New Gym Session During March Break
A new gym session has been added during March break:
- Wednesday March 14 6PM to 7:30PM.
Next session is still this Saturday March 10. If your son is not coming kindly let us know.
Next session is still this Saturday March 10. If your son is not coming kindly let us know.
LTPD Update
Good news from Alex Chiet, from the OSA.
On February 26, The OSA hosted its annual Coaching Conference in Vaughan. It’s a temptation to always say that the most recent such event was “the best ever”. Those on hand can make that determination for themselves. But it was, at the very least, a great day, with over 400 coaches from all across the province on hand. Rather than make the “best ever” claim—while it hopefully is true — I will focus instead on the excellence and the impact of the sessions delivered by our outstanding guest presenters.
These world-class speakers each delivered timely presentations on the most important opportunity in front of The OSA right now: the effective implementation of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD), which we are in the process of phasing-in.
Dr. David Carr, National Staff Coach for the U.S. Soccer Federation and a renowned educator at Ohio University, conducted a Fundamentals session. Ritchie Wilson, longtime Coach Educator with the Scottish Football Association, delivered a Learning to Train session. Ray Clark, the Canadian Soccer Association’s Director of Coaching, worked with players in the Soccer for Life development stage.
Importantly, these experts, well-respected leaders in the field, re-affirmed that the direction we have embarked upon at The OSA is indeed the appropriate (and much needed) one for our young players across every part of the province. So we are thrilled that the Conference was another key step in educating our membership—and so many of our influential coaches—around the attitude and culture shift we are in the midst of in Ontario soccer.
While, as I’ve remarked previously, we may not be moving quickly enough for some, we are already seeing positive “movement” as more and more Districts and Clubs embrace a player-centered, development stage-specific approach to working with our young players. Importantly, this is being reinforced in our new Physical Literacy Coaching courses, starting with the Active Starts stage at U4, progressing through FUNdamentals, Learning to Train and Soccer for Life. Our hope now is that, armed with the great information provided this past weekend, the hundreds of coaches who were on hand will become LTPD champions and influence and inspire fellow coaches all across the province to work closely with their players—with LTPD values always in mind.
I can add that, in the months to come, we will be sharing with you more information about our progress around the new player pathway and competitive structure. These improvements will enhance the way we deliver the soccer experience, and ensure that, for both our recreational players and those striving for a future in the game, they—and their families—will soon be able to see and experience a clear, unified player pathway that will a) help identify more players for high-level play, and b) also provide a great soccer opportunity for all—for life.
On that note, it was great to see that the OSA Board voted this past weekend to affirm its ongoing support for staff’s efforts around LTPD implementation, with regard to continued progress in future competitive structure planning.
I should mention as well that on Saturday, February 25, our Club Head coaches’ workshop was extremely well received, with over 100 coaches and Technical Directors in attendance from across Ontario.
We also want to remind coaches at all of our Districts and Clubs, if you haven’t already done so, to register now for the new Active Start, FUNdamentals, Learn to Train and Soccer for Life workshops. Information should be available at your local Club or District or on the OSA Website.
Thank you for your continued support.
Regards,
Alex Chiet Mark Marshall
Technical Director Manager of Coach Development
Messi's Signature Move and Ronaldinho's Futsal
Messi's signature move just takes some practice:
Ronaldinho playing futsal:
The Fabulous Boys At The Coliseum
The fabulous boys played an amazing 1st half in the 1st match, holding off the Hurricanes to a 0-0 draw. They were 100% focused. They showed once again, that when they are fully focused and play hard they can take on any team. It brought back many memories from last summer.
Goalkeeper Training
This is a video from the goalkeeper training session last Friday. Martin F., club head coach, was really good.
Spring Training
Sprint training begins tomorrow Saturday March 3rd.
- March 3
- March 10
- March 24
- March 31
Time: 9AM -10:30AM
The cost is $20 for all 4 sessions. Any player with financial constraints does not need to pay.
These are also open practices for any players who wish to join the team. Please spread the word!
Less Than 10% Of Children Achieving Recommended Physical Activity Through Organized Sports
Well, this certainly does not occur in our team's practices! More than 75 per cent of children in organized sports such as baseball or soccer do not reach the U.S. government's recommended amount of physical activity during their practices.
Active Healthy Kids Canada recommends children older than five get at least 90 mins a dat — through play, games, recreation and active transportation like cycling.
A U.S. study shows that under 10% do!
"National guidelines in the U.S. recommend that children and teens perform 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day, but fewer than half of children and 10 per cent of teens meet these guidelines.
