What’s wrong with Canadian soccer?
We never seem capable of producing the results.
(John McKay shared with us his story) .....................
My Mom once told me, if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all. Sorry Mom, too many people have been pushing me to expose my opinions. They want me to write this story. I keep telling those people that I am actually pretty stupid and most of the time I am wrong. I’ve failed a whole lot more than I have ever succeeded in life, and my opinions are probably best kept to myself. Those soccer parents, those friends and acquaintances, they know I would prefer to keep to myself and perhaps eat another tuna sandwich. What can I say, there are only so many tuna sandwiches out there and I can not eat them all. So here’s a story for you.
First off, a bit of a memoir and a short bit of history with reference to Vancouver.
As a young boy I watched with enthusiasm many local and International matches. Growing up in Vancouver I was fortunate my Father and Grandfather were football enthusiasts. That meant, we along with the rest of Vancouver, were in attendance at Empire Stadium. There was great spirit & interest in the Vancouver Whitecaps during the late 1970’s. Empire Stadium would regularly sell out to capacity, 32,000 football fans ! The 1979 season ended with Vancouver winning the NASL Soccer Bowl against the super power known as the New York Cosmos. I am here to tell you, the stories are true, it was spectacular. During that time I was just a young boy, my Scottish Grandfather was a fantastic player and we often enjoyed playing a bit of football around the backyard. I still carry with me those memories, he showed the basic foot positions for striking the ball. Seemed perfectly natural to me, I never kicked the ball with my toe. I was shown the way at an early age and I just carried on with it, didn’t know any different. I wouldn’t say that the Vancouver Whitecaps ever inspired me to be a soccer player. Where I benefitted was with community awareness that carried on for years, the success of the Whitecaps meant that kids like me were allowed to play soccer. It was a publicly acceptable sport. Those days if you told your parents you were going to a movie they’d say NO, not that movie, you are not going to see that Bo Derrek. (I went anyway). If you told your parents you were going to play soccer, well then, that was allowed. Off to the local field it was, ball in hand and out the door. Sometimes I met up with a few people, sometimes none. Either way, I’d get time on the ball. Often it was the wall that I played, but it was better than staying at home. I am still amazed at how fast an hour can go by playing nothing but the wall ! Occasionally I’d watch some teams play, only because I wanted to use the field and they were on it ! Inevitably but predictably I would wander off in boredom, for a kid like me (and probably most kids) sitting still and watching an hour of football without hot dogs and ice cream bars was just about impossible. A few of us kids would gather in the concrete covered play courts and start up our own game of high speed rebounder street ball. When the crowd would roar at the match we’d all run over to see what happened. It was always too late, there were no instant replays, and we’d have to ask everyone what happened ! Looking back at it now I think we must have been stupid or something, we could have been watching the talented older players, but instead we’d wander off and play street ball, play 1 on 1 or even worse play rebound off the wall ! We did not play because we wanted to improve our skills, no one ever coached us, no one ever yelled at us except a few times the school maintenance guys would plead with us not to hit the windows or kick the ball up on the roof. Other than that, we played whatever we wanted to, speed ball, bang the wall 20 times as hard as you can, you or your pal goes for the rebound and then laugh like hell whenever we messed up (which was often). I remember that the most. I know we tested the patience of some of the teachers, especially the P.E. teachers, they would look over, see us kids banging the wall making rapid fire rebounds and think what a waste, we sure made a lot of noise. I don’t know why we did it, it was just something to do, it felt good to strike the ball hard and then try to get the rebound. When we would get a chance to play school team soccer it was a treat, I remember the school teachers knew nothing about soccer so they just let us play and blew the whistle a few times. This allowed us the freedom to play how we wanted to and that was the best football time of my life.
It was only very later on in life that I realized the extreme importance of those moments.
As we got older and high school was upon us, things got worse. Adults wanted us to train a certain way, we had to do things their way, we were not allowed the freedom of our early days. That’s where I lost interest as a player. I took up cycling instead, a sport where I could express myself without interference. Later on I developed a dangerous passion for motorbikes. A motorbike crash and a subsequent bad foot injury stopped my football all together. I still enjoyed BC soccer and I went to quite a few matches. BC soccer support was dwindling and without much notice the NASL closed the doors. The Whitecaps were no more.The high school sport was focused on American Football and I hated it. I think it was about a year that went by without much BC soccer, along came the 86’ers to the rescue, and the drama of the much smaller Swanguard Stadium. The crowds were small compared to the hey days of Empire Stadium and for a short while BC Place. Swanguard became the small friendly family atmosphere. We knew and accepted this fact, we were grateful to even have a team. Some would say that the Whitecaps were the biggest success for soccer perhaps in all of Canada. For me, I loved the Whitecaps but it was the 86ers and very specifically the enjoyment of watching the magnificent Domenic Mobilio that renewed my faith. If you have ever had the pleasure of watching Dom perform, I think most would agree that it was an absolute privilege to have enjoyed watching such fine talent. The commentator would yell out his name when Dom had scored yet another amazing goal, MO BI LI OHHHHHHH ! The crowd would go berserk! Virtually every time Dom scored, the stadium trembled, the crowds were at their feet, another standing ovation ! It wasn’t the fact that he had actually scored another goal though, it was the sheer performance, the depth and style that Dom showed us all. As most of us are aware , Dom is no longer with us, having suddenly passed away in 2004 at the age of 35. I work with Dom’s brother Giovanni. John still personally hands out the Golden Boot Award, a bronzed trophy made from Dom's left boot. The trophy is given to the Whitecap player with the most goals for the season. We have a few nice conversations about Dom, we talk a bit about the days gone by, we talk a bit about our family and how our sons and daughters are progressing with football, almost teary eyed we leave it at that and go on with our day. I am not one for statistics, but for those of you who didn’t know who Dom was or what his capabilities were as a striker, here is an unjustified summary of numbers for you to think about. Dom put an official 167 goals in the net for the 86ers. Further to that, is a fact that many people did not know, Dom was actually a Major Indoor Soccer League star, 171 goals in the net for the Baltimore Blast, 72 for the Harrisburg Heat, 92 for the Edmonton Drillers, 96 for the Philadelphia Kixx, 27 for the Detroit Rockets. Dom also played for the Scottish premier league team, Dundee United. He also had involvement with the Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem. I would recommend to all, that you study Dom’s legacy. Dom was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006. Check the Domenic Mobilio Foundation web site www.domenicmobilio.org . Vancouver Football has an interesting history, I have enjoyed watching the youth players. I appreciated the 86ers for the local talent. We all did. That was our pride.
