UofC Dinos women's soccer coach "Axed"

[Yoho]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...818/story.html

[Mango]

Disappointing and a little surprising. Shepherd was the first full time coach in the team's history. When I played for the Dinos, our coach was only part time and we only trained from August to the end of season. Shepherd brought a different dynamic to the team and was really emphasizing the importance of infusing a year-around program. The Dinos have always hovered in the middle of the pack in terms of results and player success. That'll likely take a hit with this news.

I really thought CIS women's soccer was headed in the right direction the last few years. The UBC Thunderbirds just hired Andrea Neil as their head coach in January, which is an amazing hire considering Neil's impressive resume.

[AndyM]

That's a slap in the face to soccer program that's faired pretty well and developed a few decent players over the last decade or so. More elite soccer players are deciding to stay in Canada to play university ball now because the current Canadian national coach really likes CIS players.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by AndyM

More elite soccer players are deciding to stay in Canada to play university ball now because the current Canadian national coach really likes CIS players.

Desiree Scott is the first name that comes to mind. She's one of the world's best holding midfielders right now. She also comes from a University of Manitoba program that had a great coaching staff while she was playing and now she's one of the coaches there.

Canada's best striker not named Sinclair is also a CIS product: Josee Belanger.

The Dinos haven't produced a national player since Taryn Swiatek. That was awhile back, but they were a fantastic team during that era. A couple of players have been invited to national camps, but have never made the final cut. Without a fulltime coach at the U of C, we likely won't be seeing one in the near future.

Shepherd's a nice guy and a real tactic-first coach. Good luck to him.

[Yoho]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...961/story.html

[browna]

While its too bad that they lose that full time resource, they've only had a full time resource for less than 2 years. The previous 20+ years on CIS/CIAU soccer had the model they're going back to, and they've had players develop through the system here to make the national team, as have other CIS teams which didn't have a full time resources until recently either.

Although I realize the development of the women's game follows a bit of a different path than the men, it's not that different. In both cases, if you're good enough for the national program, you've been recognized as much through your club play from the ages of 16-20, moreso than the 3-4 months of the CIS season. Your club coach and your club success has a lot more impact on how you're developing or have devleoped into national team material, if that's the goal.

The model between men and women differs in that because of Geography and their being no "pro" option for women as there is for the guys, who will be hooked in somewhere professionally long before 20 years old, if they're that good, the CIS is a better option then the men. I liken the Men's soccer to the Men's hockey program...once your at the stage you're playing for the team and for enjoyment, but the ship has sailed on chances of being an NHL'er. Women are a bit different, as the CIS give them another more prominent stage to impress and maybe make their way on, but by and large, you're already on your way by the time you make a CIS (or NCAA) school.

I realize having a full time coach is also a recruiting tool, and probably a political tool as well, in so far as the highly policital people in the CSA would take the word and credibility of a full time coach talking about a player, over a coach that's just as good, but not paid $50k by the school to give that opinion. Sad, but that's the politics of the CSA. Also as a result, is the pressure to keeping up with the Jones in the CIS, and the ultra competitive turn that youth soccer in the city has took in the last 10 years, abolishing the regional club system in Calgary (another post entirely) which drives some of this original thought for having a full time person in the first place. However at the same time, if you're good enough in this country as a women's soccer player, you're path is going to be fairly clearly defined (moreso than men), which is good enough at least to make the CIS or NCAA, and you're going to be recognized by the national program. Getting to the CIS/NCAA will be because of what you do outside of/prior to the CIS mainly. 4 months of practicing with a full time coach (while still with your regular club the 12 months of the year) in the CIS, really isn't likely to make or break your development and career if you're already at the level for national team consideration.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by browna

Although I realize the development of the women's game follows a bit of a different path than the men, it's not that different. In both cases, if you're good enough for the national program, you've been recognized as much through your club play from the ages of 16-20, moreso than the 3-4 months of the CIS season. Your club coach and your club success has a lot more impact on how you're developing or have devleoped into national team material, if that's the goal.

Very good point. Most of the current players on the women's squad had been going to camps since their u-16 days respectively. Sinclair was first called when she was 12. Wilkinson, Chapman, Moscato, Timko, Gayle, Matheson, Kyle, Schmidt and McLeod all began with national camps when they were around 16. Tancredi was actively pursued early in her NCAA career and Scott while she was a Bisons player for the U of M. Sesselmann gained citizenship in her mid-20s to play for Canada.

Part of me is disappointed more women from our city aren't on the national squad radar, but as you said, that's a whole other story that I could possibility write a thesis on.