The study in Monday's issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine looked at 200 youth age seven to 14 in the U.S. who played on soccer, baseball or softball teams.
The athletes wore accelerometers — sensors that measure physical activity — around their waists during practices. Parents filled out surveys with information about the demographics of the family as well as details about the children's ages, racial and ethnic background, height and Players spent an average of 30 minutes being inactive during each practice, researchers found. weight.Players spent an average of 30 minutes being inactive during each practice, researchers found.
Overall, only 24 per cent of participants met the 60-minute physical activity recommendation during practice, with rates differing by sport and age group.
"There clearly are opportunities to increase physical activity in youth sports," the Desiree Leek of San Diego State University and University of California and co-authors wrote.
"Based on current findings, it appears that youth sports practices are making a less-than-optimal contribution to the public health goals of increasing physical activity and preventing childhood obesity."
Fewer than 10 per cent of participants age 11 to 14 years and fewer than two per cent of girl softball players reached the guideline.
The players spent an average of 30 minutes being inactive during each practice, which ranged in length from 40 to 130 minutes for soccer and 35 to 217 minutes for baseball or softball.
Increasing activity
"There clearly are opportunities to increase physical activity in youth sports," Desiree Leek of San Diego State University and the University of California and co-authors wrote.
"Based on current findings, it appears that youth sports practices are making a less-than-optimal contribution to the public health goals of increasing physical activity and preventing childhood obesity."
During soccer practices, the participants gained 44 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity compared with 41 minutes for baseball and softball practices.
Girls got less of this type of physical activity than boys during sports practices.
The researchers suggested several ways to increase physical activity during practices, including:
- Emphasizing participation over competition.
- Sponsoring teams for all skill levels across all ages.
- Ensuring access by lower-income youth with sliding scales for fees.
- Increasing practice frequency.
- Extending short seasons.
- Using pedometers or accelerometers to monitor physical activity periodically during practices.
- Providing coaches with strategies to increase physical activity.
- Supporting youth and parents in obtaining adequate physical activity on non-practice days.
Previous research on school-based physical education classes showed that putting more emphasis on keeping youth active while they learn skills and team strategies increases the amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity, Russell Pate and Dr. Jennifer O'Neill said in a journal editorial accompanying the study.
Pate and O'Neill are with the department of exercise science at the University of South Carolina.
More than sports
Pate and O'Neill said health care providers should not hesitate to encourage parents to involve children in well-organized and properly supervised sports.
But parents should know that not all sports programs are created equal when it comes to providing physical activity.
"Parents should be informed that, while youth sports programs can be an important source of physical activity for youth, it is very unlikely that most young people will meet current physical activity guidelines only through organized sports programs," the editorial said.
"School physical education, informal physical activity in home or neighbourhood settings, and active transport to and from school can and should be important sources of physical activity for most American youth."
More research is needed on the amount and intensity of exercise that youth get from sports and recreation, including dance lessons and outdoor programs like rock climbing, the editorial urged.
Soccer Coaching Conference Is This Weekend
The annual OSA coaching conference will be held this Friday and Saturday at Ben Franklin. This is a great event for soccer enthusiasts. Registration is free. TheU13 coaches plan on attending Saturday afternoon after our morning practice.
Schedule
Registration
On-field presenters this year are : Ray Clark, CSA Director of Coaching and Player Development; Mark Marshall, OSA Manager of Coaching Development; and Stuart Neely Head of Player Management and Advancement with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. OSA Chief Technical Officer Alex Chiet will be on hand to provide an update on OSA's ongoing implementation of the Long Term Player Development model.
An Easy Shot For Strikers
A relatively easy and fast shot for a striker: no need to turn. Certainly easy for Cristiano Ronaldo today, and Real Madrid is now way ahead in the lead.
Club Philosophy
This philosophy is from our new club's web site. Beautiful, I could not agree more. It is really nice to be involved with a club run by soccer people. I also attended the U12 match today and at the end I asked the club's head a coach a question about gk positioning (how does a gk know his position in relation to the goal). I was given a passionate 10 minute explanation, and technically, information I had never heard before.
Philosophy:
"...Soccer is our passion. To us it is more than simply a game it is a means through which the lifelong benefits of hard work, responsibility, and mutual respect can be instilled in those who play.
We take a balanced approach to training that develops both individual and team skills through a process that emphasizes fun, fair play, respect and enjoyment of the game - providing an environment where each player has the maximum opportunity to flourish. Our aim is to not only develop highly skilled soccer players, but quality individuals.
