B.C. Soccer further highlighted its commitment the Canadian Soccer Associations (CSA) Wellness to World Cup Long Term Player Development (LTPD) program/model by re-confirming that there are to be no recording and posting of standings for U12 and below starting this fall.
LTPD's recommendation is that no league standings are to be recorded within the first three stages of development, Active Start, FUNdamentals and Learning to Train (these stages run between the ages of U4-U12). The B.C. Soccer Small Sided/Mini Soccer Development Manual has been updated to adhere to this recommendation for these age groups. B.C. Soccer supports competition at all levels and with the elimination of standings in children's leagues, it is not intended to reduce the intensity of the competition among players in a game situation. LTPD recognizes that playing with competitive commitment and intensity is necessary to advance player development in ball technique, decisionmaking, mental concentration, and other skills and capacities.
"Across the country, this has been a topic of debate and we at B.C. Soccer wanted our membership to know our stance on this; the matches themselves will still drive competition for these players but we need to distance ourselves from the win at all costs mentality", stated Luca Dalla Pace, BC Soccer's LTPD Liaison.
"This is a positive change that we made for the appropriate development our players within these important stages of development." Through the guidance and experience of the CSA, it has been established that young children will compete even in the absences of league standings. All young players understand that soccer is a game for scoring goals and "winning." Simple observation of children's soccer around the world shows that the absence of a trophy or league title does nothing to diminish each player's desire to compete each time they step onto the field.
Long-Term Player Development is a CSA soccer-specific adaptation of the Long-Term Athlete Development model (LTAD) developed by Canadian Sport Centres and is designed to promote lifelong enjoyment of physical activity, provide a structured player development
pathway, describe best practices for elite player development and create long-term excellence.
