Canada Soccer | An ascent to consolidate

From Soccer Quebec to Soccer Canada. The first has lost its director of development. The second now has a new director of the regional men’s program.

Frederick Duchesneau
The Press

Mike Vitulano has just completed his first week as a full-time national program employee.

Appointed by Soccer Canada on May 5, he officially left the Quebec federation on June 11, after a day when representatives of regional associations were gathered.

“It was emotional, admits Vitulano. They presented me with a Quebec team jersey with my name on the back. Matthew [Chamberland, directeur général de Soccer Québec] gave a very beautiful speech that touched me, then I wanted to speak and I had no words…”

Mike Vitulano felt he had “not quite finished the job” he wanted to accomplish at Soccer Quebec. But the power of attraction of the Canadian federation was too strong.

After a week’s break in the South “to recharge the batteries”, he was back at work on Monday morning, well settled at home.

His role

But there will be no shortage of travel for one who has already served Soccer Canada on a more sporadic basis.

As Director of the Regional Men’s Program, Vitulano, a former player and 2007 NCAA Second Division National Championship winner with Franklin Pierce University, will work with youth ages 13 to 18, whom he will strive to guide towards the national program. He will be regularly called upon to be part of the staff of the U15 and U17 formations.

We use the term “regional” because it is more encompassing than “provincial”. Vitulano cites the example of the annual Quebec-Ontario series, which brings together the best 14 to 16 year olds, sometimes 17. He will be there.

The regional program serves as a kind of antechamber to the national teams.

Without prescribing ways of doing things in detail, Vitulano will be responsible for bringing about a certain standardization — he likes the word — nationally. An approach in line with the ideology of the recent club recognition program. Obviously, we want to mark Canadian soccer.

The regional latitude will remain. But Soccer Canada wants to help improve, polish the work.

Mike Vitulano is therefore aiming for greater consistency between the various programs of Soccer Canada and all players in the sport in the country. It must be the binder.

The Example Jonathan David

Vitulano will also work with the private academies, the PLSQ, the three Canadian clubs in MLS and those in CPL. The ultimate goal is to properly identify the best 15-year-old players in the country. Without neglecting the fact that others will hatch later.

“It is a sport, especially on the male side, of late development. Jonathan David, it was just at 18 that he was discovered. Until then, he was part of an amateur club, ”recalls Mike Vitulano, in an interview last Tuesday.

The last part of his new role will be to keep the database of athletes who play outside the country up to date and to follow their progress. An additional reason to strengthen relations with the provincial federations.

“It must be a reflex to say to yourself: ‘I have to call Mike because a youngster has just left, he’s going to the second division with the under-14s in Paris.’ I have to know. And currently, this reflex does not exist automatically. »

John Herdman’s Plan

It is rightly said that Canadian tennis is living its golden age. Everything suggests that Canadian soccer, in rapid progression, is about to experience its own.

When John Herdman took charge of the men’s national program in 2018, he laid out an eight-year plan that included a presence at the 2022 World Cup, Vitulano said.

A less sexy chapter part of this plan was to ensure that more coaches and players have international experiences. In order to “create a sequel”.

“It can’t be by chance that we find a player around the corner playing in Kent Park, illustrates Mike Vitulano. We also have to find a way for more players like him to develop. »

At this time, Canada remains a modest player on the world stage. And this is reflected in the structure of its program.

“The reality is that in the United States, they are potentially 20 or 30 doing my job, Vitulano drops. Our Canadian strength is to do a lot with few means. »

But the wind is blowing in the right direction. And, eventually, all spheres of the organization could benefit from the growing notoriety of men’s training.

“I receive messages on social networks from people who tell me that they live, for example, in Turkey and whose young person has dual citizenship, says Vitulano. We’re on the map now. »