Our tiered youth development philosophy is designed to impart the appropriate mental, physical and technical skills to players as they progress the various age levels with us.
We place an emphasis on skills not physical size with the aim of producing players with excellent touch, vision and passing, who excel at maintaining possession and playing as a team.
Designed to inspire young players to learn and develop a passion for the game of soccer our developmental program emphasizes an "all-ball" approach that uses a range of training activities and techniques to maximize a player's touches on the ball and to foster confidence, creativity and composure during play and in doing so developing the skills that will help them transition into more competitive levels of play".
Heart Rate Playing Soccer in The Gym
Last night in the gym I wore a GPS/Heart rate monitor. The GPS of course would not work, but the idea was to see whether I could see the heart rate over the duration of the 1h match part (30 mins skills + 1h match). It worked, this is the result. Maximum heart rate was 174bpm, average 134.
Heart rate is in the ideal zone to lose weight :-).
Or you can view the activity at the Garmin site (click).
Interested in the GPS part, view cross-country skiing on Mud Lake (no heart rate this one). (Click on green play button inside balloon to see animation of speed and elevation and position vs time).
Fisherman Friend
We went looking but our old Chinese fisherman friend was not there.
Walking on Britannia beach:
Skills Soccer Development Versus The North American Winning Attitude
An interesting article republished from the OSA.
"Development is not measured by wins and losses and in fact is measured by the child actually developing their skills. Imagine that, focusing on skills over results. It’s not that results aren’t important but there is a time and place for them.
Most successful models don’t include published standings or "playoff" type matches until the U15-16 age group. Besides, if a kid can’t trap a ball, what good is playing a system that is designed purely to deliver results in the win column? Their lack of technical skill will hold them back as they progress.
Rest assured that the countries using these models are well established football powerhouses.
... if you have a choice between missing a game and a practice, miss the game. For the most part, a child has very few touches on the ball during a game. Yet, put a ball at their feet for a 90 minute training session and you can be assured that there will be marked progress.
The models favoured by these countries suggests that the ratio of training to games should be at least 3:1. Unfortunately, in our current club model of tournaments, Cup games, regular table games, "friendlies" and the like, those numbers would be reversed in a traditional local soccer club.
So, why is the idea of development so foreign to North Americans?
I don’t necessarily blame parents who have grown up in a North American culture of competition and winning. I’m not one who likes the idea of participation ribbons being given out like candy. But that isn’t what we are talking about here.
I also don’t blame parents for being confused as to what their options might be. Soccer clubs have done an historically poor job of educating them as to the various options available to them.
What isn’t confusing is the fact that the current culture and lack of emphasis on development is getting this country nowhere. Canada sits 71st in the world, tied with war-torn Haiti. No offence to the Haitians but for a country with riches, facilities and other advantages, that is an absolute embarrassment.
So, if you are a parent of a good, young (under 14), rep level player. What are your options in Ontario?
Well, if they are extremely good, you can have an open tryout with the Toronto FC Academy. Be warned though, there will be an extreme emphasis on skill development and progress won’t be measured in terms of whether the team is winning.
A second option is the private Academy route. The Soccer Academy Alliance of Canada is an association of private clubs that all subscribe to common ideals. The emphasis is on high quality, paid and certified coaches, superior training facilities, trainers and other staff available to help and most of all on development. For players under 14, games are played but standings are not published which removes pressure from parents. The emphasis on training is significant.
Parents also must follow a very strict code of conduct which forbids "coaching from the sidelines" and other forms of distraction. The parent gets two warnings before they are asked to drop their child off at the pitch and pick them up afterwards or simply take their money elsewhere.
These programs are expensive but most generally run from January through November so the overall cost with a Rep program is comparable if you factor in your tournament costs, etc. Players here have made the jump into TFC Academy and as a result of a stronger partnership with the OSA, are now finding eligibility for Provincial, District and Regional teams.
A third option is the one that most are probably familiar with, playing Rep at a local Club. The standards here will vary so parents would be wise to do their homework. Coaches may be extremely well qualified or have the minimum standard. It is not uncommon for a coaches to be parents of a player. Nor is it uncommon for parents to leave one association for another, sometimes as a result of "poaching." Poaching would be recruiting players from one club to another often based on the promise of shiny trophies. At the Club level, the development emphasis is a bit of a work in progress.
A major philosophical shift needs to change within the Club system. Again, the model follows that of private Academies and they follow the model of successful programs worldwide. Parents of younger players will need to let go of their impulse to scream instructions or relish victories in Cup play. It is a major shift but the will is there.
