ... including in my own comment above.

Did the team players develop over the summer the way the coaches expected/wanted? Do the players feel they are better soccer players for the experience? Did any get scouted by universities? Did TFC, Whitecaps, Edmonton, and/or Montreal attend these games for scouting? How many kids will get signed to the academies...?
 

Jigsaw

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The identification process has not worked for many years now.
I used to Coach the Provincial Team years ago and we were always successful. We had a program put together in the Summer months, only because, at that time there was no such thing as Summer Soccer Leagues.
We had to select the players at the end of thier season in April and keep them training and playing exhibition games, until it was time to represent BC at Nationals in July.
That is not and has not been needed for quite a few years now, as most "elite players" are playing in the "Y-League" or PDL.
Players do not need to be taken out of their clubs to be coached by the BCSA Staff. They select the players in Feb. or March and charge them a small fortune to represent their Province. Who is to say that these are the best players in July?
Loss of form or injury, might make the squad weaker than what it was when first selected. Playing in an environment that is not competitive will not make them the best team.
They will get better games at their clubs playing in games that matter.
What should have been happenning for a good few years now, is that players stay with their clubs and get scouted by the BCSA Selectors, or Coaches. Then, be invited in to a Monthly session to assess the group. Two weeks before the Tournament, the best players, at that time, should be accessable for a final preperation camp to ready them for the finals. That way, you get the players who are in form and they do not have to pay a fortune for all of the expensive trips that they do now.
As it is now, if a player gets injured, they still go with the team, because they have paid their small fortune to be in the squad.
The origonal idea for this tournament, was for the National Team Staff to scout and select players for the various teams.
I believe it still is.
I also believe that the Head Coaches should be Club Coaches and the better ones be rewarded for their development and progress, much the same as the players. That way it also give the Coaches a chance to be seen and assessed by the CSA Brass and who knows? Maybe get invited to be part of the Staff at a National Team game. That helps to develop Coaches, as well as Players. We have some excellent young coaches in the youth program.
The best players are not being seen by the BCSA Staff, nor the Whitecaps.
Metro Ford won the U18 Nationals last year and if I am not mistaken only 1 player was in the program.
Abbotsford are in the Nationals this year and only the GK has been invited to the next level.
We are at an all time low in regards to having players from BC represent Canada. We have no BC players on the Whitecaps roster.
I strongly believe it is a result of the BCSA Program not doing their job properly for the last number of years and their bungling of the program means that few or none of the best players get to be seen by the Whitecaps.

I'm just getting started here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

bettermirror

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I quite like your proposals - especially the coaches idea. But you are right re: "monthly" sessions. Isn't that essentially what BC Premier League is doing though? They are having NTC/PTP "windows" when league play stops and selected players go to PTP training?
 

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