Episode 6 - March 17, 2025

Sanford Carabin

Welcome everyone to Episode 6 of the the Directors corner. A podcast dedicated to Executive and Technical Directors in Ontario.

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I'm your Host Sanford Carabin!

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On this week show, we will cover all the latest key news across Ontario, review a few workplace tools to help improve your productivity, outline some key job openings that have emerged over the past week and finally highlight upcoming events to keep on your radar.

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Lets jump right into the deep end!

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Two huge announcements were made over the past 2 weeks.

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First and foremost, Ontario Soccer has just announced via its latest Bulletin, the launch of Canada Soccer’s new Grassroots Standards to replace the current Ontario development matrices.

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This is the same set of standards that was supposed to have been launched back in 2023, except Ontario Soccer could not get it passed by all the Districts, hence the reason why we currently have some districts playing 5v5 at U9 and some playing 7v7.

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The biggest change and honestly the most controversial will be felt at the U13 age group.

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Beginning next year, it is proposed this age group will play 9v9 instead of 11v11.

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This is meant to be a nationwide rollout to ensure a consistent, supportive environment for all players. Although I'm not so sure all the other provinces in Canada will be adapting this change.

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Allot of questions still need to be addressed around this. For instance, will all the playing streams adapt 9v9? How will the game be played on turf fields? what will be the field dimensions? How will Clubs and municipalities deal with the increased requirement of 9v9 sized goals?

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I would say stay tuned for more upcoming webinars and town halls to address these questions.

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The second announcement by Ontario Soccer has to do with its launch of the My Soccer app, slated for roll-out this spring.

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This new digital app and media platform is designed to bring players, coaches, officials, fans, and families closer together, by offering live match streaming, real-time updates, highlights, and interactive engagement features for games at all levels.

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Fans will have the ability to follow their favorite local, regional, and provincial teams with unprecedented access to personalized content, player stats, and match updates.

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Picture this: real-time updates, personalized content, livestreams, maybe even quicker communication during disruptions like rainouts. It’s designed to bridge gaps—not just between coaches and players, but parents and club staff to.

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For club leadership, Ontario Soccer says the platform will also have monetization opportunities for clubs and leagues, enabling organizations to generate revenue through custom-branded media, sponsorships, and advertising. It’s being touted as a game-changer for clubs across Ontario.

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With an initial rollout in partnership with the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) and Ontario Soccer League (OSL), the platform will be fine-tuned before its full launch in 26.

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Switching gears now, I want to go back a couple weeks to when Jesse Marsch attended the Ontario Soccer Summit as well as some of the recent interviews he has had ......to highlight what a transformational approach he is taking.

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In my opinion, understanding Jesse Marsch’s vision for Canadian soccer is crucial for clubs in developing their players because it highlights a strategic shift in how the game is played at the highest level.

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Marsch has emphasized the importance of leveraging Canada’s natural athleticism, speed, and aggression rather than solely focusing on traditional technical and tactical training.

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For clubs, this means possibly adjusting their development models to prioritize dynamic, high-intensity play, ensuring that players are not only technically sound but also capable of competing physically with top international teams.

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If clubs align their training with this philosophy, they can better prepare their players for future opportunities at the national and professional levels.

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Additionally, Marsch is working in conjunction with the womens Head Coach Casey Stoney to ensure alignment across both programs.

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Speaking of development, Futsal continues to gain momentum in Ontario with the conclusion of the first-ever series of Grassroots Foot sal Festivals at Cardinal Carter Academy in Aurora.

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Over 400 players from 60 teams between the ages of U7 to U13 participated.

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These games were perfect for those clubs and academies that were not able to train regularly or play games on turf this winter.

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Continuing with Foot sal , 2025 Ontario Futsal Cup finals were held the past few weekends.

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The Men’s Final delivered a thrilling contest at Mohawk College in Hamilton as 9 de Octubre edged past Toronto Idolo 5-4 in a tightly contested match. This was their third successive championship.

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ON the women's side, Windsor Caboto clinched their second consecutive Ontario Futsal Cup Women’s title in a thrilling final against Scarborough GS United Elite, winning via a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw.

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Okay, for those that were around in 2013, when LTPD first was rolled out, Do you remember the U8 rule regarding corner kicks? HINT.....There wasn't one!

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When the ball went over the end line, the team would simply restarted with a goal kick. IN the first few years, coaches would teach their players if they were pressed on the endline to just kick the ball out and they get a goal kick.

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was a loophole that didn't sit well with many coaches.

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Fast forward 12 years...... Ontario Soccer has finally decided to address this rule via its recently completed, phase 1 pilot project called .....the Under-8 Corner Kick study.

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The focus was on evaluating modified corner kicks at U8. The initiative aimed to assess how these changes impact player behavior, match flow, and skill development.

