Sorry, evidently my password settings are too generic and the Prez as he refers to himself snuck a few lines.
Down to business. Below you will find a quick snap of Shaun and I working hard in the office. Don't be smart it's obvious as to whom is who. If you still confused refer to previous posts for a hint or several.
We have closed our Tier 1 coach application process and have posted the coming season staff; however, I will get a little more specific here as to whom is who here.
Girls, girls, girls.
Our Saints Program (Tier 1 Girls) will once again include the Alberta Major Soccer League Saints Women and will again be coach by Shaun, Jamie and I. I will lead the charge and look for support from Shaun and Jamie when and where needed as as their busy schedules permit. The team is fresh off an Outdoor Provincial Silver Medal where they were a 1-0 loss away from a trip to the CSA National Championships. The team features several Mt Royal University and University of Calgary stand outs and is always bolstered by Calgary based NCAA Division 1 athletes home for the summer. If your involved with a girls team you should get them out to support the AMSL Women as these are players whom are already playing at a post secondary level in which many of our youth players aspire to do.
The U18 Saints are once again fortunate to be led by Shaun Lowther and his very fine assistant coaches Dean Drozdiak and Leo Visser. Many of these young players are on their way to Fall soccer scholarships to schools such as UBC, UFV, Mt Royal and so forth thus I would expect the summer to be one with plenty of driven performances. We will in fact field two sides with an A and B team regardless of birth year.
At the U16 level Coach Greg Wilkes will return to finish a job that he started this past Fall. The team has made steady improvements as Coach Wilkes continues to iron the details required to have success at this level of play. The team has begun pre-season travel plans with an organised trip to Abbotsford this Spring. The team will receive quality training from TWU, UFV and UBC coaches in addition to play local Langley and Abbotsford Metro Select teams. Coach Wilkes has his eye on some Tier 2 talent in the club with several young ladies vying for spots on this team set to move up the ranks this Outdoor season.
The young U12 Saints will see a new face on the touchline this summer as Coach MacDonald steps aside for some much deserved rest and relaxation - hopefully. Scott has done a great job in the push to Tier 1 from 2/3 and the team will look to build on a positive foundation. New coach Stephanne Demers is passionate, charismatic and experienced and will very much continue the good work. Shaun Kain will once again serve as an assistant coach to form a coaching tandem as formidable as any in the league. I will suggest again that some talented 2/3 players will push for spots at the Tier 1 level which will bolster this side beaming with potential.
Once of our very best recent coach acquisitions has to be Tara Hengst whom coaches our U10 Saints - wow what a brilliant job she has done with this young group. The team is rolling in Tier B this indoor season and will make the well deserved jump to Tier A this coming season. These young girls are organized, competitive and increasingly technical. Fantastic to see and will be a treat to follow in their development.
The Bhoys.
Jamie Pollock is back to coach the upstart U18 Celtic 94 and again will work with the fiery Christian Mirkovic with a team that has exceeded all expectations with a committed blue collar indoor season. I have been approached by rival club officials on numerous occasions commenting on what a tough group this is to play against. I am proud of this group and how they represent us and remain most impressed with both Jamie and Christian or is it the Ying and the Yang.
The U16 Rangers 96 CSA National Silver Medalists are once again led by the dynamic duo Scott McGeoch and Jorge Forno. This team is exceptional and truly has closed the gap on the 95 age group whilst remaining the team of choice at the 96 level. Sound defensively, tough as nails, with a more than adequate knack for timely goals this is our flag ship boys team more than deserving of the Celtic name but very much content to be Rangers. The team will travel to Bolton this spring with the Celtic 98's and Celtic 99's as they look to continue their dominance in development.
The U14 Celtic are coached by yours truly and could very well be the polar opposite of their older club siblings the Rangers as I can not say we are sound defensively or tough as nails although we certainly possess an abundance of flair, exceptional goal keeping and rare athleticism and technical ability. This young team has all the ingredients to one day be special with several big tournament championships and a provincial championship under their belt already and an indoor season thus far that many marvel about with respect to how competitive they are with the older, bigger, stronger 1997 teams. As mentioned above the Celtic 98's will make their second consecutive trip to Bolton this spring which is an example as to how serious this group is about excellence.
The U12 Celtic 99 are coached by Jamie Pollock and Just Cordick whom bring an exceptional one two punch to a team ripe with potential. Considered one of the top 99 teams in the city this group has some quality characteristics. The 99's pass the ball as well as any team in the club and are very organized defensively whilst possessing a roster blooming with several exceptional players. The team is in their second year of Tier 1 already and has always been pushed to the top by the club and I would fully expect the team to challenge for a Provincial Championship this coming season. The team will also travel to Bolton this spring which will only solidify what is a promising horizon. As is the case with several of our Tier 1 teams I do know of several 99's currently playing Tier 2/3 whom are making strong cases for inclusion onto this side which should make for an eventful and successful campaign.
We could very well have another strong entry into U12 Tier 1 as Coaches Simon Crebbin and Paul Selway have the Celtic 00 playing some exceptional stuff and having a most successful indoor season. It is not a stretch to suggest that the Celtic could win a Tier 2 Provincial Championship with a roster of 00's whom have always been successful and bolstered by a few 99's whom provide the perfect recipe of bite, athleticism and ability. A fantastic team, well coached and another reason to suggest that this club is set to make plenty of noise.
Our U10 Celtic 01 are led by Batman and Robin - Visser and Whitney. Leo and James the dynamic duo responsible for developing many of our now older boys are again returning to work with a group rich in pure talent and plenty of spirit. Plenty of quality youngsters here and just a matter of time before this becomes a group that the city will rave about as we already do. The team will once again battle in a strong Tier A league and continue to move forward under some truly first class coaching as a team put together for the first time this fall. Looking forward to it.
Rumours, rumours, rumours.
I will be quick as this might be a record for my longest entry. For the record I have resigned from Calgary United FC as in short - the time commitment was overwhelming and I feel as though time spent with my young family and with this truly great club is a much better choice. I very much enjoyed CUFC, appreciate all of your fan support and wish them well but as I said the commitment to family and nsdsc is first and foremost.
I will be back soon to break down our Tier 2/3 program.
Regards, Troye.
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