Caledon forges link with European pro club

Caledon Soccer Club (CSC) is bringing its players closer to realizing the dream of playing professional soccer with its innovative new partnership with a European professional team, and parents will be happy to hear that this professional soccer goal won't mean sacrificing a post-secondary education.

"Traditionally the choice has been to play professional soccer or get an education, but with this arrangement education is not a choice, it is a must-do element. The players will genuinely be scholarathletes," said CSC head coach Steve Hill.

CSC's new affiliation will ensure that its players are receiving the same highquality soccer training experienced in European soccer academies. "All players will benefit from this soccer curriculum. Coming through the CSC ranks will ensure sound development of the requirements necessary to make the dream of playing professional more accessible than ever for our players with those aspirations. And those who don't want to take soccer to a professional level will be guaranteed access to high-caliber training. Everybody wins," said Caledon's new technical programs manager Stuart Neely.

The deal with the Belgian Fourth Division Team, Royal Racing Club Montegnee (RRCM), can be traced back to interest in CSC from RRCM president and owner Paul Topping. Formerly director of Charlton Athletic U.S. Soccer Academies, Topping has visited Ontario several times to view CSC teams. He has identified many CSC players who are good enough to have a chance to play in the professional leagues in Europe but until now they lacked the professional link.

"After talking to many clubs, I was attracted to CSC because of the quality of its people. The club's forward-thinking approach to coaching and player development makes this arrangement an ideal fit. There are players presently at the club who really do have a chance to make the transition to the professional game," said Topping.

The joining of the two clubs is the result of more than a year of negotiations with Topping. CSC president Albert Condotta* and head coach Steve Hill recently traveled to Belgium to view the club and educational facilities, and firm up the details of the partnership. Condotta and Hill were impressed with what they saw, and the feeling is mutual.

"The local community in Belgium is excited at the prospect of top Canadian talent coming to play for their club. In recent years, Belgium has become a staging ground for some of the top clubs in Europe. Both Arsenal and Manchester United have affiliations with Belgian teams. Plans are currently in place for Caledon teams to travel to Belgium on tour and for Belgian teams to come over to Canada," added Topping.

CSC has had offers to link with professional teams in the past but those arrangements have all been missing the emphasis on ensuring the continuation of formal education. "We're extremely pleased that this arrangement offers the best of both worlds. The schools we viewed were truly top notch," noted Hill.

"With this affiliation between CSC and RRCM we have created a unique opportunity for players at the Caledon Soccer Club. There is real commitment here to provide a program that benefits our full membership. This partnership allows us to say to kids, 'stick with it, work hard and you can play professional soccer and get a post-secondary education in Europe.' To say that with confidence really feels great," said Condotta.