As for what works best for you and your child, I’d highly suggest doing your homework. I can offer that I’ve been involved with both the Academy programs and the Club programs. Having experienced both I would never go back to the Club environment in its current state.
For us it came down to a simple question. While a club rep team might beat an Academy team at a friendly, is that really a sign of progress? If you lined each up of those kids in terms of basic technical skills and then ask which one is in a system that will allow them the most opportunity to develop between now and the end of the year?
Without technical skill, a player’s potential, and that of our nation, is severely limited. Once we understood that and the differences between programs, the answer was obvious.
I applaud the OSA in its direction. At the same time, until they can successfully oversee massive cultural shift, you can have that U8 parent on your sidelines. I don’t want him interfering with my own child’s development".
Soccer Fitness In the Winter
Soccer?
Skiing in and around Mud Lake: free, and gorgeous! Temp: -15C (+windchill)
(click to enlarge)
Couch Potato Kids
People who sit for six or more hours per day, the vast majority, are 40% more likely to die within 15 years compared to someone who sits less than three hours a day. A study of 17,000 Canadian adults conducted over the last 12 years found that those who spent most of their time sitting were 50% more likely to die during the followup study than those that sit the least. Recent research also shows that exercising, even vigorously, several times a week won’t postpone early death if we are sedentary the rest of the day.
New research shows our couch-potato kids fare no better.
School-aged Canadian children spend 62% of their waking hours being sedentary, with an average of six to eight hours per day of screen time.
After reviewing 232 studies involving 1,000,000 participants between five and 17, CHEO found that more than two hours of sedentary behaviour a day (mostly TV and screen watching) was associated with increased weight, decreased fitness, lowered scores for self-esteem and decreased academic achievement.
When the body sits down the levels of enzymes that break down fat immediately drop by 90%.
While seated, many of the body’s chemical processes slow or shut down. Most muscle activity ceases, hobbling cardiovascular function and bone formation and reducing insulin sensitivity.
Being sedentary increases risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, Type II diabetes and other diseases.
Don't sit at your desk.
Travis Saunders, a researcher at Cheo, has elevated his desk on textbooks so he now stands instead of sitting, while reading. He also put a pedal machine under his desk so he clocks kilometres while clicking his mouse:
He tries not to sit while talking on the phone. And he arranges “walking meetings” so he and colleagues confer while doing laps around the CHEO campus.
He’s slashed his sedentary time in half because he thinks these types of actions will prolong his life. Now, he’s focused on figuring out how to prolong the lives of Canadian children, who spend as much as eight hours a day sitting in front of a screen and are among the world’s most sedentary young people.
What is sedentary behavior?
Definitions vary, but if you have less than 150 minutes a week of physical activity, you may be considered sedentary.
In the summer we certainly won't have this problem!
W-League Finals in Ottawa in 2012
Last year we had a team event by attending a Fury's W-League match. For 2012, the Ottawa Fury have been selected as hosts of the 2012 USL W-League Championship.
Mark it down on your calendars: July 27-29 at Algonquin College Soccer Complex, for the semifinals and final featuring some of the world’s top amateur, international and professional women’s soccer stars.
As hosts of the W-League Championship, the Fury receive a bye into the semifinals. The 18th W-League season will feature 30 teams in three regional conferences that will see 11 teams advance to the postseason with one champion advancing from each conference. The three conference champions will join the Fury in Ottawa in a ‘final four’ format championship. The semifinals will be played on Friday, July 27 with the winners meeting for the 2012 W-League Championship on Sunday, July 29.
Ottawa Fury owner and CEO John Pugh, and the coach's professor in years past: "The Ottawa Fury are proud to partner with the W-League in hosting the 2012 W-League Championships presented by UMBRO," "Canada’s capital has proved itself time and time again a great city in which to stage major soccer events. We were thrilled to host in 2004 and are excited to have the opportunity to once again provide a great experience for the teams and fans alike."
Since joining the W-League in 2000, the Fury have amassed a record of 116-23-16 collecting eight division titles, five conference championships, six final four appearances and three appearances in the championship final. Having not lost at home in more than three years (23-0-2), the Fury are hopeful that home-field advantage will help lead them to their first W-League title.
"The W-League is recognized throughout the world for providing superior competition for female players, while offering affordable family entertainment for fans across North America. The caliber of W-League talent was well represented in the recent CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers where all 20 Canadian National team members and 15 of the 20 U.S. National team members boasted W-League experience including 2011 W-League Rookie of the Year Sydney Leroux and Ottawa Fury Youth Program graduate and W-League striker Christina Julien".
