Winter Edition 2015
WEST VANCOUVER SOCCER CLUB
SIDELINES
Ex WVSC Player Chases his Soccer Dream to the NASL Edmonton FC player Michael Nonni would probably agree with the cliché “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. Nonni began his soccer career with West Vancouver Soccer Club when he was eight years old and recalls that he was always coached by his father, Gino, until he left for the metro program in Vancouver. At that time there was no metro program on the North Shore, so Nonni’s only choice was to venture over the bridge to challenge and strengthen his soccer skills. During Nonni’s soccer career with WVSC, he was supported by other long time WVSC coach volunteers, Stuart Bell and Bob Sloman, who coached with Gino. The cohesive group of players that progressed through the club’s program created many fond memories of youth soccer for Nonni. “My dad is soccer obsessed, and I grew up loving soccer from a really early age. He played at SFU and was drafted by the Whitecaps,” Nonni said. When asked about his father and his influence on his
Michael Nonni (front of the pack) showed his potential at a very young age.
Michael Nonni began his soccer career with WVSC at the age of 8. Since then he has had an incredible journey taking him to Holland, Germany, and he currently plays with Edmonton FC of the North American Soccer League.
soccer career, the 25-year-old smiled widely and his brown eyes sparkled, “My dad has done everything for me. He coached me until I was 14. When I am away we talk everyday—sometimes for hours. When we talk it’s always about soccer. I basically owe everything to him.” Nonni’s pathway from WVSC to Edmonton FC has been quite a journey. Nonni went from Divisional play in West Van and advanced to the metro select program. He committed himself to extra training with Roman Tulis, where he and four other buddies worked as a pack to improve their game. One of those players was Marcus Haber who played for Whitecaps FC and is currently playing on the Canadian National team and for Crewe Alexandra FC in England. A significant decision to advance Nonni’s career came when he was 16. He had the opportunity to train in Holland, and along with his four friends who had been playing Vancouver metro with him, they decided to cross the Atlantic and begin the next stage of refining their soccer games. Nonni became a member of Holland’s U-19 FC Groningen, and he trained and played for two years in their program.
Long time WVSC coach volunteer, Stuart Bell (back left)Gino Nonni,(Michael’s father), and Bob Sloman (back right), helped to create a positive and solid soccer foundation for Nonni, which allowed him to move his soccer to the professional level. Michael is in the front row, second from the left. “I think living in Holland made me grow up quicker. I was doing everything for myself. I would get dinner with my host family, but aside from that I was figuring out my own transportation to everywhere, and I was doing everything on my own,” he said. He compared his Dutch experience to his later playing experience with Germany’s SV Wilhelmshaven, where he played for about half a year. The contrast between going from a European youth program where everyone was welcoming and there was comradery versus being in a locker room with men who were all thinking about earning a living and fighting for a position on the team was considerable. Nonni’s stint with SV Wilhelmshaven was a character builder. Being located in Northern Germany where English is not spoken by many, he found himself feeling isolated. He could not communicate with his teammates or his coaches, and the experience was difficult. “Yeah, it isn’t uncommon that players will be signed where English isn’t really spoken, and it can be very hard,” he said. The transition to Germany might have been made all the more difficult because Nonni had just finished his university soccer career in California at UC Santa Barbara, where he had a very positive team environment. However, things became brighter after Germany as Nonni came back home and was offered a spot on the Edmonton FC Academy team. Shortly afterward, he was promoted to the Edmonton FC First Team. Nonni is hoping for a long soccer career. His dream is to make it to the MLS, and
being able to play in Montreal or Toronto or possibly one of the bigger US cities would be a cherry on top. Nonni has partnered with Dylan Hughes as his agent, and Hughes’ father, Gareth, and brother, Kevin, are WVSC MSL coaches. Nonni actually played metro soccer with Kevin Hughes while growing up, so the connections go back a long way. The path to Edmonton FC has not always been smooth, but Nonni would not change a single road taken along his journey. He credits his father for helping him maintain his self-confidence, and his father’s soccer career has given him a foundation from which to advise him. “My dad understands that there are hard things about being a professional soccer player, but he believes in me, and that has helped me with my own self confidence. I have no regrets about anything that I have done. I feel blessed to wake up every day and be playing soccer.” So if the apple does not fall far from the tree, maybe Nonni’s soccer journey will lead him back home and to the Whitecaps. That is a thought that brings another smile to Michael Nonni’s face.