They were players from our local neighborhoods. Some time went by and the 86ers transformed back into the Whitecaps. Around 2004 another local talent emerges, Justin Thompson. What Justin did for the Whitecaps is remarkable. He brought a sense of realism and integrity to the Whitecaps back line, in an era where Whitecap coaches preferred to pull in the bargain basement International players, Justin proved once again that we need look no further than our own backyard.
Justin Thompson the locally hired defender skillfully shut down more attacks than I had ever witnessed, it was a pleasure to watch, what a player. I guess it’s a small world, that of Vancouver Football. I say this because I also worked with Justin’s father, Guy Thompson. Guy and I would talk over lunch, we would discuss the how’s and why’s of Vancouver’s football. We would discuss our sons and how they were to progress in the world of football and life. I cherish those discussions. A parents ability to provide a lifestyle that encourages football is extremely important. We are products of our environment. There were many more local players that I liked and related to, I have mentioned only those 2 because if I went on this story would never end.
Who is the best player?
The same questions arise today as yesterday, and they still bother me. Football organizations seem to have a need or desire to tell the world who the best player is. Clearly this elimination process exemplifies ones limitations of thought. We have to get past that question if we are to improve. The question is not relevant to success or improvement. Who is the best player?
Answer: There are many of them, from keepers to strikers and everywhere in between, they play in all different kinds of leagues, some of which we have never heard. On any given day one player may outperform another. We seem to want to identify and label people nowadays and I am not supportive of those concepts. All players have value and contribution, of further importance is the fact that we all continue to learn and improve. A player that was getting buy last year may in fact be a better player next year and so on, we need to expand our view to allow those types of thoughts rather than label people. Some say that in order to make soccer popular we have to bring in some big names, that could be true. The Whitecaps of today are built out of imported coaches and players. I have often said, I wonder why we call them the Vancouver Whitecaps, they should be called the International Whitecaps, there are few players from Canada let alone Vancouver. In reality the Whitecaps of yesteryear were also built out of import players. Some things never change. The subject matter of this article is What’s wrong with Canadian soccer. I reiterate, we need not look further than our own backyard. I really do have to ask, why would anyone train hard knowing they will be denied a position on their own city or provincial team? Locals know this all to well. And they respond to this fact. We have some local talent, lurking in the shadows. Those players are exported talent though, I know of at least a dozen. Some are playing divisional UK or Dutch football, a hand full in Germany, and the rest are spread randomly throughout the USA and Europe. Without question those exports are exceptional players. Most Canadians have never heard the names of these fine players.They are typically the products of private training schools.
It is our shame. We do not offer the support to our own countrymen. In a world of dollars they have to go their way, the choices are few. Some would say Canadian soccer has turned into a sport of dollars, and value for money, perhaps it always was.
Why has Canada not progressed?
As a young man, I had listened and believed the adults talk about how they had changed the training systems. How it was that new and improved European coaching systems were to lead the way. Wow. I had read the detailed studies, I continue to do so today, although I do sport a bit of a grin! The reason for the grin is obvious to some and confusing to others. Welcome to the masquerade of fiction, where the weathered faces set a destination of camouflage, naivety, and uncertainty. As I grew older the smokescreen of politics no longer fooled me. Here I am more than a couple of decades later reading the revamped versions of similar studies. The latest study is the long term player development model. For me, there is a different story to tell, Canada is still repeating our past mistakes.
I have my ideas and some solutions, like most people do. Personally I have a strong dislike for politics, I am sorry to say, I don’t really care about the Canadian soccer leaders, government funding options, who is getting what and why. To me football is about enjoyment, that is how it will always be. There are certain people who will look at the art and expression of football. There are certain people taught football as an extension of their beliefs in life. Perhaps, I am one of those people. Here now today, I find myself in a picture, one including some of Canada’s soccer youth. I am fortunate that I am able to take a step towards immersing these kids in football. I can also step aside to watch and learn. I take in what Canada soccer is able to offer. That is when the alarm bells sounded. My god, I think we are worse off than 2 or 3 decades ago. The system is awful. I’m sorry guys, it’s the truth. The most amazing current scenario is the volume of children enrolled in private football training schools. The schools are full and some have a wait list to get in !
This tells me 2 things right away.
1. Canada is not satisfied with current training systems.
2. The private schools are making money.
What’s Wrong with Canadian soccer?
This is not a matter of public training versus private training.
It is a matter of how we train our youth.
1. Physical environment.
Canada trains players at the wrong time of year.
Subjecting children to cold and rain is counterproductive to learning and enjoyment. The cold and rain scenario carries with it long lasting negative emotions. Playing sloped gravel fields, or fields full of water puddles is dangerous.
Solution:
Play soccer during a warmer season.
