By Dan Plouffe
High school-aged boys from various local clubs and schools got to strut their stuff under the eye of a scout from the Montreal Impact youth academy during an exhibition game on April 24 at Louis-Riel Dome.
It was an opportunity for the players to explore a new development path that now exists thanks to the rise of the Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC and Montreal Impact pro teams in Canada. Academy members move to residences in those cities and train under the watch of the pro club’s staff.
“That’s great for soccer,” says Louis-Riel sports-études coach and organizer Joé Fournier, highlighting world-class facilities the clubs have built to host young prospects at a cost of only a few hundred dollars for the year. “They’re not doing it to make money, they’re doing it to develop soccer players.”
Cleats for Kids
Fournier organized the event in conjunction with Parmar Sports Training, who are also busy with their own initiative called Cleats for Kids, a drive to collect 1,000 pairs of cleats for underprivileged kids in Northern India through the Youth Football Club in Rurka Kalan.
“We encourage all the different clubs and teams to donate,” explains Sanjeev Parmar, who regularly contributes to the organization founded to keep kids off the streets and visits yearly to give clinics. “Anyone and everyone can participate, young to old. Brand new or old cleats – as long as they’re able to be worn.”
Cash donations are also encouraged in order to purchase cleats at a lower cost in India, or through arrangement with Disalvo Sports, where cleat drop-boxes are also located at their Bank St. and Bells Corners stores. Contact admin@parmarsportstraining.com for more information.