PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - January 2008

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS YOUNG! - - - WWW.GOFOOTHILLS.CA

A club with soccer programs for all and home to proud soccer playing members.

Happy New Year and all the best to you and your family in 2008. Each year, as I put up the new calendar, I reflect on the year that was… 2007 was an extraordinary year for the Club - a time of achievement, growth and as always change.

I would like to acknowledge those who have so ably served our club over the past years - Pat Dennis, Alan Wanagot, Brad Keith, Daryl Price, Daryl Klint, Troye Flannery, Tino Fusco, thank you each for your outstanding contributions to the Club be it on the Board or playing field. Of course a huge thanks to our super office administrator, Betty Ann Price, for your organizational and counseling skills and for continuing to keeping us moving forward.

Congratulations to the Foothills Colts who won the Canadian GU16 club championships in October 2007, earning the Club its first Gold at Nationals. We were also well represented at Cities and Provincials as Foothills teams earned the Club's highest medal count ever. Well done!

Welcome to our new Technical Directors Graham Kennedy and Tommy Wheeldon Jr., our community partners Lake Bonavista, Deer Park and Deer Valley, the Calgary Men's Darts who will be merging into the Foothills family and our possible association with a major league women's club. Foothills and its partners now offer soccer for the U4-U65 player, a Club from cradle to grave.

Thank you to all of our players, parents, coaches, managers and volunteers for their time, support, effort and commitment to the Calgary Foothills Soccer Club, let's keep the momentum going.

Our Club grew by almost 80% from the 2006-07 indoor season which brought about many challenges especially in facilities, coaches, managers and staff. I hope we all realize that the Club is only as strong as its people and specifically its volunteers. We need all hands on deck to make an extraordinary soccer experience for our children - hopefully the best that Calgary has to offer at all ages, whether developmental, competitive or premier levels of play. Foothills Soccer Club is recognized as one of the top ten youth clubs in Canada, which is primarily due to the quality of volunteers that have served our organization over the past 35 years.

Volunteers continue to be the strength of this club, so please continue to stand up and be counted. We need you to coach, manage, organize, plan, train, fundraise, chaperone, transport, telephone, register, sort equipment, etc. Volunteer time is our biggest deficit and we will always need your time. Remember, every little bit helps and if we all chip in then we will create and maintain a great sport experience for all of the children in the Club. To paraphrase a quote from JFK: "Ask not what your Club can do for you but what you can do for Club." We can find a role for you!

By now you have seen a change in our technical program delivery. We have adopted a "coach centric" development model where we are now spending much more time on the development, training and advancement of our coaches. Ultimately it is our coaches who deliver the day-to-day program and it is our intention to build the strongest coaching staff possible. Does this mean that we are not offering direct training to our players from technical directors and staff coaches? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that you will see a lot more of our technical directors working in the practice session alongside the coach. You will see technical directors at games either in the stands or on the bench. You will see technical directors scouting and evaluating players on a continual basis throughout the season. Team formation will not be the result of a "one-off" try-out where simply having one good day or one bad day makes the difference from being selected to or released from a team. Our coaches will become better equipped to develop our players and build teams as a result. Our goal is to develop a cohesive club with a sustainable, high quality program delivery model that is repeatable year after year. Our long-term focus is to develop highly qualified players and coaches so that every team has a positive and rewarding experience.

We are often asked; "Where do our fees go?" The answer depends on the program in which your child participates. Premier level players pay more fees to receive a greater proportion of the technical directors time in terms of training and development. Competitive and recreational players do not have the same demands and so their fees are lower. Our base registration fees cover rentals, league fees, equipment and uniforms, coach education, training camps, administration, seasonal planning and other player events like jamborees and tournament fees depending on the age. Premier fees cover all of the same items in addition to a second practice time per week, technical staff salaries, high quality coach with mandatory coach education sessions, small-sided tournament play, futsal, TD practice visitations, TD game analysis, training plans, regular TD-coach interaction, reference calls to college coaches, documented development plans, development academy sessions and so much more. For a description of our program, please visit our website and click on the left tab "Program Delivery Model". We hope that you see the value in building a strong club where coaches are well trained and supported and to develop our youth players to their fullest potential. No other club does this to the extent that we do - this is why we believe that Foothills is different.

As a result of the environment that we are creating at Foothills, and the experience that players have in that environment, we are building a great culture - a real club with first rate coaching, proficient players and a proud and supportive alumni.

Foothills is in excellent financial condition with a facility reserve intended to be applied towards a club-owned training facility in the future. If you are a member with an opportunity of over ten acres of developable land in the south of the city, we'd love to here from you.

Calgary is a reflection of the rapid acceptance and growth of the truly international game of soccer. Our city won five medals in 2007 national championship tournaments, three of them gold. Over the past three seasons Foothills alone has qualified four teams for the nationals and won three medals with three different teams (Foothills Mutiny, BU18 bronze 2005; Foothills Irish 88's, BU18 silver 2006; and Foothills Colts, GU16 gold 2007). Foothills is a recognized leader in developing the game in Canada and we are committed to ensuring that our members receive plenty of skill instruction along with plenty of fun to ensure that the trend continues. As your President, it is my duty to ensure that members participate in a positive athletic environment. Our programs are designed to educate, train and guide players and coaches to meet the growing demand for quality soccer development.

Our challenges for the upcoming seasons include meeting the demands of the soccer playing public; development of quality coaches to execute our development strategy for all of our members regardless of level of play; and realizing our dream of a permanent home facility. Of course, being able to handle our growth into the future by having enough volunteers to run our programs and teams is a top priority.

Finally, outdoor registrations will commence around February 1, 2008 and evaluations will take place in early March-April. If you are looking to play or coach or volunteer or want to be more involved with the Club in a sport-related volunteer position please email foothills@telus.net or call us at 225-9388. We would be pleased to review our programs and opportunities with you.

I am proud serve as the President of the Calgary Foothills Soccer Club and I encourage all members to continue their support of our Club through player and coach commitment, parent volunteerism and fan enthusiasm.

Yours in soccer,

Dennis J. Kwan
President
president@calgaryfoothillssoccer.com