Sugar has always been toxic to our bodies: Changing your lifestyle
.
Is there sugar in that drink? We as coachas can tell when kids have been drinking or eating sugar. My godfather worked for U.N's W.H.O. and 30 years ago used to fight against sugar, as sugar, he said, was "a poison to the body". The sugar industry won and not much was done against it, causing a well-known health crisis in the western world.
Now some U.S. researchers have started arguing again that sugar is so toxic that it should be taxed and slapped with regulations like alcohol.
In a commentary published in Wednesday's issue of the prestigious journal Nature, doctors from the University of California, say that rising global rates of major killers such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes aren’t caused by obesity as commonly thought. Instead, obesity is a marker for those health problems, and sugar is the true culprit.
Dr. Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis: "We recognize that societal intervention to reduce the supply and demand for sugar faces an uphill political battle against a powerful sugar lobby,"
Measures such as smoking bans in public places, the use of designated drivers and the addition of condom dispensers in public washrooms were also battlegrounds that are now taken for granted for public health, the authors said in calling for sugar regulations.
They suggested:
Dr. Arya Sharma, scientific director of the Canadian Obesity Network says "I don't think we can bring the whole question about obesity down to a simple substance like people eating too much sugar," The discussion is valuable, but no one knows what the unintended consequences of regulating sugar might be..
"Changing lifestyle is more about changing your life than your style," "We have to ask ourselves, are we prepared to change our lives?"
Is there sugar in that drink? We as coachas can tell when kids have been drinking or eating sugar. My godfather worked for U.N's W.H.O. and 30 years ago used to fight against sugar, as sugar, he said, was "a poison to the body". The sugar industry won and not much was done against it, causing a well-known health crisis in the western world.
Now some U.S. researchers have started arguing again that sugar is so toxic that it should be taxed and slapped with regulations like alcohol.
In a commentary published in Wednesday's issue of the prestigious journal Nature, doctors from the University of California, say that rising global rates of major killers such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes aren’t caused by obesity as commonly thought. Instead, obesity is a marker for those health problems, and sugar is the true culprit.
Dr. Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis: "We recognize that societal intervention to reduce the supply and demand for sugar faces an uphill political battle against a powerful sugar lobby,"
Measures such as smoking bans in public places, the use of designated drivers and the addition of condom dispensers in public washrooms were also battlegrounds that are now taken for granted for public health, the authors said in calling for sugar regulations.
They suggested:
- Taxing "added sugar" — any sweetener containing fructose that is added to food in processing, including sugar-sweetened beverages and sugared cereal.
- Controlling the location and density of fast-food outlets and convenience stores around schools and offering incentives to open grocery stores and farmers' markets.
- Limiting sales during the school day or designating an age limit to buy drinks with added sugar.
Dr. Arya Sharma, scientific director of the Canadian Obesity Network says "I don't think we can bring the whole question about obesity down to a simple substance like people eating too much sugar," The discussion is valuable, but no one knows what the unintended consequences of regulating sugar might be..
"Changing lifestyle is more about changing your life than your style," "We have to ask ourselves, are we prepared to change our lives?"
Train Like a 100-Year Old
Fauja Singh, 100-years old. Marathon records, sprinting records. He must be doing something right.
Running:
Warm-up routine:
Advice for young people:
Running in Toronto:
What an amazing man.
10K 2012 Thoughts
This year we have a couple of parents joining us. Way to go parents!
You may run, walk, jog, any way you do it is fine.
This video is from 2007 (I organized the Woodroffe team (130 runners raising funds for the Ottawa Hospital Foundation). HD did not exist back then, so video quality is very poor, but starting around 1:40 you an see the 10k, and around 4:30 the people walking by the end. Some of them are about 100 years old.
Remember the amazing six-year-old Mississauga boy set an unofficial world record in the Slainte St. Patrick's Day 5Km Run in Hamilton? Khalilullah Khan
Or maybe eat some ginger curry? Remember Fauja Singh, who astonished the world by running a marathon at the age of 100. His3 rd one? "Most of us would be grateful - and more than a little surprised - to be still breathing at 100. The idea of running a marathon at that age seems like something out of science fiction.
"I think the biggest obstacle to someone running a marathon, at any age, is mental. That is why Faulja Singh is so inspirational."
Mr. Singh, who came 3,850th, but still finished ahead of five other competitors, puts his success down to not smoking or drinking alcohol, staying positive - and eating ginger curry.
Francois and Gustavo arriving in the 2011 race:
Please register now before it's too late. The event will sell out soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
