February 19, 2016 League 1 Ontario--League1 Ontario Hosts Canada Socccer High-Performance Director Tony Fonseca (from League 1 Ontario website)

League1 Ontario Hosts Canada Soccer High-Performance Director Tony Fonseca
02/19/2016, 2:15pm EST
By League1 Ontario staff

In the third installment of initiatives between the Canada Soccer and League1 Ontario, a coaching 
education with Canada Soccer High-Performance Director Tony Fonseca will be held on Friday February 26 
at Pickering Soccer Centre (1975 Clements Rd., Pickering). 

A limited capacity event requiring RSVP for League1 coaches, as well as an additional group 
of OPDL coaches, the day's program will feature on-field and classroom components, with Fonseca 
intent on providing a window into the development methodology used at the national level. 

"There are certain tactical issues and principles of play that are very central to what 
we do at the national level, and we want to share those ideas with the League1 coaches," 
said Fonseca.

"It's critical that we have events where we can interact with more people," he continued.

"We lack opportunities in this country to get together, debrief, and share developmental 
ideas. At the elite level it begins to deteriorate a bit and having events with the likes 
of League1 help tremendously. The elite players need to feel helped by us, and we hope 
these events will help enormously to realize they are not overlooked, and for us to bridge 
the gap."

Following on the heels of two 2015 joint-events between League1 and the Canada Soccer, 
Fonseca's clinic will build off the July Canada Soccer U20/ League1 ID camp with Rob Gale, 
and an October coach education event with CWNT head coach, John Herdman.

"Tony Fonseca will be the third staff member of Canada Soccer that will step into this 
educational role for Ontario coaches," said Ontario Soccer Association (OSA) Technical 
Director, Gary Miller.

"Rob Gale, National U20 Men's Coach, was here first to educate League1 coaches and 
assess League1 players for the national U20 men's team, and then John [Herdman] was 
in Ontario to educate League1 coaches and OPDL technical directors on the expectations 
of the National Female Program," he added. 

"Tony will now step into his role next week to continue the education of League1 coaches 
and OPDL technical directors. He will focus on the level of training that youth and 
senior players should attain for international duty." 

For coaches from both of Ontario's standards based leagues - OPDL and League1 Ontario 
- education and player ID events are crucial to the development and viability of the 
high-performance pathway in both Ontario and Canada.

"The Canada Soccer staff have been and will continue to educate the Ontario-based 
coaches on what they are looking for in a player at a national team level, and some 
of gaps that show up with Canadian players at international levels of play," said Miller.

"These high level standards are creating better environments for the development 
of players, coaches and match officials."

"League1 offers an example of how to do a D3 league, and as well with OPDL, which 
I think is the best place to start on the youth end," concluded Fonseca. 

"I truly believe that Ontario is heading in the right direction. Player pathways 
need to be followed - because, if not, players will have more problems knowing the 
next steps. I think the OSA has done very well in providing those steps." 

*Limited space remains for this event. Please direct inquiries and RSVPs 
to soccerleague@bellnet.ca.* cerleague@bellnet.ca.* 

back to 2016 League 1 Ontario Men's index

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