les nouvelles / una notizia / noticias / uma noticia
MAKE THE BORING BEAUTIFUL
March 11, 2025 (Pickering): Earlier in the week League1 Ontario released its fixture list for the 2025 regular season. In addition to a Cup game on April 13 ( ONE MONTH AWAY) the Saints will embark on 20 matches. Highlights will include long road journeys to Sudbury and Windsor. However, local derbys against geographical rivals Pickering and Borough FC will be marked on the schedule for many players. Both organizations (Pickering last place in 2024 and Borough FC 6th place in L2) were given free passes to the Championship Division avoiding the newly introduced system of relegation and promotion. Master’s will once again call the intimate confines of L’Amoreaux Sportsplex home in the heart of North Scarborough.
Training Camp continued late Tuesday night with Coach Matt working on some fundamentals. He cautioned his troops that for them to fully benefit from player development training they must perfect the boring. In his words: "Make the boring beautiful." It's crunch time now.
March 11, 2025 (Pickering): Earlier in the week League1 Ontario released its fixture list for the 2025 regular season. In addition to a Cup game on April 13 ( ONE MONTH AWAY) the Saints will embark on 20 matches. Highlights will include long road journeys to Sudbury and Windsor. However, local derbys against geographical rivals Pickering and Borough FC will be marked on the schedule for many players. Both organizations (Pickering last place in 2024 and Borough FC 6th place in L2) were given free passes to the Championship Division avoiding the newly introduced system of relegation and promotion. Master’s will once again call the intimate confines of L’Amoreaux Sportsplex home in the heart of North Scarborough.
Training Camp continued late Tuesday night with Coach Matt working on some fundamentals. He cautioned his troops that for them to fully benefit from player development training they must perfect the boring. In his words: "Make the boring beautiful." It's crunch time now.
IT'S ABOUT THE FIT
March 8, 2025 (Scarborough): Coach Matt has been on the other side of this conversation. He understands that not making the cut can be ego-bruising for any player. The second-year Trainer of MFA’s Senior team gathered the players on a mid-week post-training stretch. It was an opportunity to also chat with them collectively about the blueprint of the club moving forward. He forewarned the group that unfortunately it may be his last occasion to work with some of them. Subsequent conversations would be carried out with such players privately. But he assured the group that decisions moving forward are about the fit and not about their level of talent. Coach Matt and the MFA technical team have many variables to consider while tackling roster construction. Not only do the architects of the team need to recruit players into strategic areas of need but they also have to work with League1 Ontario’s age requirements. Clubs are required to field younger players and provide them with a percentage of playing time. One needs a forensic accountant to work around the league’s mandated precondition.
On a late Saturday night MFA’s technical team had the boys on the bigger pitch in nearby Scarborough to see what players can master the complexities of more real estate. It was another chance for Coach Matt to watch , ponder and review Veo - one of the sport’s more telling measuring instruments. Players will be retained. Players will be cut loose. But primarily its not personal…it’s about the fit.
March 8, 2025 (Scarborough): Coach Matt has been on the other side of this conversation. He understands that not making the cut can be ego-bruising for any player. The second-year Trainer of MFA’s Senior team gathered the players on a mid-week post-training stretch. It was an opportunity to also chat with them collectively about the blueprint of the club moving forward. He forewarned the group that unfortunately it may be his last occasion to work with some of them. Subsequent conversations would be carried out with such players privately. But he assured the group that decisions moving forward are about the fit and not about their level of talent. Coach Matt and the MFA technical team have many variables to consider while tackling roster construction. Not only do the architects of the team need to recruit players into strategic areas of need but they also have to work with League1 Ontario’s age requirements. Clubs are required to field younger players and provide them with a percentage of playing time. One needs a forensic accountant to work around the league’s mandated precondition.
