By OSU Force Academy
With training and trials overseas, and national program involvement back at home, it’s been quite the off-season for the Ottawa South United Force Academy 2001 boys.
The team’s series of exciting experiences began in late February when four OSU players attended their age group’s Canada Soccer National Excel Camp in Vaughan. Together, Nana Nuama Nuama-Mensah, Antonio Carlini, Mehdi Essoussi and Daniel Assaf marked the biggest representation from any club in the province.
“It’s fantastic for us,” beams OSU Club Head Coach Paul Harris, “in terms of growth and the opportunities that our players are now getting.”
Next up was an 11-day soccer development tour in March when the full U15 side travelled to the United Kingdom in order to experience a more intensified, soccer-based society than they were accustomed to in Canada.
“Part of it was to show them a different culture, a different way of life, and also to educate them in terms of being away from home,” underlines England-born Harris, a former coach in Everton FC’s academy program. “We used (the trip) as a good opportunity to teach some life skills, because as much as we’re promoting the players and getting them opportunities, we’re also trying to make good human beings.”
A definite highlight for the team was taking in a live Chelsea vs Everton FA Cup match.
“It was a fantastic atmosphere and great game for the boys to see,” Harris notes.
The “business” part of the tour included a practice session run by Liverpool F.C. academy coaches, plus training and matches against professional academy teams such as Shrewesbury Town, Everton F.C. and Wigan F.C. Though still in preseason mode, Harris believes OSU faired extremely well in those contests.
“The games went fantastically from my point of view,” Harris indicates. “Some of the players got further interest from some of the scouts at the end.”
Trials at Crewe & Munich
While overseas, a number of OSU players attended trials with pro academies.
Carlini, Luca Nicastro, Matteo de Brienne and Ronan Kratt all spent a week with Crewe Alexandra F.C. in England, while Kratt and Amin Souaid went to Bayern Munich for another week.
All in all, the Force players are now reenergized for their upcoming season, where the 2001 boys will be chasing their first official provincial title (although the standings are not officially tracked at U13 level, those who keep track would have found the Force at the very top last year).
The experiences also served as important building blocks and possible steppingstones to future careers, notes OSU General Manager Jim Lianos.
“This also serves as another tangible example of OSU Force Academy players having legitimate opportunities at the international and professional level of soccer,” adds Lianos. “Exposure to the professional environment at this age will serve the boys well and help prepare them for future success in the game.”