Michael Nonni played against the Whitecaps last season as an Edmonton FC player. His goal is to make it to the MLS and play for one of the big franchises in Canada or the US.
Canada Soccer believes every player deserves the best possible soccer experience. Whether they dream of playing for Canada's National Team or simply want to have fun with their friends, taking the right approach to the game when children are young sets the stage for a lifetime of enjoyment. The Canada Soccer Pathway provides a roadmap for players of all ages and aspirations who want to play soccer at the recreation, competitive or high performance EXCEL levels, with the aim of encouraging lifelong participation. The Pathway is built around the principles of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD).
What is LTPD? LTPD is a model of athlete development that parallels what doctors and psychologists have long used to better understand human development: as a series of distinct stages, which takes us from infancy through to adulthood. A person's abilities, behaviours and emotions, as well as their understanding of the world around them, varies from stage to stage. Similarly, experts in sport science have identified seven stages of development — each with its own physical and psychological characteristics —that form the basis for LTPD. When young soccer players are able to train and compete in an environment that's appropriate to their stage of development, they not only perform at their best, they also have more fun.
Why LTPD? We don't expect kids to compete in spelling bees without first teaching them their ABCs. When activities and expectations don't match with a child's developmental stage, this can set them up for failure. The same is true when young children are thrust into a soccer environment that over-emphasizes winning at the expense of developing skills and having fun. The negative consequences can last a lifetime: Some kids develop bad habits and poor skills and can become discouraged. Many don't achieve their performance potential. Others end up leaving the sport altogether because they don't enjoy the game.
LTPD gives all players the best chance of success in soccer by tailoring training, competition and coaching to their needs at the appropriate stage of development. When children learn the right skills at the right time —supported by a caring soccer community of parents, coaches, officials and volunteers — they become more confident in their abilities and have a lot more fun. This means more of them will grow into healthy, active adults with a lifelong love of the game. Canada Soccer Pathway The Canada Soccer Pathway is formed by three streams of play: recreational, competitive and EXCEL, the high performance arm of Canada's soccer landscape. It identifies the environments a player should look for, train and compete in, in order to progress from the local club to Canada's National Teams. While the recreational and competitive streams of play are largely delivered through clubs and schools across the country, the EXCEL stream us designed to ensure more of Canada's exceptional young players find their way into the top competitive environments: professional clubs and National Teams.
Erin McLeod teaches GU11 Players How to Clear their Minds, Get into the Zone, and Train Like They are Going to the World Cup Women’s National Team goalie, Erin McLeod, has been providing WVSC players with special coaching and guest speaking opportunities since 2012. On January 28, Erin helped coach the GU11 Plus Program, and after the on-field portion of the session, she took the group of young players into one of the change rooms to explain the importance of playing with a clear mind and being in the zone. Erin acknowledged how players are often their own harshest critics and how it’s important to be kind to oneself after mistakes are made. “Making mistakes is part of growing and developing as a player. There were times when I used to be very mean to myself as a player,” Erin admitted. “Be kind to yourself. It’s important,” she encouraged the group of attentive girls.
Erin and the WNT have been preparing since early last fall in Vancouver, and they will continue to ramp up the intensity of their training as they approach the World Cup in June. The National Team went to China and won the BaoAn Cup International Tournament, and they will be playing in the Cyprus Cup in March where they will see some strong teams, such as England and Korea. Erin and her teammates have focused much attention to strength and conditioning for the World Cup, and now there will be a shift to tactical preparation. FIFA World Cup tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster, and there is great hope that Canadians will help fill arenas across the country to show their support and love for our WNT and the sport of soccer.
1st in the VMSL Premier League Standings: WVFC will Defend its Place at the Top Against #2 ICST Pegasus This Friday, 7:30 PM on Ambleside D
Cheer on our men’s team and coaches Leo Nash and Dez Tachie. There is no better soccer to watch on the North Shore, and it’s FREE.
