PAUL VARIAN
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB
CONTENTS
• Brief Intro To Oakville Soccer Club
• Instituting LTPD – The OSC Story
• Key Lessons Learnt
BRIEF INTRO TO
OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB
OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB
Established in 1972
Community soccer club
• Largest soccer Club in North America
• Largest sports Club of any kind in Canada
$6.5m operating budget
Pine Glen Soccer Centre
• 100,000ft sq indoor soccer facility
OSA Gold Standard in Club Excellence
• Acquired in 2010, renewed in 2012
OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB
+12,700 Players
•
•
•
•
18,000 aggregate registrants
50 Rep teams
9,000 in youth House League
130-team adult indoor House League
+900 Coaches
• +900 coaches
• professional coaching team of 29 full time & part time
+300 Active Referees
• Over 250 new referees recruited and trained each year
+1,500 Volunteers
• Mostly coaches, but also conveners, team managers,
trainers and event volunteers
INSTITUTING LTPD THE OSC STORY
THE OSC STORY
AUG-DEC 2010
Development of New Five-Year Strategic
Plan
• Board & Club commitment to LTPD
• Strategic technical targets focussed on player
development
• No goals focussed on ‘silverware success’
• Crucial mandate to progress with long-term
technical direction aligned to LTPD
THE OSC STORY
NOV 2010
Jason de Vos joins OSC as new
Technical Director
• Understanding and support of LTPD a core
requirement
• Able to enshrine it in a fully-integrated
technical plan
• Spokesman for technical plan (LTPD)
• Able to articulate LTPD to non-technical
people
• Credibility in the game, particularly in
Ontario
THE OSC STORY
DEC 2010 - FEB 2011
Development of Technical Development
Plan
• Geared to execute strategic technical goals in
Strategic Plan
• Integrating player, coach and referee
development
• Based on LTPD framework
• Tailored for Oakville Soccer Club’s program
and player base
• Written to be understood and embraced by
parents
YOUTH REC’ SOCCER
Players participate in fun-focused soccer,
without taxing developmental goals or
expectations, supported by strong base-level
House League coaching.
INTRO
AND FUN
Kids learn to
enjoy the
game, be
active,
develop
desire to
progress
TEACH
THEM TO
PLAY
Kids learn basic
core skills, rules
of the game and
are assessed
(every kid) in
terms of
potential to
develop into a
‘competitive’
player.
U8 – U12
Adult players
who play
recreationally
throughout
their lives,
based on a
positive
experience
growing up
with the game
at OSC
TEACH
THEM TO
COMPETE
Kids learn how
to train and play
in a higher level,
and in a more
competitive
environment.
U4 – U7
‘SOCCER
FOR LIFE’
U13 – U16
ELITE PLAYER
DEV’T
A handful of players with the
ability to possibly play at a
provincial level of higher.
U17 – U18
U19+
THE OSC STORY
FEB - JUNE 2011
Board Approval of Technical Development Plan
• Feb 2011 – Initial presentation To The Board – 3hrs
• April 2011 – Further questions from the Board – 2hrs
• May 2011 – 65 written questions from the Board – 4hrs
• June 2011 – Further questions from the Board – 2hrs
• June 2011 – Formal Board approval
THE OSC STORY
JULY - SEPT 2011
Promotion of Technical Development Plan
JULY 4
Technical Plan and
FAQ posted to website
AUGUST 20-28
ADP and Rep program
brochures released
(pending fee approval)
EARLY SEPT
Introduction of new
Coach Development
Manager and Age
Group Head Coaches
JULY 5
JULY 12
JULY 19
Letter from PV/JDV to
club users introducing
tech’ changes, with link
to Tech’ Plan and FAQ
Email invitation to each
audience segment re
webinar presentation &
proceeding Q&A
sessions
Rep and ADP program
brochure content
finalized
AUGUST 9 – 16
JULY 26 – AUG 2
JULY 12-21
Q&A sessions held for
each audience
segment, 1 wk after
release of webinar
Webinar presentations
targeted to the four
target audiences
released
Promotion of August
Q&A sessions via club
website & email
reminders
EARLY SEPT
Live demo of an
integrated Rep training
session by TD
THE OSC STORY
SEPT 2011
Launch of Technical Development
Plan
• New professional coaching structure
• Fall/Winter Development Program
THE OSC STORY
JAN 2012
Launch of Coach Development Plan
• Rafael Carbajal, Coach Development Manager
• Joins OSC in July 2011
• OSC Coach Orientation Program
• Hosting LTPD Active Start, Fundamentals, Learn-To-Train
• On-field LTPD-focused coach development & mentoring
THE OSC STORY
JAN 2012 - PRESENT
Advocating for LTPD-Driven Competition
Reform
• Jan 2012 – Establishment of Peel Halton
Development League (U8-11)
•
Commencing 2012
• April 2012 – Announcement of Ontario Player
Development League
•
Commencing 2014
THE OSC STORY
THE FUTURE - MAY 2012
Introduction of Quality Assessment
Program for OSC’s Technical Programs
• Reporting to the Board of Directors on
success of technical programs introduced in:
• Technical development of players
• Satisfaction of players, parents,
coaches, referees
• Financial performance of the programs
• Crucial long-term validation of LTPD
THE OSC STORY
THE FUTURE - MAY 2013
Driving LTPD principles into House League
• Major program adjustments
• Team size
• Volume of teams
• Field sizing and volumes
• Patron traffic and other logistical
considerations
• Fee adjustments
• Communications
•
Advancing LTPD to a large but lessinvested user group
KEY LESSONS LEARNT
KEY LESSONS LEARNT
Build confidence in your Boardroom
When working with amateur sport Boards,
remember the following rules:
• They probably aren’t technical
•
Don’t resent them for that
• They are legally responsible for the organisation’s
well-being
•
Expect them to question, probe, doubt
•
They are doing their job!