On a late Saturday night MFA’s technical team had the boys on the bigger pitch in nearby Scarborough to see what players can master the complexities of more real estate. It was another chance for Coach Matt to watch , ponder and review Veo - one of the sport’s more telling measuring instruments. Players will be retained. Players will be cut loose. But primarily its not personal…it’s about the fit.
IDENTITY AND THE DIGITAL EYE
“Identity is the God of small things. It’s up close and personal, it’s intimate, it’s oft-idiosyncratic and above all it’s joyous and truly rewarding.”
Mike Amos, former Chairman of the Northern League (England)
March 4, 2025 (Pickering): A couple years back I had a brilliant exchange with Mike Amos. At the time I shared with him my project with MFA and League1 Ontario. He was delighted … Genuinely delighted of my plan. I bent Mike’s ear for advice and he encouraged me to persevere. For decades Mike’s turf covered fabled football homes in the Northeast of England. His focus was storied clubs like Taunton or Tow Law and many places in between. It is the foundation of football in England and truly a rewarding time for my English friend as he oversaw the Northern League as its Chairman. So much so that at 5am every morning I receive a new story from Mike’s blog about his bygone days in Non League football. You see , Mike is a part time journalist and a great footballing storyteller , not to mention a highly respected administrator who has landed himself in more than one Hall of Fame.
I have also been told that when a photograph is framed it’s not a confinement - it’s a window.
My weekly pilgrimages to capture MFA’s pre season training camp is far from being idiosyncratic. It’s a window to depict the skills, dedication and sacrifices of the players and the technical team who are building an identity in front of my digital eye - up close and personal.
The joy of football. It’s unmatched and needs to be shared.
“Identity is the God of small things. It’s up close and personal, it’s intimate, it’s oft-idiosyncratic and above all it’s joyous and truly rewarding.”
Mike Amos, former Chairman of the Northern League (England)
March 4, 2025 (Pickering): A couple years back I had a brilliant exchange with Mike Amos. At the time I shared with him my project with MFA and League1 Ontario. He was delighted … Genuinely delighted of my plan. I bent Mike’s ear for advice and he encouraged me to persevere. For decades Mike’s turf covered fabled football homes in the Northeast of England. His focus was storied clubs like Taunton or Tow Law and many places in between. It is the foundation of football in England and truly a rewarding time for my English friend as he oversaw the Northern League as its Chairman. So much so that at 5am every morning I receive a new story from Mike’s blog about his bygone days in Non League football. You see , Mike is a part time journalist and a great footballing storyteller , not to mention a highly respected administrator who has landed himself in more than one Hall of Fame.
I have also been told that when a photograph is framed it’s not a confinement - it’s a window.
My weekly pilgrimages to capture MFA’s pre season training camp is far from being idiosyncratic. It’s a window to depict the skills, dedication and sacrifices of the players and the technical team who are building an identity in front of my digital eye - up close and personal.
The joy of football. It’s unmatched and needs to be shared.
WHEN MESSI DINES AT TIGER'S HOUSE
March 1, 2025 (Scarborough): The Metro Golf Sportsplex is now an urban landmark. Visible to millions of commuters who make Highway 401 their daily bumper-to-bumper commute from suburbia to the City Centre. The oversized building is imposing, and offers little in architectural brilliance on the outside but is set apart by two large banners hanging on its southern exposure. One depicts a golfer chipping over the water while the other portrays two footballers competing for a ball. Inside the facility, a driving range competes with three football pitches. During the day beginners to avid golfers work on their long game. Much larger footballs invade the pitches from time to time after the ballpickers collect all of the stray golfballs distributed from two layers of platforms that overlook the high-quality plastic pitches. It’s an unusual marriage of two sports cohabitating but something proving to be a winning collaboration.
The Master’s Technical Team believes that the MFA indoor facility on the Farm is more than adequate to keep an eye on skill development in intimate surroundings. They also understand , however, that more indoor real estate is needed for full player analysis and development. The Metro Golf Sportsplex became an option on a late Saturday night after MFA exhausted their indoor facility search. The crunch for indoor football facilities is indeed alive and kicking in Canada.
