National Training Centre Ontario (NTCO)
National Standards
The minimum standards required of the training centres within the national network are as follows:
Facilities
Ideally year round training should be carried out on the following facilities:
- Full size grass field complete with goals, goal nets and field markings;
- Additional Portable goals are recommended;
- Access to dressing rooms and showers;
- Equipment storage.
Alternative Facilities
Where use of a full size grass field is not possible during the off-season (i.e. winter) alternative
requirements are listed:
- Full size artificial grass field complete with goals, goal nets and field markings
- Additional Portable goals are recommended
- Access to dressing rooms and showers
or
- Indoor soccer field (without boards)
- Additional Portable goals are recommended
- Access to dressing rooms and showers
or
- Indoor soccer field (with boards)
- Additional Portable goals are recommended
- Access to dressing rooms and showers
Staffing
The minimum standards for staffing of each training centre are as follows:
- Head Coaches: B License Certification
- Assistant Coaches: C License (up to 2004), B License (2004 and beyond)
- Athletic Therapist: CATA Certified
Training Centre Schedule
Preferred: 4 sessions/games a week, 10 months a year
Minimum: 2 sessions a week, 10 months a year
Standardized Training Program
Each Centre will be issued with a standardized training program that will incorporate the following:
Skill Development
- Dribbling
- Feinting
- Ball Control
- Short Passing
- Long Passing
- Heading
- Shooting
Tactical Behaviour
- 1 v 1 (attack)
- 1 v 1 (defence)
- Behaviour off the Ball (create space, passing opportunities)
- Transition (attack to defence and defence to attack)
- Build-up play (interpassing)
- Zone Defence
- Finishing
Note: Each National Coach will be responsible for supplying fitness training programs for players taking part in National Team projects as and when they are confirmed. Training Centre Coaches will be contacted directly by the national Team Staff concerned.
National Youth Coaches are required to prepare a Training Program for all players in their pool based on their yearly events. This Training Program, may also be based on an "event to event" basis in some cases.
The NTC's will monitor the progress of the players. The players will report to the National Head Coach of each team once a month unless otherwise noted.
Monitoring the Training Centre Programs
The Canadian Soccer Association will monitor the Training Centre Programs across the Country with a view to:
- Evaluating and guiding the preparation of players for possible selection to National Team projects;
- Scheduling National Team staff visits and evaluating standards within the Centres;
- Establishing and refining a reporting structure within the Training Centre network;
- Establishing and refining communication channels between the Training Centre network and the Canadian Soccer Association.
Monitoring Process
1) Training Phase Reports: Each Centre will produce a Training Phase Report as follows:
- May 31 (for the period January - May)
- September 31 (for the period June - September)
- December 31 (for the period October - December)
The report will consist of a brief description of the program during that particular phase of training. In addition to this, the Centre Coach will include player attendance records and player assessment sheets on all players attending the Centre.
2) Player Assessment Sheets: The Training Centre Coach will be required to complete a Player Assessment Sheet on each player attending the Training Centre during each Training Phase. That is to say three assessments are to be done on each player during the year. These Assessments will be sent to the CSA along with the Training Phase Report.
All player assessment sheets will be kept on file at the CSA. National Staff will refer to these sheets as a follow up to scouting trips where players have been identified. These sheets will provide a "profile" of the player and will allow the National Staff to monitor standards and expectations within each Training Centre.
3) Attendance Records: The Training Centre Coach will provide attendance records as part of the Training Phases Report. The Attendance Report will consist of a list of all players attending the training Centre during that particular phase. The "percentage of attendance" should be indicated next to each player's name.
Reporting Structure
The Director of Coaching & Player Development will be the liaison between the CSA and the network of Training Centres. Responsibilities will include:
- Reviewing Training Phase Reports and related paperwork
- Reviewing Training Centre Scouting Reports from National Coaches
- Recording and monitoring players scouted (i.e., Database)
- Co-ordination of National Staff visits
- Co-ordination of Provincial requests for player travel
- Day to day duties involving the Training Centre network
The Director of Coaching will report to the National Coach/Technical Director on all aspects relating to the Training Centre network.