When the weather is adverse, train indoors or in covered arenas.
Play soccer on safe ground, with the correct footwear.
2. Expense.
Youth football costs too much.
Solution:
It must become a requirement (as it is in other countries) ,
1st and 2nd division teams must provide totally free youth development.
Not just a camp, but full time year round programs with good trainers.
Football must be made available for youth drop in.
The drop in programs must be, not for profit and open to all.
The cost should be kept as low as possible, in preference it should be free.
3. Philosophy.
Canada has a philosophy that recommends football as a participation sport. Canadian researchers have determined that our young children are becoming obese and therefore need to perform exercise. Football is an all inclusive sport. It is encouraged that all youth should start their training session by running a few laps. Lets look at it this way, the 1 hour practice is now 45 minutes because everyone took 5 minutes to talk and 10 minutes to run laps. Canadians use this system of warm up, great for reducing the obesity numbers, yet it takes precious time away from football skill development. The very specific football skills that are desperately needed, are not taught. Most of the children don't actually want to play football. They have performance anxieties. They are there in body, but not in spirit. Philosophy, If we show our children the skills they will become confident, when they are confident they enjoy. Volunteers help the youth with team structure, organization of matches etc. It is unquestionably the matches that everyone looks forward to. Most coaches have the best intentions, however more often than not, their focus is, play to win. We have a distortion here. This type of system is harmful, it is the primary reason for poor success of Canada as a football nation. Canada football will not offer proper skill development, they are too focused on producing the statistical win. This must change.
Solution:
Stop concentrating on winning and statistics, start concentrating on learning.
Focus solely on skills development, it boosts confidence, and sets up positive thought patterns.
4. Attitude.
Canada has an approach of coaching youth players on the ball.
Negative comments are made to youth players.
Players suffer with this type of treatment.
Where comments are not made, gestures such as looks of disgust or tone of voice are the equal to negative comments.
Canada youth players are also punished for poor performance.
Solution:
Stop yelling at the players. Do not coach them on the ball.
Use only positive language.
Do not punish players for their mistakes.
5. Expectations:
Canada has unrealistic player expectations.
Too much time is spent on tactical training.
Coaches expect young players to retain tactical awareness.
Complex tactical drills are performed.
This is ridiculous and it must be stopped.
Children do not have the ability to understand tactical training.
Youth players are expected to perform as if they have magical skills.
They are not taught to be proficient at even the most basic technical skills.
Yet Canadian Coaches continue on this path of destruction.
Solution:
Teach the youth technical skills.
Canadian soccer has been operating under a broken structure for decades, we all know this and we all agree on this. Year after year the organizers talk and write studies. I always manage to get a laugh out of the result, but it is more a laugh of perpetual dissatisfaction rather than laughter of triumph. If you are still reading this article, you are either disgusted, intrigued or maybe a bit of both. The only thing I will say with conviction, To those of you that are disgusted with me, take a long deep look in the mirror ! Personally, I don’t like mirrors, I took along deep look in the pool and dove straight in, it was refreshing !
I think we can provide some solutions to youth football training.
It starts at home, it starts with positive energy, and tuna sandwiches.
Canada, compared to the rest of the world, have relatively unskilled soccer players. On average a Mexican player can out dribble and out maneuver a Canadian player without breaking a sweat. Sorry guys, it’s a fact. We sent Canada’s finest to play Mexico in 1993, the score was 8 -0.
I had a buddy on that team, the result was not quite what he had in mind. Not long after, Canada restructured, they made big changes, I remember the hype. Amazing, 17 years later we send Canada’s new and improved version to Argentina in 2010, the score was 5-0.
There is only 1 reason for this, they are better players.
The biggest mistake that Canada repeats is thinking they can impart improved tactical abilities to win matches. In fact the opposite is true, I recently read a review of Canada’s football quality as expressed by a Mexican pro team player. He said that Canada is very strong on tactical awareness, incredibly strong on physical and very weak on skills. I have heard from too many people and from all walks of life, the very same comments. The massive problem that Canada will now face is how to change. The type of change that is required for Canada to improve skills will upset the apple cart. People will resist and revert back to the same principles that put Canada on this path of destruction in the first place. Just as it is impractical to expect youth players to perform like pros it is also impractical to expect Canada’s soccer guidance experts to make dramatic change in short periods of time. I am always questioned on the subject of Canada Soccer. I am at the point where often I decline to answer, after I say what I say, people don’t like me anymore, then I feel self conscious. Some of these people are the organizers of BC youth soccer. I will say to them, if you think I am an idiot, look at your success record and tell me that you are satisfied. One particular fellow that I spoke to on this subject answered me with honesty, and I have so much respect for this guy it’s not even funny. Now keep in mind this guy whose name I will not mention is one of the top level guys here in Canada’s youth system. He spoke to me in private and said, he was a failure, everything that he had done was wrong, this was hard for him to say as his voice choked. I have tremendous respect for this guy and he was obviously distressed by this. I changed the tone of this conversation quickly, I couldn’t bear to let it go on. I asked him how do we change?, How do I change?, What can I do? He told me that we have to stop what we are doing to these kids, we have to stop it right now ! Do the opposite of what we are doing, look to other small successful countries, go there, study and do what they do. My findings were mixed and varied. In some cases other countries, well, they didn’t train a whole lot different than we do here in Canada and in other cases the difference is like chalk and cheese.
