OSATv TouchLine -- 179 Bert Lobo

OSATv TouchLine host, Anthony Totera, interviews Bert Lobo -- President of the Ontario Youth Soccer League (OYSL), the most influential competitive youth soccer league in Ontario -- on this top-of-pyramid youth league's role in player development across Ontario and Canada; the role of the OYSL as a feeder league providing players for Team Ontario and Team Canada; the role of the OYSL as a talent showcase based on the concept of educational and professional advancement through soccer scholarships in Canada and the USA; the recruitment of OYSL Technical Director Christian Fedor, former Romanian professional, Championship League player and UEFA coach, to prepare OYSL players and teams for ID showcase tournaments; the improved funding opportunities for Canadian Players to remain in Canada and play for Canadian colleges and universities; the invaluable volunteer services provided by Gerry Gentile, OYSL Director of Communications and recent recipient of the CSA President's Award, in presenting Scholarship Seminars to more than 4,000 parents, players and coaches with the theme of leveraging soccer talent to provide opportunities for personal improvement through education and professional development while avoiding the pitfalls of the Scholarship promise; the challenges faced by OYSL teams from outside the GTA in terms of travel time and expense, and the OYSL's attempts to address some of these disadvantages through scheduling to minimize the impact on players, coaches and parents; the problem of inconsistent and borderline field conditions for play at the OYSL level, particularly in the City of Toronto, where new Mayor Rob Ford has invited citizens to call him directly to report any concerns; changes in the OYSL/OSA relationship addressing issues and bureaucratic red tape; and the switch from the OYSL's premier international tournament from the "Toronto Cup" to the "Mississauga Canadian Cup" scheduled for July 1-3, 2011.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• ontario
• soccer
• association
• osatv
• touchline
• totera
• oysl
• lobo
• scholarship