The University of Toronto and the Varsity Blues partnered with Bell Canada, Toronto FC and the Canadian Soccer Association to present the sixth annual National Soccer Coaching Conference (NSCC) in January, 2017.
The University of Toronto and the Varsity Blues partnered with Bell Canada, Toronto FC and the Canadian Soccer Association to present the sixth annual National Soccer Coaching Conference (NSCC) in January, 2017.
“We were very pleased to welcome Bell, Toronto FC and the Canadian Soccer Association as sponsors of the sixth annual National Soccer Coaching Conference,” said Beth Ali, Executive Director, Co-Curricular Athletics and Physical Activity Programs at U of T. “Their support enables the Varsity Blues program to provide the gold standard in professional development not only for our coaches, but also future sport leaders from across the country.”
The three-day conference is said to offer something for everyone involved with soccer coaching, from technical skill development to tactical strategy. As an added bonus, provincial coaches in attendance are attributed coaching points towards their licenses from the Ontario Soccer Association.
“NSCC is the only national soccer coaching conference held in Canada,” said Anthony Capotosto, U of T’s head soccer coach. “It’s a great opportunity for coaches to network, share their ideas, listen to lectures and watch training sessions from some of the top soccer experts from around the world.”
This year's event featured eight guest speakers and included 15 on-field and classroom sessions, with the likes of Raymond Verheijen, founder of the World Football Academy, Carolina Morace, former head coach of the Canadian Women’s National Team, Jean-Claude Giuntini, head coach of the France U-17 National Team and Jason Bent, head coach of Toronto FC ll. Topics of discussion ranged from the A-Z of defending and why games are lost to ball possession and the timing of offensive moments.
U of T’s state-of-the-art Varsity Centre was used for all on-field sessions. Players used for those sessions included members of the Varsity Blues Men's and Women's soccer team, as well as members of the Toronto FC Academy.
John Hyland, technical director of the North Toronto Soccer Club, was in attendance with his staff coaches. He said this sort of conference was drastically lacking in Canada and was grateful for the learning opportunity.
“It was a great conference. The atmosphere allowed for some good learning and networking. Watching the methodology of different coaches and how they deliver sessions - from younger players to varsity players of both genders was quite educational. My staff coaches thoroughly enjoyed it.”