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The result so far......change “kick-in” terminology to “pass-in” to encourage better technical play. Really?

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Well there not done yet! Building on the Phase 1 findings, Ontario Soccer is now launching Phase Two, which will further analyze corner kick placements by moving them five yards down the sideline and tracking their impact over a full season.

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Ontario Soccer is inviting interested districts to apply and be part of this study this summer.

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OK ....to finish off the Ontario Soccer news roundup, here are a few quick hits:

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First off, clubs looking for grants for there festivals should remember that Circle K is offering grants again this year for Club Festivals. The deadline to apply is April 4th ....so if your running a season ending festival, make sure you apply....only 50 grants are awarded annually.

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Next, Ontario Soccer is still looking for 2 more female teams for its annual 5v5 gatorade tournament April 5 and 6th. If your club is interested, you'll need to hurry to apply.

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Finally, if your in need of referees for your recreational programs this summer, Ontario Soccer's 2025 Match Official Clinics are now open for registration, offering both Small-Sided and Entry-Level courses.

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These programs are designed to accommodate individuals aged 12 and up who are starting out on their match officials pathway. To learn more, visit the ontario soccer website.

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Alright! as regular with each episode we try to offer a few tech tools to help improve productivity within soccer organizations. IN fact, leveraging these AI tools in the youth sport space is fast becoming commonplace as many of you have reached out to let me know you are trying them.

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Thats great to hear!

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This week, I wanted to offer two options for enhancing the marketing and communications initiatives within club and academy organizations.

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First up is a tool called Clip Drop by Jasper.

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Clip drop is an AI-powered platform offering a suite of tools designed to simplify and enhance image creation and editing. Heres a few ways it can be used:

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first...you can enhance your clubs Social Media efforts by quickly removing backgrounds from player action shots and place them on dynamic templates to create eye-catching promotional content.

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you can also create Player Spotlights ....by easily cutting out player images and overlaying them on professional-looking backgrounds for highlight reels or profile cards.

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another use of clip drop is to enhance your organizations Game-Day Announcements. You can do this by generating quick and polished visuals to promote upcoming matchups , gameday lineup announcements, and match results.

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By leveraging Clip drop’s AI tools, a youth soccer club can maintain a professional and engaging visual identity while saving time on manual graphic design work.

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The second tool to help you improve productivity is called Jellypod.

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Jellypod is an AI-powered platform designed to simplify the creation of professional-quality podcasts. It enables users to generate audio content using AI voices, eliminating the need for traditional recording equipment and extensive editing. With Jellypod, users can input text, and the platform transforms it into engaging audio, streamlining the podcast production process.

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A youth soccer club could leverage Jellypod to enhance its communication and engagement strategies. By producing regular podcasts, the club can share updates, match analyses, player interviews, and training tips with players, parents, and supporters. This approach not only keeps the community informed but also fosters a stronger connection among members.

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FUN FACT!...This is precisely the tool I use to generate this podcast.

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If your interested in knowing a bit more about either of these two tools, please reach out to me.. I currently use both and they are a major time saving.....

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OK lets switch gears again and look at the current job market in Ontario.

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Its that time of the year when vacancies begin to occur and while there are many part-time roles for coaches listed on the Ontario Soccer website, I wanted to highlight a few full-time roles currently open:

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First up, Ontario Soccer has posted for three specific job opportunities,

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They are actively recruiting for mid-level management positions, including Manager of OPDL and Club Development, Manager of Player and Club Development, and a Partnership Activation Specialist.

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In addition to these opportunities, the Oakville Soccer Club is currently seeking a Facility Manager to oversee the daily operations and maintenance of their Indoor soccer facility. This full-time role is ideal for someone with a background in facility management, operations, or sports administration. The Oakville SC is one of the largest soccer clubs in Canada, making this a fantastic opportunity for professionals looking to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

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OK ......Rounding out this weeks episode, here are several showcase events to be aware of over the next 3 months:

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On April 19th, The Cherry Beach SC is hosting its Admiral Showcase for both male and female competitive club teams U13 to U18. The deadline to apply is coming up very soon on March 31st. Visit the cherry beach soccer clubs website for more details.

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On May 16th, the annual Umbro Top Rated showcase will once again beheld across the peel region for both male and female competitive club teams U13 to U20. The deadline to apply is April 4. Visit the top rated series website for more details

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Finally, Windsor TFC and Windsor City FC in conjunction with FTF is hosting the first “Border Showdown Showcase” in Windsor, June 13th to 15th.

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The event is open to competitive club teams and will also feature teams from the US. If you have any teams in the 2010 to 2007 age groups looking to add a Showcase to there schedule this summer, please visit the showcase page through the FTF Canada website.

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So, that’s all for today. Thanks for tuning in, and as always, keep striving forward. See you next time on Directors Corner!