Well after some many months (actually almost a year), we are actually one day away from the start of our pre-tournament camp in Vancouver. I will joining the team next Tuesday but as a group, training and team building activities start tomorrow.
Why the title for this post? Well, the good is that we are about to get started, the bad and disappointment covers the main topic of today's post. From the 20 players we initially selected, we have had to replace 5 with athletes from our list of alternates. Getting injured and having to miss playing time is always a possible reality of sport and something no one likes, but I think that when it occurs to an athlete preparing for an event that only occurs once every few years, getting an injury that forces you to miss the event must be even harder to take. This is even more true when you think that for some athletes, it might be that this once change to participate is the only chance they get. I think that for any athlete, being able to participate at the highest level of competition possible for their sport, is or at least should be the goal.. and for our CIS soccer players, the FISU games are just that. While the CSA might not recognize this team and this event as part of their developmental model, the 20 players who will be in China, still wear the Maple Leaf, still represent Canada and also represent the CIS network of varsity university soccer team. For a 2 week period, these athletes will be the face of Canada and Canadian sport (and this goes for all of the 250 athletes in different sports). It is too bad that these games are not more widely talked about and covered by sports media. I feel for those 5 athletes that we had to replace, because these lose out on this life experience and for the chance to experience their sport at the highest level. The silver lining for 3 of them, I guess, is that they were part of the team in 2009. But when one door closes, another one opens, so 5 players we had previously cut from the team are not given a second chance and maybe that is the flip side to the ugly and disappointment of sport, getting the opportunity to step in and make your mark, because isn't that a big part of life, getting a second chance. I am lucky to have the second chance to live these games and to do so in a country that maybe if not for the games, I might not have considered visiting. It will just add to my life experiences and be one more thing that I can say "been there, done that". My playing career in different sports may have been limited in terms of achievement and success but I certainly get the chance via coaching to see some amazing things. When people ask me why I enjoy coaching, one easy answer will always be " because it gives me the chance to meet people and experience things that I would not have had the chance to do so without the coaching" Anyways, enough for now,,,, by
0 Comments
Well time is winding down and we are working hard to get everything in place for our trip to China. In 2009, Montreal was the jump off point as we gathered everyone here for a day before heading to France for training so it was somewhat easier to get everything done for me, especially equipment ordering, hotels etc.
Added to the mix, is getting the VISA required for travel to China. Between the fact that the CIS has given each team the responsability to obtain the individual visa for their participants and that there are only 4 locations in Canada where you can actually get them, this has proven an interesting task. I am sure everything will come together fine but a lot of legwork and prep. is required and I am looking forward to simply getting on the field and runnig training sessions. Luckily packing for a trip like this is easy. With all the gear we are getting from the CIS and purchasing for a Adidas dealer, mainly all that we have to do is grab anything with a TEAM CANADA logo and toss in the suitcase, it isn't like we wear much else. Well of course have to make sure to have sufficient socks and clean underwear, hate to run out of those. Tomorrow evening is our final team conference call and I am sure that we will feel the stress and excitement in the players as we inch closer to what is going to be a once in a lifetime experience... unless like me, you have the chance to live it twice in some form. to be continued .... Well I sincerely hope that from this point forward for the next few months I will be posting here regularly with thoughts, comments and recaps about my experiences both at the 26th Universiade in China, but also about what I hope will be an exciting and succesful season with the Stingers. Obviously most of the stuff for the next few weeks will be about the FISU Games but I hope to toss in some Stinger tidbits along the way. Once the FISU team is together, I will go back to guest bloggers that some of you seemed to enjoy in 2009 so that you can get the perspective of some of our athletes who are giving up a lot and making great efforts to represent both Canada and the CIS at the international level.
In terms of FISU, two weeks tomorrow the team will assemble for 7 days of preparation in Langley British Columbia. I will join them a few days later as other commitments will keep me in Montreal until Aug. 2nd. This will be a significant change (and I hope for the better) as we will get a better chance to prepare the team prior to starting the tournament. In 2009, we had one practice in Montreal prior to heading to France for 4 days to bring the team together. This year, in addition to the 7 days in Langley, we are heading to the games early, to give us 3 1/2 days on site before our first game. In this type of tournament, team dynamic and how quickly we can get everyone on the same page is crucial to achieving the success we are gunning for. Our plans include 3 games before leaving Canada plus two scrimmages in Chine (vs. Mexico and France) in order to get the players used to the weather and enviroment over there. This year's group is quite different from 2009. Our strength that year was how strong the bond was among the players.. I think we can re-create that but I think there years group has a little more variation in terms of the type of system we can play and the difference qualities various players will bring. We are lucky that we have 8 players returning for a 2nd games (vs only 2 in 2009) and we are counting on their previous experience to help the others get on the same page quickly. I am quite excited for this year's games, partly in getting to do it again (and mostly likely the last time) with the knowledge that Graham and I were able to get the 1st time around, but also for the chance to visit a country and only my involvement in soccer gives me the chance to see (although as I have told many people, not sure how I will react to 13 hours stuck on a plane). The time is passing |
AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|