• Beware of disregarding the question of finance or
organisational risk
•
Failure to address this or recognise its importance
will be a big red flag for your Board
• Don’t ask them to make decisions without proper
information
•
•
•
An overall context
Proper due diligence
A recommendation with rationale that move CLUB
goals
• Don’t get overly-technical
•
Present technical goals in terms of their overall objectives, not
their technical design
KEY LESSONS LEARNT
Start by building a strong planning platform
Strategic Plan
Commitment to Player Development
Organisation’s Core Business & Objectives
Technical Development Plan
Working to LTPD-driven goals
Player pathway in line with LTPD
Coach Development Plan
Embracing LTPD-focused coaching levels
Driving LTPD principles into all coaches,
particularly new ones
KEY LESSONS LEARNT
Follow a simple process that your Board buy’s in
to and understands your progress in.
KEY LESSONS LEARNT
Ensure you have strong technical leadership
Your top technical leader must be able to:
• Explain what LTPD is and does in simple nontechnical language
• Be able to demonstrate what LTPD looks like in a
technical plan
• Understand and explain what change the club will
be faced with in implementing LTPD-driven
changes
• Have patience to constantly deliver the message
and inspire those who “don’t get it”
• Above all, your technical leader must believe
in LTPD!
KEY LESSONS LEARNT
Take it one step at a time
• You can’t get it all done at once
• This is a multi-year change management
exercise
• If you have a clear path ahead, it won’t seem so
daunting
• Plan and communicate your progress!
• Celebrate your successes, no matter how small
• Don’t avoid the need for structured assessment
• Sooner or later, your Board will demand it!
KEY LESSONS LEARNT
Don’t let the tail wag the dog!
• Your club isn’t there to ‘help’ implement LTPD
• LTPD is there to help your club develop your players
• Ensure its principles are entrenched in your coaches’
beliefs and philosophies
• Use it as a framework for your technical planning
• Clearly link your planning and programs to it, but make
your plan your own!
• Your plan must be tailored to your club’s idiosyncrasies
• For your plan to effective, it must be about your club
and not ‘off the shelf’ LTPD
STARTING POINTS
• Long Term Athlete Development is a
scientifically based structure which is being
adopted and endorsed in sport organizations
around the world.
• Mandated by the CSA across the country
• LTPD is not a quick fix
• Many LTPD formats a structures challenge the
classical North American mentality to
competition.
• LTPD is the direction that our governments and
governing bodies are focused on.
• Shifting focus to a structure that is player centric
requires major adjustments.
CHANGE IS SCARY
STEPS TO BUY-IN
At The BOD
Education
Communication
Why is LTPD the right
pathway?
What are the benefits?
What are parents going to say?
Support
A Plan
Will we loose registrations?
What will this cost?
Who else is doing this?
Why change?
BOD ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
• Champion LTPD initiatives.
• Endorse, support and initiate rules &
systems to support a smooth transition
at all levels.
• Establish standards based guidelines
and assist in the transition.
• Monitor and aid in the transition.
• Champion early adopters.
• Engage all levels in the transition.
WHAT CLUB BOD’s NEED TO UNDERSTAND
•
LTPD is a CSA mandated program supported by both
the Federal government and being embraced around
the world.
•
OSA member Club’s will all be following the path
•
Is based on developing players, coaches, referees and
administrators.
•
The pathway will build early skills and lead to more
players staying in the game longer.
COMMUNICATE
DIARMUID SALVADORI
VICE PRESIDENT
LTPD BENEFITS
CASE STUDY: RDP
Raiders Development Program (RDP)
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•
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LTPD approach to player development
Focus on skill development, SSG
All players are accepted and developed
Began in 2009 with a trial pool of U7 players
Growth from ~30 players to over ~160 players enrolled
Results
• Doubled the number of competitive players U8-U10
• From a standing start, approximately 15% of all
players are now participating in a development
program
• Funding to hire full-time staff coach
ROLE OF BOARD
•Technical staff need to drive program development
•Boards need to ask the right questions and provide proper
support
• Budget
• Facilities
• Staffing
• Administrative requirements
• Marketing & Communications
•Boards need to make sure that all the tools are in place to
make a program successful.
WHAT WE LEARNED
•Don’t impede progress because of history or fear.
•Ongoing parent and coaching education is key to success.
•Parents are willing to pay for quality programming.
•Evaluate your programs.
•Don’t be afraid to change programs – for the better!