I recall another comment from a well respected soccer figure in Canada. When asked how to improve our Canadian youth Players he said “Get out of Canada”. Now, this was blunt and this was alarming to me. I thought Canada had options. The fellow that said “Get out of Canada” is a pretty prominent guy, the comment did and still does carry weight. Many of us feel this way and many of us are locked up in fear. This is what holds us back, we do not have the freedom to express ourselves, we are in fear of what others may think. The other thing that holds us back is ego. We have experts out there, top level trainers. I suggest we let these trainers have a go, at least a little bit, try a different point of view, take that chance. Often these trainers are open to discussion. Taking chances to train differently could be considered a risky venture. I understand, I had always believed in the methodology that is tried and true. As the years drift past, I have watched Canada struggle with football, I have faced reality. Other countries, already better at football, have not only maintained a high level of play, they continue to progress and become better as time goes on. Those other countries, they had pushed aside the old methods, long ago. They have adapted and changed. Many trainers will make an assumption that people are stupid when it comes to football, like a preacher they impart their beliefs to educate what they assume are the weak. I do not dismiss these people as know it alls. In fact they often are talented individuals. It is a difficult thing for any person to change everything that they have been doing for the last 3 decades and take risk that may end up in failure. One approach, one step at a time, use positive energy. Isolating ones ego is easier said than done. It is like listening to the wisdom of the elders when you’ve got an appointment to make. You listen for the sake of listening, but you didn’t really put your spirit into it. I have been guilty of that ! I am making attempts to improve myself in this regard. The old guys have walked the walk. They are also capable of listening and advising. It’s time for me to give a genuine listen. They also like tuna sandwiches and can be manipulative, so I intentionally keep an extra sandwich in a secret bag. Funny thing about old people, they don’t give a damn what people think of their philosophy. They are free of the imaginary restraints that prevent the majority of us from expressing our true feelings. They will tell you straight up how they feel. Recently, speaking with an older football Icon, I have been humbled with the extraordinary support of my so called, new concepts. The fellow told me, in agreement, "YES ! years ago, this is what I always wanted to do, but no one would dare try it !" They were so scared, but I wanted to see the youth get better.
Canada soccer, the repairs need start with the youth.
It is very difficult to change an older player in terms of style and technique.
They have already formed themsleves as a player over many years. Even when older players learn different skills and concepts, they ultimately will revert back to the early training, especially when under tremendous pressure. That is why it is of great importance for current Canadian youth players to train differently. New methodology, different youth training goals and ambitions will form an entirely different Canadian player.
Here’s a concept. A 5 step program.
1. Tell those kids to stop passing the ball, and start dribbling.
(first they need to be taught how to dribble).
2. Too many kids on the field. Limit matches to 4 on 4 as a maximum.
3. Use moves, use deception, practice makes perfect.
(pardon me Javier, perfect makes perfect) !
4. Show youth how to properly strike a ball, I mean physically show them how to perform the skill.
Then repeat it 400 million times.
5. Play Street Soccer or Futsal. Use a size 2 or 3 ball only, & pump it up hard.
That’s it. That’s all you have to do. It’s a starting point.
The story is not over, by now probably the majority of you have formed an opinion of why I am wrong. I have been called worse. So I have a few more parting comments.
A storm is brewing, Pass the ball !, Pass the ball !, it’s all I have ever heard for 3 decades.
The amount of skill required to pass the ball is very low. Reality is, Canadian children need to learn how to dribble and make moves. Passing the ball teaches fear, oh my, heavens to Betsy I’ve got the ball ! Ahhh ! get rid of it ! Clearing the ball teaches fear, holy good golly the ball is near the goal I’d better clear it ! Children need basic skill development and passing the ball becomes an issue of avoidance, it’s not going to help them to develop skill. Spending time on dribbling is going to make them play like Mexicans. They may even want to start eating Tacos. I support those type of values
In the movie Goal I recall the coach kicking the ball about ten times down the field, the player runs after it. Lesson is over, the coach asks the player "What has he learned from this"? The player shrugged his shoulders and says something like “I learned that you are able to kick the ball repetitively 10 times down the field without getting tired”! Coach said No, you learned that the ball travels faster than you, so pass the ball ! I thought that was kind of funny because I agreed with the player.
I was always taught that soccer is a team sport and that means passing the ball and playing positions. I was always taught that you had to be good on both feet, or you just won't make it. I was always taught, in your spare time you should practice juggling, that will make you a great player. I was always taught, when in trouble play the ball back to safety, clear the ball if you have to. I was always taught, approach the ball on an angle and strike with power. I was always taught, run the ball down the line.
Canada has based their youth soccer on these ideals for decades.
From what I gather, it’s all wrong.
Youth players, they need to face their opponents with confidence, knowing that they can deceive opponents and dribble away at any moment. I suggest that it is ridiculous to pass the ball unless passing to a team mate clear to the box. Anything less and you are denying that player the opportunity to learn. Youth playing the full field, 11 on 11, is a bit like a hippopotamus cruising the middle of a jungle looking to wallow in a nice mud bath. It’s a nice thought, but it’s not really relative or conducive to setting a foundation for future player development. The Dutch have a population of 16 ½ million. Their National football team is always ranked in the top 10 in the world. How did they manage to do this? They train their youth with small sided games of 4 on 4. I would also suggest stop wasting time making a 2 footed player. Under stress, they will always favour their strong foot. Of course it's an advantage to have a 2 footed player, but the time wasted to develop that skill is immense. Spend that precious time on things more important, like dribbling and finishing.
Possibly the single most important aspect of youth football, is to encourage individual creativity.
Canada Coaches, if you want this, you’ll have to back off and let the players flow, let them fail and improve without prejudice. Stop the passing, stop the safety play, let them dribble. Don’t destroy a Child’s spirit, that is the worst thing that you can do.
Canada’s current soccer methodology,
Let's put it to rest in the capable hands of times incinerator.