“We want to assess those who aren't strong in small spaces but may have something to offer on a big pitch that would be missed and overlooked in the tight confines of the Farm,” explained Coach Matthew Groves of the Academy’s decision to move to a larger facility on Saturday night. “We've been in close-quarters combat.... all the soldiers with handguns and smgs up close and personal…on the battlefield is where the long-range gunners make a mark…snipers become a lot more valuable,” he expanded.
Groves reported that he is looking for a hybrid player who is versatile. “When you have someone who is just incredible with space .. you have to give them their flowers as well,” he reported. But he cautioned that a bad touch then you are in the vicinity to tackle and win back the ball in a small space doesn't exist on the big pitch. “If you lose the ball ,it's often lost... bigger penalty to pay... longer time without it,” he summarized.
Saturday night allowed the technical team to look and assess a different way. “We will see who is able to adapt or who is still going to bring the close quarters knife to a big pitch gun fight,” he explained with tongue firmly implanted in his cheek.
At the Metro Golf Sportsplex golf balls may have been temporarily replaced by footballs for a small army of young warriors trying to make the grade in League1. But it does beg a question. Is Messi’s long game is as good as Tiger’s short game.
March 1, 2025 (Scarborough): The Metro Golf Sportsplex is now an urban landmark. Visible to millions of commuters who make Highway 401 their daily bumper-to-bumper commute from suburbia to the City Centre. The oversized building is imposing, and offers little in architectural brilliance on the outside but is set apart by two large banners hanging on its southern exposure. One depicts a golfer chipping over the water while the other portrays two footballers competing for a ball. Inside the facility, a driving range competes with three football pitches. During the day beginners to avid golfers work on their long game. Much larger footballs invade the pitches from time to time after the ballpickers collect all of the stray golfballs distributed from two layers of platforms that overlook the high-quality plastic pitches. It’s an unusual marriage of two sports cohabitating but something proving to be a winning collaboration.
The Master’s Technical Team believes that the MFA indoor facility on the Farm is more than adequate to keep an eye on skill development in intimate surroundings. They also understand , however, that more indoor real estate is needed for full player analysis and development. The Metro Golf Sportsplex became an option on a late Saturday night after MFA exhausted their indoor facility search. The crunch for indoor football facilities is indeed alive and kicking in Canada.
“We want to assess those who aren't strong in small spaces but may have something to offer on a big pitch that would be missed and overlooked in the tight confines of the Farm,” explained Coach Matthew Groves of the Academy’s decision to move to a larger facility on Saturday night. “We've been in close-quarters combat.... all the soldiers with handguns and smgs up close and personal…on the battlefield is where the long-range gunners make a mark…snipers become a lot more valuable,” he expanded.
Groves reported that he is looking for a hybrid player who is versatile. “When you have someone who is just incredible with space .. you have to give them their flowers as well,” he reported. But he cautioned that a bad touch then you are in the vicinity to tackle and win back the ball in a small space doesn't exist on the big pitch. “If you lose the ball ,it's often lost... bigger penalty to pay... longer time without it,” he summarized.
Saturday night allowed the technical team to look and assess a different way. “We will see who is able to adapt or who is still going to bring the close quarters knife to a big pitch gun fight,” he explained with tongue firmly implanted in his cheek.
At the Metro Golf Sportsplex golf balls may have been temporarily replaced by footballs for a small army of young warriors trying to make the grade in League1. But it does beg a question. Is Messi’s long game is as good as Tiger’s short game.
THE CULTURE OF CHEMISTRY
February 25, 2025 (Scarborough): Cyberspace is littered with studies on the chemistry of interpersonal relationships in the sporting arena. Sports Psychologists from all corners of the globe have researched and spit out endless data on how chemistry impacts the performance of teams. Football is no different. Coaches now pursuing their modern-day coaching badges are exposed to a syllabus containing methodologies of how to maintain a dressing room. One cannot escape the marriage of chemistry and sports performance in the mainstream. How will the inclusion of Rashford impact the Villans as they chase a return to Europe? How will England’s Kyle Walker influence the Italian dressing room at Milan? These are all questions that have been invading the airwaves and broadsheets across the globe this season. Chemistry is now as common in football as players cutting holes in the back of their socks.
