Let your light shine against all darkness
See the tiny kid in the back row, second from the right? In Canada’s youth soccer landscape, that kid would get lost. He would get bullied by kids like the one standing beside him, who are bigger, stronger and faster. He would never get the chance to fulfill his potential, because the system would never give him a chance to shine.
That kid in the back row, with the white shorts pulled up to his armpits? That’s Lionel Messi, arguably the best player on the planet.
Jason deVos, former captain of the Canadian Men’s National Team, on long-term player development in Canadian soccer.