A Desire to Share Their Love for Soccer has Brought Back Two WVSC Players as Coaches WVSC’s commitment to make our club a cradle to grave community soccer organization is one of the reasons we are proud to share stories of youth players who have returned as adults to give back to the Club that helped to grow their love for soccer. Filled with passion and enthusiasm, Ben Weiss and Robin Mawson are two coaches who have returned to coach in our youth programs, and each hopes to inspire their players to love the game that has given them so much.
Benjamin Weiss 1.
When did you begin playing soccer?
I started playing soccer when I was close to 6 years old. I spent the first 10 years of my life in Moncton, New Brunswick, so that is where my soccer journey began. 2. What is one of your fondest memories of playing youth soccer? Did you have a favorite coach? I guess my fondest memory of playing youth soccer was close to the end of my time with WVSC as a player. My coach at the time couldn't be at the game, so Jammer came to fill in. He gave us a new position layout. Something along the lines of 3 strikers, 5 midfield, and 2 defense, and myself in net. After the first half, things were looking grim with us down 0-5. Yet with hard work by everyone, we were able to pull back and win 6-5 after the full time. In terms of a favourite coach, I have enjoyed all of my coaches in one way or another, so I can't find one that I found the best or my favourite. 3. Describe your path from Youth Soccer to where you have ended up as an adult? Currently, I try to play soccer three times a week while working and coaching. I think that Youth Soccer improved my drive to do things that I enjoy because I enjoy them. The discovery that physical activity in a team environment is very fun and being able to coordinate with others around oneself has been very useful in my life.
Coach Ben Weiss enjoying some sideline talk with one of his players on a Saturday morning. Ben coaches the U10 Lions.
4. What brought you back to WVSC after university? I found that I was coming home after work and having a lot of spare time on my hands. I had recently been playing some pick-up soccer around the North Shore and I felt like sharing my enjoyment of the game with others. I went to Jammer to ask if any of the teams needed help, and he threw me into a head coaching position.
(Ben Weiss Continued) 5. Have any coaches or people you have met while playing soccer made an impact on your life? I think that every game that I have coached this year has had an impact on my life. Every coach has been very kind and the parents have been helping me a lot throughout this year. 6. What role have your parents played during your career? They have encouraged me to do what makes me happy and to continue to do these things even when they get difficult because they know I can pull through and I will be better off for it. 7. How would you compare coaching to playing? Coaching is like trying to see a bird’s eye view of the field and predicting every play that your players might experience, and then trying to convey that to a first person view of the player. It’s very different. I think that it has added a new perspective to my view on the game as a player.
2. What is one of your fondest memories of playing youth soccer? Did you have a favorite coach? Paul Crofts was by far one of the greatest coaches I ever had. He coached the girls Gold team - the West Van Wild - for my age group from its inception all the way until we graduated high school, and I joined that team for 3 or 4 of those years. Paul was amazing – I don’t remember him ever missing a session, even on the rainiest nights on the gravel field, and he always managed to strike the perfect balance at practices: we worked hard (most of the time) but also had a lot of fun. Then, at games he was a very quiet coach – you rarely heard him yelling instructions from the sidelines. That really took the pressure off and made the games fun as well. I think that fun element is what kept so many of his players involved in the game at an age when so many other girls were dropping out of soccer. Needless to say, the Wild was my favourite team of youth soccer and Paul’s coaching style really stuck with me.
8. As a coach, what is something you try to bring to the field when you work with your players? I always come to the field with a goal of trying to make sure everyone has fun. If the players have fun while playing soccer then they will be driven, even a little bit, to play more. This is my main goal.
Robin Mawson 1.
When did you begin playing soccer, and when did you begin with WVSC?
My first exposure to soccer was with West Van Soccer Club at the age of 5...I think my team was called the Spice Girls.
Coach Robin Mawson has returned from McMaster University to coach the WVSC U12 United.
(Robin Mawson Continued.)