For Senior Trainer Matthew Groves and the technical team at Master’s Futbol Academy the ‘Chemistry’ of a club is important but not the the ‘end all’ when constructing a roster. While Groves and the MFA braintrust have a very close-knit foundation heading into the 2025 League1 Ontario campaign he is of the opinion that technical ability can trump chemistry in the case of the outlier. “The player that's so outstanding, that they are a clear necessary component to be on the pitch... ,” explained Groves. “When you have a player like this.. generally the team sees this as well, and adapts to it.. forming some sort of new limb, to the previous existing chemistry body so to speak, which incorporates this player... This allows for the player and the teammates to all feel a sense of belonging despite that player not fitting into the original mould... “, he added. He reported that it’s the adaptation to win that is paramount among the larger group. Groves explained , however, that new additions to any team may have their potential identified by the technical staff but these qualities may not be seen by teammates. He cautioned that new players must therefore assimilate to the culture , chemistry and climate of the team. “Kind of like picking a partner, the more attractive they are, the more crap you're willing to put up with... If they aren’t the most attractive it's usually balanced out with a great personality.. Replace attraction with technical ability, and merge personality with team chemistry.. and there you end up with the formula by which we judge if someone's right for the team...” Groves concluded that the process isn’t black or white but “its more of a gauge of the ability / chemistry combination”.
Terrell Spencer, MFA’s incumbent Captain and one of the true organic leaders on the squad, made his opinion about team dynamics quite clear. “We want a dog -someone ready to put in the work, put in the hours, ready to sacrifice, ready to commit,” was Spencer’s proclamation. “Obviously ability is important but come with some ambition, determination and grit,” he added. Spencer reported that the retention of players from last season had enhanced the chemistry of the squad rolling into the upcoming season. He agreed that slotting new players into roles like pieces into a puzzle is important. But he warned that finding high skilled players may seem the easy solution but a toxic player is something he wants to avoid.
February 25, 2025 (Scarborough): Cyberspace is littered with studies on the chemistry of interpersonal relationships in the sporting arena. Sports Psychologists from all corners of the globe have researched and spit out endless data on how chemistry impacts the performance of teams. Football is no different. Coaches now pursuing their modern-day coaching badges are exposed to a syllabus containing methodologies of how to maintain a dressing room. One cannot escape the marriage of chemistry and sports performance in the mainstream. How will the inclusion of Rashford impact the Villans as they chase a return to Europe? How will England’s Kyle Walker influence the Italian dressing room at Milan? These are all questions that have been invading the airwaves and broadsheets across the globe this season. Chemistry is now as common in football as players cutting holes in the back of their socks.
For Senior Trainer Matthew Groves and the technical team at Master’s Futbol Academy the ‘Chemistry’ of a club is important but not the the ‘end all’ when constructing a roster. While Groves and the MFA braintrust have a very close-knit foundation heading into the 2025 League1 Ontario campaign he is of the opinion that technical ability can trump chemistry in the case of the outlier. “The player that's so outstanding, that they are a clear necessary component to be on the pitch... ,” explained Groves. “When you have a player like this.. generally the team sees this as well, and adapts to it.. forming some sort of new limb, to the previous existing chemistry body so to speak, which incorporates this player... This allows for the player and the teammates to all feel a sense of belonging despite that player not fitting into the original mould... “, he added. He reported that it’s the adaptation to win that is paramount among the larger group. Groves explained , however, that new additions to any team may have their potential identified by the technical staff but these qualities may not be seen by teammates. He cautioned that new players must therefore assimilate to the culture , chemistry and climate of the team. “Kind of like picking a partner, the more attractive they are, the more crap you're willing to put up with... If they aren’t the most attractive it's usually balanced out with a great personality.. Replace attraction with technical ability, and merge personality with team chemistry.. and there you end up with the formula by which we judge if someone's right for the team...” Groves concluded that the process isn’t black or white but “its more of a gauge of the ability / chemistry combination”.
