|
Choosing the 'Academy
Way'
 The decision to
enter an academy program is not one to be entered into lightly. There
are many factors to be considered - commitment, personal comfort and
cost among them.
Entering an academy program is a big
commitment for both player and parents. Add together training up to
three times a week for almost a full year, plus games and some travel
and you have a significant number of hours required to dedicate to the sport.
The academies will do their utmost to
ensure a smooth transition for both player and parents. For those
that decide to enter the program, it will quickly become evident that
the benefits will far outweigh any concerns that might have existed
going in. Players will be immersed in a positive but intense
environment with like-minded teammates. The priorities of the
professional coaches will be to ensure that each player in the program
develops to their full potential. The will not be placing unreasonable
pressures on the players to win games and collect trophies, but rather
they will challenge them to identify and develop their weaknesses, as
well as to grow as individuals and as elite athletes.
One of the questions about the program
is the cost. At first glance, the investment
required to place your child may seem prohibitive. However, when one
stops and thinks about the services being provided, it becomes evident
that the cost is fairly indicative of the value.
Everyone who loves this game agrees that
we need to add a significant level of professionalism to our Player
Development Programs across Canada. In other words we need to emulate
how the rest of the "successful" soccer countries do it. Which means
coming up with a systemic, consistent and predictable method of exposing
our brightest young talent, to highly qualified, licensed professional
paid coaches.
The volunteer parent coaches, who make up 98+% of our coaching ranks,
although well meaning, can only take us so far. The results of the last
100 years of soccer in Canada proves this. Yes it is more expensive when
you pay your coaches and support staff, and yes it is more expensive
when you run a 12 month program instead of a summer only one, and yes it
is more expensive when you insist on renting best-in-class facilities
and purchasing only the best training equipment and uniforms available,
but it is the only way we are going to be able to develop world class
players in Canada on a regular basis.
Until we have large, rich, professional clubs who pay for these costs,
as they do in Europe, South America and parts of Africa and Asia, this
is the only way forward.
Ultimately it will come down to a choice
made by the parent/player after considering some important questions:
- Do my goals, and the goals of my child
coincide with those of the organization we choose?
- Is my child happy in his or her current
soccer environment?
- Is my child committed to the sport to
the level where a more professional program is in his or her best
interest?
- Are the services being offered in line with the
investment required and the needs of the player?
In order to help make this decision, SAAC
has provided some background information related to the costs of a
typical Academy program versus that of a typical club program. The chart
below is a breakdown of costs and training hours associated with each
system.
It is evident that although the costs
described for the Academy program can be higher, there is an
associated increase in service. More time on the field and higher
training-to-game ratios are two of the main advantages of the Academy
program. Add the fact that each session will be planned and executed by
professional qualified staff and you'll find that the minimal extra cost
provides immeasurable benefits over existing programs.
The academies are also committed to
earmarked as high a percentage as possible of their budget directly into
on-field services for your child.
The are initiatives SAAC is pursuing to
help reduce the cost of our tuition:
- partner with associations and
professional clubs to remove cost redundancies and achieve greater
efficiencies and economy of scale
- partner with corporate Canada in the form of scholarship sponsorship
and marketing programs
- partner with European supper clubs
If you still have questions about SAAC,
the Academies or any of our programs, do not hesitate to contact us. You
can contact the association at
saac@academysoccer.ca and the academies
by clicking the academy logos in the left hand column.
|