John McKay
We never seem capable of producing the results.
(John McKay shared with us his story) .....................
My Mom once told me, if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all. Sorry Mom, too many people have been pushing me to expose my opinions. They want me to write this story. I keep telling those people that I am actually pretty stupid and most of the time I am wrong. I’ve failed a whole lot more than I have ever succeeded in life, and my opinions are probably best kept to myself. Those soccer parents, those friends and acquaintances, they know I would prefer to keep to myself and perhaps eat another tuna sandwich. What can I say, there are only so many tuna sandwiches out there and I can not eat them all. So here’s a story for you.
First off, a bit of a memoir and a short bit of history with reference to Vancouver.
As a young boy I watched with enthusiasm many local and International matches. Growing up in Vancouver I was fortunate my Father and Grandfather were football enthusiasts. That meant, we along with the rest of Vancouver, were in attendance at Empire Stadium. There was great spirit & interest in the Vancouver Whitecaps during the late 1970’s. Empire Stadium would regularly sell out to capacity, 32,000 football fans ! The 1979 season ended with Vancouver winning the NASL Soccer Bowl against the super power known as the New York Cosmos. I am here to tell you, the stories are true, it was spectacular. During that time I was just a young boy, my Scottish Grandfather was a fantastic player and we often enjoyed playing a bit of football around the backyard. I still carry with me those memories, he showed the basic foot positions for striking the ball. Seemed perfectly natural to me, I never kicked the ball with my toe. I was shown the way at an early age and I just carried on with it, didn’t know any different. I wouldn’t say that the Vancouver Whitecaps ever inspired me to be a soccer player. Where I benefitted was with community awareness that carried on for years, the success of the Whitecaps meant that kids like me were allowed to play soccer. It was a publicly acceptable sport. Those days if you told your parents you were going to a movie they’d say NO, not that movie, you are not going to see that Bo Derrek. (I went anyway). If you told your parents you were going to play soccer, well then, that was allowed. Off to the local field it was, ball in hand and out the door. Sometimes I met up with a few people, sometimes none. Either way, I’d get time on the ball. Often it was the wall that I played, but it was better than staying at home. I am still amazed at how fast an hour can go by playing nothing but the wall ! Occasionally I’d watch some teams play, only because I wanted to use the field and they were on it ! Inevitably but predictably I would wander off in boredom, for a kid like me (and probably most kids) sitting still and watching an hour of football without hot dogs and ice cream bars was just about impossible. A few of us kids would gather in the concrete covered play courts and start up our own game of high speed rebounder street ball. When the crowd would roar at the match we’d all run over to see what happened. It was always too late, there were no instant replays, and we’d have to ask everyone what happened ! Looking back at it now I think we must have been stupid or something, we could have been watching the talented older players, but instead we’d wander off and play street ball, play 1 on 1 or even worse play rebound off the wall ! We did not play because we wanted to improve our skills, no one ever coached us, no one ever yelled at us except a few times the school maintenance guys would plead with us not to hit the windows or kick the ball up on the roof. Other than that, we played whatever we wanted to, speed ball, bang the wall 20 times as hard as you can, you or your pal goes for the rebound and then laugh like hell whenever we messed up (which was often). I remember that the most. I know we tested the patience of some of the teachers, especially the P.E. teachers, they would look over, see us kids banging the wall making rapid fire rebounds and think what a waste, we sure made a lot of noise. I don’t know why we did it, it was just something to do, it felt good to strike the ball hard and then try to get the rebound. When we would get a chance to play school team soccer it was a treat, I remember the school teachers knew nothing about soccer so they just let us play and blew the whistle a few times. This allowed us the freedom to play how we wanted to and that was the best football time of my life.
It was only very later on in life that I realized the extreme importance of those moments.
As we got older and high school was upon us, things got worse. Adults wanted us to train a certain way, we had to do things their way, we were not allowed the freedom of our early days. That’s where I lost interest as a player. I took up cycling instead, a sport where I could express myself without interference. Later on I developed a dangerous passion for motorbikes. A motorbike crash and a subsequent bad foot injury stopped my football all together. I still enjoyed BC soccer and I went to quite a few matches. BC soccer support was dwindling and without much notice the NASL closed the doors. The Whitecaps were no more.The high school sport was focused on American Football and I hated it. I think it was about a year that went by without much BC soccer, along came the 86’ers to the rescue, and the drama of the much smaller Swanguard Stadium. The crowds were small compared to the hey days of Empire Stadium and for a short while BC Place. Swanguard became the small friendly family atmosphere. We knew and accepted this fact, we were grateful to even have a team. Some would say that the Whitecaps were the biggest success for soccer perhaps in all of Canada. For me, I loved the Whitecaps but it was the 86ers and very specifically the enjoyment of watching the magnificent Domenic Mobilio that renewed my faith. If you have ever had the pleasure of watching Dom perform, I think most would agree that it was an absolute privilege to have enjoyed watching such fine talent. The commentator would yell out his name when Dom had scored yet another amazing goal, MO BI LI OHHHHHHH ! The crowd would go berserk! Virtually every time Dom scored, the stadium trembled, the crowds were at their feet, another standing ovation ! It wasn’t the fact that he had actually scored another goal though, it was the sheer performance, the depth and style that Dom showed us all. As most of us are aware , Dom is no longer with us, having suddenly passed away in 2004 at the age of 35. I work with Dom’s brother Giovanni. John still personally hands out the Golden Boot Award, a bronzed trophy made from Dom's left boot. The trophy is given to the Whitecap player with the most goals for the season. We have a few nice conversations about Dom, we talk a bit about the days gone by, we talk a bit about our family and how our sons and daughters are progressing with football, almost teary eyed we leave it at that and go on with our day. I am not one for statistics, but for those of you who didn’t know who Dom was or what his capabilities were as a striker, here is an unjustified summary of numbers for you to think about. Dom put an official 167 goals in the net for the 86ers. Further to that, is a fact that many people did not know, Dom was actually a Major Indoor Soccer League star, 171 goals in the net for the Baltimore Blast, 72 for the Harrisburg Heat, 92 for the Edmonton Drillers, 96 for the Philadelphia Kixx, 27 for the Detroit Rockets. Dom also played for the Scottish premier league team, Dundee United. He also had involvement with the Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem. I would recommend to all, that you study Dom’s legacy. Dom was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006. Check the Domenic Mobilio Foundation web site www.domenicmobilio.org . Vancouver Football has an interesting history, I have enjoyed watching the youth players. I appreciated the 86ers for the local talent. We all did. That was our pride.