Terrell Spencer, MFA’s incumbent Captain and one of the true organic leaders on the squad, made his opinion about team dynamics quite clear. “We want a dog -someone ready to put in the work, put in the hours, ready to sacrifice, ready to commit,” was Spencer’s proclamation. “Obviously ability is important but come with some ambition, determination and grit,” he added. Spencer reported that the retention of players from last season had enhanced the chemistry of the squad rolling into the upcoming season. He agreed that slotting new players into roles like pieces into a puzzle is important. But he warned that finding high skilled players may seem the easy solution but a toxic player is something he wants to avoid.
JOB'S A GOOD 'UN
February 24, 2025 (Pickering): We share a common song for many of us who cohabitate in Ontario. “Stop bleepin’ snowing” is our battle cry. Coaches Matty and Junior must have felt a little snowed under at the Barn on Sunday afternoon. The North door of MFA’s indoor training facility kept opening and an endless supply of players kept creeping indoors. Many were known attendees yet a few were crashing the party compliments of word of mouth from their mates. Word on the street is that the Barn is where true footballers find their game. Real estate on the 'premium' turf was at a premium. Yet Coach Matty adjusted and tweaked his football syllabus so 35 or so athletes could be energized for two hours of high-performance training. In England, they say “job's a good ‘Un” when a task is completed well. Another successful training session under Coaches Matty and Junior.
February 24, 2025 (Pickering): We share a common song for many of us who cohabitate in Ontario. “Stop bleepin’ snowing” is our battle cry. Coaches Matty and Junior must have felt a little snowed under at the Barn on Sunday afternoon. The North door of MFA’s indoor training facility kept opening and an endless supply of players kept creeping indoors. Many were known attendees yet a few were crashing the party compliments of word of mouth from their mates. Word on the street is that the Barn is where true footballers find their game. Real estate on the 'premium' turf was at a premium. Yet Coach Matty adjusted and tweaked his football syllabus so 35 or so athletes could be energized for two hours of high-performance training. In England, they say “job's a good ‘Un” when a task is completed well. Another successful training session under Coaches Matty and Junior.
KICKING IT OFF (OP-ED)
Wednesday, Feb 11, 2025 (Scarborough ON): I’m certain the schedule makers at the League1 Ontario office would chalk it up to ‘dumb luck’. The 2025 League1 Cup competition was unveiled and first-round matchups were announced. No dates or venues are included. Master’s FA are pitted against the North Mississauga Panthers. Two rivals in the Championship Division, and it is a bit of a bland affair to the outsider.
But picture this:
It was mid-August, 2022 and local rivals Tottenham and Chelsea met early in the English Premiership campaign. Both squads were loaded for a title race and both teams are London rivals. After the match both Managers exchanged in what started as a handshake but developed into a grab and push. No one remembers the outcome of the match but everyone remembers Thomas Tuchal and Antonio Conte’s heated exchange. It is now part of Premiership footballing lore.
Now let’s fast forward to the end of the 2024 League1 Ontario campaign.
North Mississauga was paying L’Amoreaux a visit. It was one of the last matches in the schedule and an encounter that was rescheduled. The original match was called off as L1ON officials were frightened of some puddles after a torrential rainstorm engulfed the GTA. The rescheduled match was played mid day on a very hot late August weekend afternoon. NMSC Technical Director Peyvand Mossavat, highly respected in local football circles, was incensed that the rescheduled match was approved as he was facing player acquisition issues forcing the Panthers to take the field with a depleted and young roster. There was a serious threat that the visitors would boycott the affair. To complicate matters one of NMSC’s Assistant Coaches engaged in a heated pregame disagreement with players on the hometown squad. The match ended, a young NMSC squad accounted themselves well between the touchlines, and both squads avoided relegation.