Communication with NTC's
Even though the NTC's are scouted once a month by National Staff Coaches, There will also be regular communication with the Head Coach of each NTC. An updated list of NTC Staff will be provided in order to allow National Staff to contact and discuss the performance/attendance etc. of the players prior to selection with the NTC Staff Coaches.
When National Youth Teams are being selected for travel, (i.e. as soon as names for ticket purchase are released), the NTC Staff should be informed at the same time. This will help the NTC's deal with players being absent from training and perhaps make alternate plans. The list may change due to injuries at the last minute, but that is unavoidable.
The National Staff Coach may also be in communication with the players directly, prior to selection to inquire about injury status, exams etc. and to inform them of their selection to the Camp/Tour. This will hopefully reduce the number of conflicts in schedules due to the increase in National Youth Team travel.
NTC Visits by National Coaches
- The Centres in BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Halifax will be visited by a member of the National Coaching Staff once a month during the winter program (i.e., November through February).
- Owing to National Team activities during the Spring, Summer and Fall, National Team Staff visits to these Centres are subject to availability.
- A member of the National Coaching Staff will visit Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland at least once a year.
- The National Coaching Staff will be prepared to run coaching clinics as part of their visits to the various Training Centres if required.
- Any specific requests for National Team Staff to visit a Training Centre should be made through the Director of Coaching and Player Development.
NTC Scouting Visits
All National Staff Coaches will begin visiting the NTC's based on their availability. This will continue and extend into the new Program beginning in November 2001. Once the NTC's release their dates, I will be in contact with everyone to schedule NTC Scouting Visits.
The intent when visiting a NTC is not to keep all the players involved, but instead to keep the best players involved. We must be able to identify the players and monitor their progress over time. In the event that players are released, we must also inform the NTC and Provincial Programs to monitor their progress. This is important as players develop at different ages.
Prior to each session/game at the NTC visits, the players and coaches should be reminded of the technical qualities that the National Program is looking for in a player. These qualities must remain consistent in the communication to the players. To maintain consistency in the NTC Program, personal playing philosophies will not be discussed as part of the NTC Program, this is to be dealt with at each National Team Tour/Camp.
After each session/game is over feedback will be provided to the players on the overall performance. This is to simply keep everyone up-to-date on their current performance as it happens. We must inform the players if their performance is good as well as not good enough. They must be told in a constructive manner.
After each visit the National Staff Coach is required to complete a brief written report along with the Player Observations sheet completed and send it to my attention. I will then distribute all the information to the specific NTC Programs.
Scouting Process at National Championships
The National Team Coaches (or designates) responsible for the respective age groups (i.e., U/15 and U/17) will scout the National All-Star Competitions.
Note: It should be noted that in the event of a National Team Project occurring at the same time as the All-Star Competition, the national coach for that particular age group will not be in attendance. The CSA will assign another coach in order to ensure that the players are scouted at the tournament. The National Club Championships. The National Team Coaches (or designates) responsible for the respective age groups (i.e., U/15, U/17, U/19 and Senior) will scout the National Club Championships.
Note: It should be noted that in the event of a National Team Project occurring at the same time as the Club Championships, the national coach for that particular age group would not be in attendance. The CSA will assign another coach in order to ensure that the players are scouted at the tournament. Requests for Players to Attend NTC
- Provinces wishing to send players to "centralized" scouting opportunities at Training Centres in the Prairies and Maritimes must make an official request through the Director of Coaching & Player Development.
- Provinces wishing to send a player to a National Team try-out may apply to the Director of Coaching & Player Development for financial assistance from the NYPD Fund. This assistance is subject to approval of the National Team Coach concerned and the status of the budget allocated for player travel.
