MarylandNed

Well firstly they really aren't "classes" that anyone can just sign up for. They take the most talented players they can find and these players (except for the very youngest) have usually already played on high level community club teams. I'm more familiar with the DC United academy but I'm guessing the Toronto FC academy system is similar. They hold open tryouts at each age group and select the best players. The teams then play in leagues against other high level youth teams including academy teams from other clubs.

As for success rate in terms of turning pro, probably fairly low. Then again, that's true of other countries too. I'm not pretending that these academies are as good as some of those in Europe, but it's all we have at this point. They are relatively new and it'll take time for them to mature and produce players.

vickyg

Great replies thanks, here in scotland there is only a 1% chance of going professional when you turn 16 even being with pro youth teams, but plenty of other opportunities in lower leagues or abroad. Its cut throat and starts at such a young age but you have to give the kids a chance.

I am interested to find out more regarding schooling/colleges etc, excuse my ignorance as I have jsut started on the info gathering road but can kids study 'sports' ie soccer etc at college when they leave high school? Whats a good website for me to work out in my head how it all works in canada? Is it the same as the US? My Dad lives there so could ask him!
Vicky x

vickyg

Sorry but another question but my hubby has various SFA Soccer coaching certificates, can they be used in Canada to help out local teams the kids get involved with or even get a job???!!!
Vicky x

MarylandNed

Your husband needs to contact the Canadian Soccer Association. There is the concept of obtaining "Canadian equivalency" for foreign coaching licenses but I can't find the details on their web site and I found a broken link on another site. I seem to remember that they will give you credit up to their "B" license but that you'd have to take their "A" license course even if you have an equivalent or higher license from elsewhere.

R I C H

He might be better off contacting CAC (http://www.coach.ca/) - they ultimately sanction who's a qualified coach.

MarylandNed

The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) is the official, FIFA-affiliated governing body for soccer in Canada. It's in charge of soccer coaching education and licensing in Canada and makes determinations on foreign license equivalency. Anyone hoping to obtain credit for foreign coaching licenses needs to contact the CSA.

vickyg

Thanks, sounds good will look into it.
Vicky x

R I C H

The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) is the Canadian standard of coaching competency, which is overseen under the governance of the CAC.
It is a coach training and certification program for all coaches in more than 60 sports. It's a separate process to sport specific skills coaching, complementing it and often a required certification in order to coach for remuneration.

The Canadian Soccer Association can be contacted via

237 rue Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, ON K2P 1R2

Phone: 613-237-7678
Fax: 613-237-1516

[email protected]
www.canadasoccer.com

Jo Monaghan

I wouldn't be too set on your kids playing footie or cricket, when we came over my son played football and I coached him for a couple of years. Then one day he confided to me that he really wanted play hockey (never having so much as been on a pair of skates...) Fast forward 5 years and he is besotted with hockey in the winter and baseball in the summer, he still likes to watch football and you can see he might go back it at some point... As for cricket I play and can only dream that he one day wants to join in!

Anyway in my experience there seems to be a 'try it out' culture to different sports over here and there is a lot of choice too.
As others have said moneywise you can spend loads (and time too!) or not so much I guess it depends how much you (and your kids) are in to it. Good luck.

MarylandNed

Yep - it's similar here in the US. My kids have been involved in soccer (indoor and outdoor), volleyball, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, swimming, karate, ice skating, tennis, and gymnastics at one time or another. And I've probably forgotten something.

Baseball for kids has to be the most boring and pointless thing I've ever seen. Most of the time nothing is happening and when something does happen, most of the kids aren't involved in it. I can't bring myself to call it a sport or activity.

Bonesyhead

So you play cricket, what is the standard like? What is the clubhouse atmosphere like? Are their junior leagues? How much? Batter or bowler friendly pitches? Thanks. Are you English? That's enough questions for now,

Jo Monaghan

I can only speak for Calgary - Standard is really variable, mostly expat players from cricketing countries. Teams are in 3 divisions and have 50 over and T20 leagues as well as Midweek matches. Pitches are concrete or shale with matting which makes things 'interesting' when you've played on grass wickets all your cricketing life. League organization is not great because of various factions not getting along...There is a junior section but not a full blown league as such and a women's team too. It's cricket but not really anything like the league and village cricket I played back in England. As I said this is only based on what I've seen in Calgary things could be very different in BC and Ontario (which has the largest cricketing community in the country). Hope that helps!

Canuck2b

Lacrosse is a fantastic sport. My son plays. There are lots of help through teams for used equipment in various sports and is worth doing in their first year. You never know whether they'll like it!!!

Partially discharged

I refer to baseball as a pastime...here in Ottawa it is declining in popularity for kids as they are playing soccer with greater regularity. New parks often don't include baseball diamonds and soccer fields are a given. Baseball tends to appeal to canadians who have lived here all their life and also their families. It tends to be more popular in smaller towns. However, beer leagues for adults is still popular but probably not growing.

MarylandNed

Me too although it's not that much different to cricket IMO. I was living in Toronto when the Blue Jays won back to back World Series in 1992 and 1993. I went to many games at the Skydome (now Rogers Centre) and the Blue Jays were an exciting team back then (exciting in baseball terms at least). However, I completely lost interest after the 1994 season was ended early due to the players' strike. I haven't watched baseball since - except for the excruciating experience of watching my daughter's team play (2.5 hours of literally nothing but watching grass grow). Thankfully she ditched it for soccer.