But a rivalry is born. Who would have known? Surely not the schedule makers.
(*all views expressed are only from Paul Hendren and Touchlineinsider.com)
Wednesday, Feb 11, 2025 (Scarborough ON): I’m certain the schedule makers at the League1 Ontario office would chalk it up to ‘dumb luck’. The 2025 League1 Cup competition was unveiled and first-round matchups were announced. No dates or venues are included. Master’s FA are pitted against the North Mississauga Panthers. Two rivals in the Championship Division, and it is a bit of a bland affair to the outsider.
But picture this:
It was mid-August, 2022 and local rivals Tottenham and Chelsea met early in the English Premiership campaign. Both squads were loaded for a title race and both teams are London rivals. After the match both Managers exchanged in what started as a handshake but developed into a grab and push. No one remembers the outcome of the match but everyone remembers Thomas Tuchal and Antonio Conte’s heated exchange. It is now part of Premiership footballing lore.
Now let’s fast forward to the end of the 2024 League1 Ontario campaign.
North Mississauga was paying L’Amoreaux a visit. It was one of the last matches in the schedule and an encounter that was rescheduled. The original match was called off as L1ON officials were frightened of some puddles after a torrential rainstorm engulfed the GTA. The rescheduled match was played mid day on a very hot late August weekend afternoon. NMSC Technical Director Peyvand Mossavat, highly respected in local football circles, was incensed that the rescheduled match was approved as he was facing player acquisition issues forcing the Panthers to take the field with a depleted and young roster. There was a serious threat that the visitors would boycott the affair. To complicate matters one of NMSC’s Assistant Coaches engaged in a heated pregame disagreement with players on the hometown squad. The match ended, a young NMSC squad accounted themselves well between the touchlines, and both squads avoided relegation.
But a rivalry is born. Who would have known? Surely not the schedule makers.
(*all views expressed are only from Paul Hendren and Touchlineinsider.com)
MARRIED WITH BENEFITS
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 (Woodbridge): the MFA / IFC family were busy on a Tuesday night. While Coach Matty had the boys working hard under the intimate confines of the MFA Indoor Training Facility in the Pickering wilderness Coach Peppe and his technical team put a second group of high-performance athletes through their paces under the Woodbridge Sports Dome. Both groups were either getting sharp for the upcoming season or trying to land a valued roster spot under the Master’s Futbol Academy’s multi-tiered League1 Ontario badge. The Senior team is under Coach Matty’s tutorage and the League2 / U20 participants are under the watchful eyes of Coach Peppe and his IFC Academy technical team. It’s an official collaboration applauded by the league. Sort of a micro version of Drake and Lil Wayne. Dozens of players, looking to advance their careers, will be the ultimate benefactors as MFA and IFC share the same brain pushing their player pathways in the same direction.
Married with benefits.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 (Woodbridge): the MFA / IFC family were busy on a Tuesday night. While Coach Matty had the boys working hard under the intimate confines of the MFA Indoor Training Facility in the Pickering wilderness Coach Peppe and his technical team put a second group of high-performance athletes through their paces under the Woodbridge Sports Dome. Both groups were either getting sharp for the upcoming season or trying to land a valued roster spot under the Master’s Futbol Academy’s multi-tiered League1 Ontario badge. The Senior team is under Coach Matty’s tutorage and the League2 / U20 participants are under the watchful eyes of Coach Peppe and his IFC Academy technical team. It’s an official collaboration applauded by the league. Sort of a micro version of Drake and Lil Wayne. Dozens of players, looking to advance their careers, will be the ultimate benefactors as MFA and IFC share the same brain pushing their player pathways in the same direction.
Married with benefits.
