It was good to see Colin Miller, the former Canadian World Cup player, being announced last week as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Miller, who at 45 has had an extensive soccer career including playing for Rangers in the top flight of Scottish football, will be an excellent addition to the Whitecaps organization, which is slowly but surely putting together the pieces of a franchise which will be ready to 'compete to win' in the MLS in 2011.
Miller's addition was on the heels of another Canadian, Mark Watson, being acquired by the San Jose Earthquakes again as an assistant coach. Factor in Nick Dasovic at TFC, Nick Desantis in Montreal (albeit as Technical Director for Montreal Impact), and Frank Yallop himself at San Jose and all of a sudden you are beginning to see a modest rise in the opportunities for Canadians to cut their teeth in coaching and management at the highest level in North America.
Why is this important?
It is important, amongst other things, for two main reasons:
First, after a lifetime of sacrifice in plying their trades as humble professional soccer players, it gives each one of these distinguished Canadians the chance to continue their passion for the game at a level where they can influence and inspire but, at the same time, make a living. Secondly, it allows them to develop into top flight coaches, managers, and educators of the game, which in Canada we need.
People often forget or in many cases are oblivious to, the realities of the professional game in Canada where opportunities for former players who have the pedigree and character traits to be leaders, have been non-existent. As a result, many with the talent have simply faded out of the game.
The truth at the highest level in Canada has been the transparent limitations on a professional soccer career. If thought about rationally at the outset, for many there are certainly more appealing career paths to take in terms of sustainable personal growth, compensation, lifetime longevity and a diversity of opportunities.
It is why when the MLS pitch the necessity of keeping player salaries in check by compensating some of their personnel less than $50,000 it highlights the lack of thought or consideration to the sacrifices these athletes will make over their short careers. Translation: there should be a minimum salary structure above and beyond what it is at the moment.
Chasing the dream and realizing it by earning a living from playing the game is one thing, pragmatic thinking when considering a long term future career is quite another. Having said that, we are what we are and at the moment we are much further ahead than we were 15 years or even 10 years ago.
Vancouver Whitecaps, TFC, and Montreal Impact have a responsibility to assist, where possible, to hire former Canadian players with the talent and potential to succeed in leadership roles. Doing to so keeps the ball rolling on improving our Canadian soccer industry.