About fifty football hopefuls from the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, West-Island, from Ontario and elsewhere in Canada evolve five days a week under the guidance of highly qualified coaches, who are responsible for providing training integrated into the sports programs of Collège Bourget.
The student-athletes train for 90 minutes from Monday to Thursday at the end of classes in the modern facilities of the “Dome” inaugurated a year ago on the College campus, the Complexe sportif de l’Ouest (CSO). The youngsters, divided into three age groups, play friendly matches with other Quebec teams on Fridays.
Chafik Mahoubi, a former AAA caliber coach with the Pierrefonds Soccer Association, played the role of facilitator to carry out a pilot project initiated in 2014. For 6 years, the international academy program Valencia CF Canada has given rise to a variety of projects: summer and winter camps, support for methodology, teaching of its proven know-how in player development in the Canadian landscape.
The different stages culminated in a partnership with Collège Bourget. “Valencia CF was able to continue its Canadian expansion by adding an elite education opportunity in line with its core values,” said Mr. Mahoubi.
Having become vice-president of operations at Valencia CF Canada, the resident of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot mentions that the quality of the Collège Bourget offer made the difference. “Organizations in New York, Seattle and Houston wanted to host the academy. Valencia CF chose Rigaud to have its only pied-à-terre in Canada and even in North America. »
Experiences in Spain
As Chafik Mahoubi explains, the program set up by Valence CF in Rigaud aims to ensure optimal progress for young soccer players. “We want to make sure they get as far as possible. Developing talent here, keeping young people with us in anticipation of a potential move to a university establishment or to Europe,” describes the Algerian-born, while adding that the training academy might eventually include a club.
The program is already bearing fruit: Saad Saady, from Pincourt, will be promoted to a college in Alberta following attending Chêne-Bleu high school; Meriem Mhoubi, from Châteauguay, one of the 4 girls of the academy, was accepted at the University of West Virginia but her heart swings between the United States and Europe; Alexander Cleaves, for his part, will continue his athletic and academic career at a college in Northern Ontario.
In addition to training on the synthetic field, the young people have physical preparation of around 14 hours per week and a weekly video session. Local coaches are having online (zoom) sessions with three club supervisors in Spain.
Last weekend, groups of 13-15 year olds (Secondary 1 to 3) and 16-18 year olds (4e Secondary, 12e year) were invited for matches with their French-speaking partners from École Louis-Riel in Ottawa. The youngest 12 and under (4e at 6e year) participate annually in the Youth World Cup, the Gothia Cup, a global soccer tournament that attracts more than 1,700 teams to Gothenburg, Sweden.
Last week, some 25 Group III players and their families visited Valencia CF facilities in Spain. In addition to training and games with local clubs, the youngsters attended a match with professional team Valencia in the Spanish La Liga.
By way of conclusion, Chafik Mahoubi praises the benefits of the program: “Several parents thank us for having diverted their child from dropping out of school. That’s what soccer and sport can bring to young people. »