They were players from our local neighborhoods. Some time went by and the 86ers transformed back into the Whitecaps. Around 2004 another local talent emerges, Justin Thompson. What Justin did for the Whitecaps is remarkable. He brought a sense of realism and integrity to the Whitecaps back line, in an era where Whitecap coaches preferred to pull in the bargain basement International players, Justin proved once again that we need look no further than our own backyard.
Justin Thompson the locally hired defender skillfully shut down more attacks than I had ever witnessed, it was a pleasure to watch, what a player. I guess it’s a small world, that of Vancouver Football. I say this because I also worked with Justin’s father, Guy Thompson. Guy and I would talk over lunch, we would discuss the how’s and why’s of Vancouver’s football. We would discuss our sons and how they were to progress in the world of football and life. I cherish those discussions. A parents ability to provide a lifestyle that encourages football is extremely important. We are products of our environment. There were many more local players that I liked and related to, I have mentioned only those 2 because if I went on this story would never end.
Who is the best player?
The same questions arise today as yesterday, and they still bother me. Football organizations seem to have a need or desire to tell the world who the best player is. Clearly this elimination process exemplifies ones limitations of thought. We have to get past that question if we are to improve. The question is not relevant to success or improvement. Who is the best player?
Answer: There are many of them, from keepers to strikers and everywhere in between, they play in all different kinds of leagues, some of which we have never heard. On any given day one player may outperform another. We seem to want to identify and label people nowadays and I am not supportive of those concepts. All players have value and contribution, of further importance is the fact that we all continue to learn and improve. A player that was getting buy last year may in fact be a better player next year and so on, we need to expand our view to allow those types of thoughts rather than label people. Some say that in order to make soccer popular we have to bring in some big names, that could be true. The Whitecaps of today are built out of imported coaches and players. I have often said, I wonder why we call them the Vancouver Whitecaps, they should be called the International Whitecaps, there are few players from Canada let alone Vancouver. In reality the Whitecaps of yesteryear were also built out of import players. Some things never change. The subject matter of this article is What’s wrong with Canadian soccer. I reiterate, we need not look further than our own backyard. I really do have to ask, why would anyone train hard knowing they will be denied a position on their own city or provincial team? Locals know this all to well. And they respond to this fact. We have some local talent, lurking in the shadows. Those players are exported talent though, I know of at least a dozen. Some are playing divisional UK or Dutch football, a hand full in Germany, and the rest are spread randomly throughout the USA and Europe. Without question those exports are exceptional players. Most Canadians have never heard the names of these fine players.They are typically the products of private training schools.
It is our shame. We do not offer the support to our own countrymen. In a world of dollars they have to go their way, the choices are few. Some would say Canadian soccer has turned into a sport of dollars, and value for money, perhaps it always was.
Why has Canada not progressed?
As a young man, I had listened and believed the adults talk about how they had changed the training systems. How it was that new and improved European coaching systems were to lead the way. Wow. I had read the detailed studies, I continue to do so today, although I do sport a bit of a grin! The reason for the grin is obvious to some and confusing to others. Welcome to the masquerade of fiction, where the weathered faces set a destination of camouflage, naivety, and uncertainty. As I grew older the smokescreen of politics no longer fooled me. Here I am more than a couple of decades later reading the revamped versions of similar studies. The latest study is the long term player development model. For me, there is a different story to tell, Canada is still repeating our past mistakes.
I have my ideas and some solutions, like most people do. Personally I have a strong dislike for politics, I am sorry to say, I don’t really care about the Canadian soccer leaders, government funding options, who is getting what and why. To me football is about enjoyment, that is how it will always be. There are certain people who will look at the art and expression of football. There are certain people taught football as an extension of their beliefs in life. Perhaps, I am one of those people. Here now today, I find myself in a picture, one including some of Canada’s soccer youth. I am fortunate that I am able to take a step towards immersing these kids in football. I can also step aside to watch and learn. I take in what Canada soccer is able to offer. That is when the alarm bells sounded. My god, I think we are worse off than 2 or 3 decades ago. The system is awful. I’m sorry guys, it’s the truth. The most amazing current scenario is the volume of children enrolled in private football training schools. The schools are full and some have a wait list to get in !
This tells me 2 things right away.
1. Canada is not satisfied with current training systems.
2. The private schools are making money.
What’s Wrong with Canadian soccer?
This is not a matter of public training versus private training.
It is a matter of how we train our youth.
1. Physical environment.
Canada trains players at the wrong time of year.
Subjecting children to cold and rain is counterproductive to learning and enjoyment. The cold and rain scenario carries with it long lasting negative emotions. Playing sloped gravel fields, or fields full of water puddles is dangerous.
Solution:
Play soccer during a warmer season.