3. Describe your path from Youth Soccer to where you have ended up as an adult? I played soccer with WVSC all the way through high school, and when I graduated I ended up playing varsity soccer at McMaster University in Ontario. I hurt my knee at the end of first year and that pretty well ended my varsity soccer career, but I knew I wanted to stay involved in soccer so I redirected that passion in a couple of ways. I found a local girls’ U13 team in need of a coach and started helping out at their practices. I absolutely loved the girls and the environment of that team, and from then on they were stuck with me. I coached them until the day I graduated university, and it was one of the most meaningful and rewarding activities I did in my four years away. In fourth year I also sought out a university professor who agreed to supervise me in a thesis project on neuromuscular training programs to prevent injuries in youth soccer – I was able to get even more involved in the local soccer community through that project.. The enjoyment I got from being involved in the soccer community combined with the connection I still felt to my childhood soccer club is what brought me back to WVSC after university – I have so many great memories from playing soccer with the club throughout my youth, and I wanted to see if I could help the next up-and-coming players experience that same kind of enjoyment. 4. Have any coaches or people you have met while playing soccer made an impact on your life? Saibo Talic, head coach of European Football School, was my academy coach for many years. I would not be who I am today if we had not crossed paths. He is a brilliant teacher because he believes in his students and he challenges his players so that they strive continually to achieve new goals. When I first arrived at his soccer academy at the age of twelve, I was a shy and nervous player with little confidence in myself or my soccer abilities. However, Saibo made it clear that he thought I had potential, and to have somebody believe in me was
a great thing. His belief gave me the confidence to make mistakes without worrying about them, and the motivation to work hard every single practice. The inevitable result of having somebody believe in me and challenge me in soccer was that the confidence couldn’t help seeping into other aspects of my life – I began to apply those new attitudes to everything I did. In this way, Saibo ultimately taught each and every player far beyond the scope of soccer: he taught people to become not only better soccer players, but also better people. He taught his players the value of hard work, self confidence, and perseverance because he knew how to believe in us and how to push us. 5. What role have your parents played during your career? My parents are the reason I learned to love soccer and was able to play it throughout my life. They drove me all over the lower mainland for games, and would stand in the sun or the pouring rain from the time I was U6, with both teams swarming the ball like ants, until I was U18. They were a constant source of pep talks, feedback and encouragement all the way through youth soccer and supported me on soccer trips to places like Europe and the US. My dad was always game for a trip to the island for tournaments, and my mom somehow never stopped picking up her phone when I would call from university to talk soccer, school or anything else. 6. As a coach, what is something you try to bring to the field when you work with your players? For me, soccer always has to be fun. I want my players to see soccer as a sport they can enjoy for the rest of their lives, and if they want to come to practices and games because they love being there, then I think this might just be a lifelong sport for them. 7.What is the name of your team? Age group? I coach the U12 WV United (I think!) alongside two awesome coaches: Fabia and Human. Our team is the most fun, inclusive and rowdy group of girls you will ever have the pleasure of meeting.
What is Metro Soccer League, MSL, and is it for Everyone?
West Vancouver Soccer Club is proud to be hosting North Shore District Metro Soccer League teams at nearly every age group. By the 2016-17 season, the club should have a team for each age group: U13-U17/18, boys and girls. WVSC strives to provide the most qualified and capable coaches for each of its Metro Soccer League teams. Players who are selected to be a member of one of the club’s MSL teams will be expected to show the highest level of commitment to fellow teammates and the coach. Each player will be challenged to develop to his or her fullest potential, and every player will be encouraged to strive toward playing at the highest level possible. WVSC’s MSL level is where players make a team because they are truly one of the top players of an age group, and when the opportunity arises for the club to support and strengthen its program with out-of-club players, it will do so with careful consideration. Soccer clubs from the Sea to Sky are considered an extension of our MSL program because none of them has yet the ability to create a viable MSL program of their own. All MSL teams on the North Shore are District teams, not teams belonging to any single club, so it is important to ensure an opportunity for our partner clubs and their players the chance to play at the MSL level if they fit the criteria that we have set for our own club members. WVSC members are always a priority for our club, but being a club member does not entitle a player the right to a spot on a MSL team. The Metro Soccer League is structured to provide the highest level of soccer for clubs throughout the Lower Mainland, and in order to compete and succeed in the league, the club will do what is reasonable to ensure that its own teams are competitive with the rest of the MSL teams. Tryouts for MSL teams will begin February 19 with Boys U13 and U14 goalkeepers. Girls U13 tryouts will begin March 2. More information on MSL can be found at westvansoccer.com under the MSL link. **Please note that teams that finish at the bottom of league standings are vulnerable to being relegated by the MSL Committee, so it is important to be competitive.
All on a Weekend Throughout West Van