SoccerCanada faces challenges with long-term player development plan

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While the introduction of Beliveau is welcome news - CSA Technical Director Stephen Hart needs a strong supporting cast to implement LTPD - I came away from the press conference still wondering when and if we are actually going to see this reform in Canadian player development.

Implementation missing

Don’t get me wrong – I support the "Wellness to World Cup" document, and I have no doubt that it is based on careful research and sound planning. The stages of LTPD are chronological and they make sense, with stages three to six being the most crucial with regard to developing elite athletes.

But I have yet to have anyone tell me, publicly or privately, how we are going to implement this plan. How are we going to get the vast majority of youth clubs around the country to adopt this strategy of player development and abandon the "win-at-all-costs" mentality that currently exists?

Furthermore, how are we going to get the provincial soccer associations to give up their control of player development so that they can promote and initiate the LTPD plan province-wide, rather than continue running the inadequate provincial development programs that are currently in place?

We face many challenges in Canada, not least of which is the vast geographical size of our country. Centralized high performance centres exclude numerous talented athletes in outlying areas. If bringing the players to the coaches is a barrier to player development, we need to bring the coaches to the players.

Geographical challenges

We can do this by mandating that the LTPD stages be implemented across the board by youth clubs in Canada. Minimum coaching standards need to be put in place for clubs wishing to play "competitive" soccer, so that kids can receive the necessary coaching closer to home. By doing that, the CSA would create a pyramid of development that is clear and transparent.

If the coaching standards are brought up to scratch at every major club across the country, the provincial associations could then spend more time and money on player identification, rather than on player development. That would increase our pool of elite players while reducing the number of players who are excluded because they live too far away from or cannot afford to get to the centralized provincial training centres.

Change takes time, and often requires an equal measure of patience. Wednesday’s news was a step in the right direction, but I look forward to the day when those words turn into actions.

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