When the weather is adverse, train indoors or in covered arenas.
Play soccer on safe ground, with the correct footwear.
2. Expense.
Youth football costs too much.
Solution:
It must become a requirement (as it is in other countries) ,
1st and 2nd division teams must provide totally free youth development.
Not just a camp, but full time year round programs with good trainers.
Football must be made available for youth drop in.
The drop in programs must be, not for profit and open to all.
The cost should be kept as low as possible, in preference it should be free.
3. Philosophy.
Canada has a philosophy that recommends football as a participation sport. Canadian researchers have determined that our young children are becoming obese and therefore need to perform exercise. Football is an all inclusive sport. It is encouraged that all youth should start their training session by running a few laps. Lets look at it this way, the 1 hour practice is now 45 minutes because everyone took 5 minutes to talk and 10 minutes to run laps. Canadians use this system of warm up, great for reducing the obesity numbers, yet it takes precious time away from football skill development. The very specific football skills that are desperately needed, are not taught. Most of the children don't actually want to play football. They have performance anxieties. They are there in body, but not in spirit. Philosophy, If we show our children the skills they will become confident, when they are confident they enjoy. Volunteers help the youth with team structure, organization of matches etc. It is unquestionably the matches that everyone looks forward to. Most coaches have the best intentions, however more often than not, their focus is, play to win. We have a distortion here. This type of system is harmful, it is the primary reason for poor success of Canada as a football nation. Canada football will not offer proper skill development, they are too focused on producing the statistical win. This must change.
Solution:
Stop concentrating on winning and statistics, start concentrating on learning.
Focus solely on skills development, it boosts confidence, and sets up positive thought patterns.
4. Attitude.
Canada has an approach of coaching youth players on the ball.
Negative comments are made to youth players.
Players suffer with this type of treatment.
Where comments are not made, gestures such as looks of disgust or tone of voice are the equal to negative comments.
Canada youth players are also punished for poor performance.
Solution:
Stop yelling at the players. Do not coach them on the ball.
Use only positive language.
Do not punish players for their mistakes.
5. Expectations:
Canada has unrealistic player expectations.
Too much time is spent on tactical training.
Coaches expect young players to retain tactical awareness.
Complex tactical drills are performed.
This is ridiculous and it must be stopped.
Children do not have the ability to understand tactical training.
Youth players are expected to perform as if they have magical skills.
They are not taught to be proficient at even the most basic technical skills.
Yet Canadian Coaches continue on this path of destruction.
Solution:
Teach the youth technical skills.
Canadian soccer has been operating under a broken structure for decades, we all know this and we all agree on this. Year after year the organizers talk and write studies. I always manage to get a laugh out of the result, but it is more a laugh of perpetual dissatisfaction rather than laughter of triumph. If you are still reading this article, you are either disgusted, intrigued or maybe a bit of both. The only thing I will say with conviction, To those of you that are disgusted with me, take a long deep look in the mirror ! Personally, I don’t like mirrors, I took along deep look in the pool and dove straight in, it was refreshing !
I think we can provide some solutions to youth football training.
It starts at home, it starts with positive energy, and tuna sandwiches.
Canada, compared to the rest of the world, have relatively unskilled soccer players. On average a Mexican player can out dribble and out maneuver a Canadian player without breaking a sweat. Sorry guys, it’s a fact. We sent Canada’s finest to play Mexico in 1993, the score was 8 -0.
I had a buddy on that team, the result was not quite what he had in mind. Not long after, Canada restructured, they made big changes, I remember the hype. Amazing, 17 years later we send Canada’s new and improved version to Argentina in 2010, the score was 5-0.
There is only 1 reason for this, they are better players.
The biggest mistake that Canada repeats is thinking they can impart improved tactical abilities to win matches. In fact the opposite is true, I recently read a review of Canada’s football quality as expressed by a Mexican pro team player. He said that Canada is very strong on tactical awareness, incredibly strong on physical and very weak on skills. I have heard from too many people and from all walks of life, the very same comments. The massive problem that Canada will now face is how to change. The type of change that is required for Canada to improve skills will upset the apple cart. People will resist and revert back to the same principles that put Canada on this path of destruction in the first place. Just as it is impractical to expect youth players to perform like pros it is also impractical to expect Canada’s soccer guidance experts to make dramatic change in short periods of time. I am always questioned on the subject of Canada Soccer. I am at the point where often I decline to answer, after I say what I say, people don’t like me anymore, then I feel self conscious. Some of these people are the organizers of BC youth soccer. I will say to them, if you think I am an idiot, look at your success record and tell me that you are satisfied. One particular fellow that I spoke to on this subject answered me with honesty, and I have so much respect for this guy it’s not even funny. Now keep in mind this guy whose name I will not mention is one of the top level guys here in Canada’s youth system. He spoke to me in private and said, he was a failure, everything that he had done was wrong, this was hard for him to say as his voice choked. I have tremendous respect for this guy and he was obviously distressed by this. I changed the tone of this conversation quickly, I couldn’t bear to let it go on. I asked him how do we change?, How do I change?, What can I do? He told me that we have to stop what we are doing to these kids, we have to stop it right now ! Do the opposite of what we are doing, look to other small successful countries, go there, study and do what they do. My findings were mixed and varied. In some cases other countries, well, they didn’t train a whole lot different than we do here in Canada and in other cases the difference is like chalk and cheese.
I recall another comment from a well respected soccer figure in Canada. When asked how to improve our Canadian youth Players he said “Get out of Canada”. Now, this was blunt and this was alarming to me. I thought Canada had options. The fellow that said “Get out of Canada” is a pretty prominent guy, the comment did and still does carry weight. Many of us feel this way and many of us are locked up in fear. This is what holds us back, we do not have the freedom to express ourselves, we are in fear of what others may think. The other thing that holds us back is ego. We have experts out there, top level trainers. I suggest we let these trainers have a go, at least a little bit, try a different point of view, take that chance. Often these trainers are open to discussion. Taking chances to train differently could be considered a risky venture. I understand, I had always believed in the methodology that is tried and true. As the years drift past, I have watched Canada struggle with football, I have faced reality. Other countries, already better at football, have not only maintained a high level of play, they continue to progress and become better as time goes on. Those other countries, they had pushed aside the old methods, long ago. They have adapted and changed. Many trainers will make an assumption that people are stupid when it comes to football, like a preacher they impart their beliefs to educate what they assume are the weak. I do not dismiss these people as know it alls. In fact they often are talented individuals. It is a difficult thing for any person to change everything that they have been doing for the last 3 decades and take risk that may end up in failure. One approach, one step at a time, use positive energy. Isolating ones ego is easier said than done. It is like listening to the wisdom of the elders when you’ve got an appointment to make. You listen for the sake of listening, but you didn’t really put your spirit into it. I have been guilty of that ! I am making attempts to improve myself in this regard. The old guys have walked the walk. They are also capable of listening and advising. It’s time for me to give a genuine listen. They also like tuna sandwiches and can be manipulative, so I intentionally keep an extra sandwich in a secret bag. Funny thing about old people, they don’t give a damn what people think of their philosophy. They are free of the imaginary restraints that prevent the majority of us from expressing our true feelings. They will tell you straight up how they feel. Recently, speaking with an older football Icon, I have been humbled with the extraordinary support of my so called, new concepts. The fellow told me, in agreement, "YES ! years ago, this is what I always wanted to do, but no one would dare try it !" They were so scared, but I wanted to see the youth get better.
Canada soccer, the repairs need start with the youth.
It is very difficult to change an older player in terms of style and technique.
They have already formed themsleves as a player over many years. Even when older players learn different skills and concepts, they ultimately will revert back to the early training, especially when under tremendous pressure. That is why it is of great importance for current Canadian youth players to train differently. New methodology, different youth training goals and ambitions will form an entirely different Canadian player.
Here’s a concept. A 5 step program.
1. Tell those kids to stop passing the ball, and start dribbling.
(first they need to be taught how to dribble).
2. Too many kids on the field. Limit matches to 4 on 4 as a maximum.
3. Use moves, use deception, practice makes perfect.
(pardon me Javier, perfect makes perfect) !
4. Show youth how to properly strike a ball, I mean physically show them how to perform the skill.
Then repeat it 400 million times.
5. Play Street Soccer or Futsal. Use a size 2 or 3 ball only, & pump it up hard.
That’s it. That’s all you have to do. It’s a starting point.
The story is not over, by now probably the majority of you have formed an opinion of why I am wrong. I have been called worse. So I have a few more parting comments.
A storm is brewing, Pass the ball !, Pass the ball !, it’s all I have ever heard for 3 decades.
The amount of skill required to pass the ball is very low. Reality is, Canadian children need to learn how to dribble and make moves. Passing the ball teaches fear, oh my, heavens to Betsy I’ve got the ball ! Ahhh ! get rid of it ! Clearing the ball teaches fear, holy good golly the ball is near the goal I’d better clear it ! Children need basic skill development and passing the ball becomes an issue of avoidance, it’s not going to help them to develop skill. Spending time on dribbling is going to make them play like Mexicans. They may even want to start eating Tacos. I support those type of values
In the movie Goal I recall the coach kicking the ball about ten times down the field, the player runs after it. Lesson is over, the coach asks the player "What has he learned from this"? The player shrugged his shoulders and says something like “I learned that you are able to kick the ball repetitively 10 times down the field without getting tired”! Coach said No, you learned that the ball travels faster than you, so pass the ball ! I thought that was kind of funny because I agreed with the player.
I was always taught that soccer is a team sport and that means passing the ball and playing positions. I was always taught that you had to be good on both feet, or you just won't make it. I was always taught, in your spare time you should practice juggling, that will make you a great player. I was always taught, when in trouble play the ball back to safety, clear the ball if you have to. I was always taught, approach the ball on an angle and strike with power. I was always taught, run the ball down the line.
Canada has based their youth soccer on these ideals for decades.
From what I gather, it’s all wrong.
Youth players, they need to face their opponents with confidence, knowing that they can deceive opponents and dribble away at any moment. I suggest that it is ridiculous to pass the ball unless passing to a team mate clear to the box. Anything less and you are denying that player the opportunity to learn. Youth playing the full field, 11 on 11, is a bit like a hippopotamus cruising the middle of a jungle looking to wallow in a nice mud bath. It’s a nice thought, but it’s not really relative or conducive to setting a foundation for future player development. The Dutch have a population of 16 ½ million. Their National football team is always ranked in the top 10 in the world. How did they manage to do this? They train their youth with small sided games of 4 on 4. I would also suggest stop wasting time making a 2 footed player. Under stress, they will always favour their strong foot. Of course it's an advantage to have a 2 footed player, but the time wasted to develop that skill is immense. Spend that precious time on things more important, like dribbling and finishing.
Possibly the single most important aspect of youth football, is to encourage individual creativity.
Canada Coaches, if you want this, you’ll have to back off and let the players flow, let them fail and improve without prejudice. Stop the passing, stop the safety play, let them dribble. Don’t destroy a Child’s spirit, that is the worst thing that you can do.
Canada’s current soccer methodology,
Let's put it to rest in the capable hands of times incinerator.
John McKay