First Time Intrigued / Second Time Interested / Third Time Addicted
February 9, 2025 (Pickering): I have always been addicted to football venues. Simon Inglis, one of my colleagues from yesteryear and a book author who I have admired for decades, summed it up best. In his highly acclaimed book ‘The Football Grounds of Europe’ he wrote: “ “To a real fan it is hardly necessary to explain the allure of a football ground, or indeed the central role it plays within the game. Football is not like theatre or cinema, where eyes are focused upon the screen and all else is in darkness. A football ground - its stands, its terracing, its floodlights, its crowd, its noise, even its smell- is as much a part of the event as the match itself."
When Coach Junior first introduced me to the barn at MFA’s private training facility I was intrigued. Situated in the wilderness of the Pickering / Scarborough border there is no place more peacefull yet filled with energy and respect within the borders of the GTA. In winter the barn is an escape for many who are itching to get between the touchlines , void of snow and frigid temperatures. For yours truly it is a place to admire the skill, power and speed of MFA’s athletes up close and personal. The energy of small sided games is mind numbing.
Now I’m considered part of the furniture (Coach Matt’s words) and my weekly pilgrimages to the barn are to feed my addictive and creative personality.
February 9, 2025 (Pickering): I have always been addicted to football venues. Simon Inglis, one of my colleagues from yesteryear and a book author who I have admired for decades, summed it up best. In his highly acclaimed book ‘The Football Grounds of Europe’ he wrote: “ “To a real fan it is hardly necessary to explain the allure of a football ground, or indeed the central role it plays within the game. Football is not like theatre or cinema, where eyes are focused upon the screen and all else is in darkness. A football ground - its stands, its terracing, its floodlights, its crowd, its noise, even its smell- is as much a part of the event as the match itself."
When Coach Junior first introduced me to the barn at MFA’s private training facility I was intrigued. Situated in the wilderness of the Pickering / Scarborough border there is no place more peacefull yet filled with energy and respect within the borders of the GTA. In winter the barn is an escape for many who are itching to get between the touchlines , void of snow and frigid temperatures. For yours truly it is a place to admire the skill, power and speed of MFA’s athletes up close and personal. The energy of small sided games is mind numbing.
Now I’m considered part of the furniture (Coach Matt’s words) and my weekly pilgrimages to the barn are to feed my addictive and creative personality.
BATMAN AND ROBIN FROM THE YAAD
February 5, 2025 (Scarborough): Junior Groves and Devon Porter possess an insatiable appetite for football. More importantly, both men are pillars in MFA’s growing League1 Ontario project. Groves, MFA’s founder and Technical Director, and Porter, a veteran coach, and talent evaluator, also possess strong ties to the Jamaican game. Their footballing lives from ‘the YAAD’ have shaped the foundation of their shared footballing philosophies. Yet it was on Canadian soil where the two married into a common mission. For Coach Junior , the chief cook and bottle washer of Master’s Futbol Academy, his connection to the game in Jamaica stretches across a storied career as both a Jamaican International and member of storied club side Harbour View FC. Groves was once fondly referred to as the Beckenbauer of Jamaican football. Porter is a walking and talking encyclopedia of the Jamaican game. His links to Jamaican players playing abroad or with Jamaican lineages, is unmatched. It was in Jamaica where Porter watched Groves strut his skills on the national stage for club and country. Although both men were not connected with one another in Jamaica the younger Porter was very familiar with Groves’ footballing exploits on the island. “I met Devon here (Canada) as he would tell me stories about games he came to see (in Jamaica) and he knew more about me than I knew,” explained Groves. The irony lies in the fact that both men were once rivals in League1 Ontario. Coach Junior with MFA and Coach Devon with Sanjaxx Lions , an academy situated in East Toronto. Sanjaxx eventually left L1ON after a short spell and Porter joined forces with MFA. It was a logical partnership. The era on Batman and Robin from the YAAD has never looked back.
February 5, 2025 (Scarborough): Junior Groves and Devon Porter possess an insatiable appetite for football. More importantly, both men are pillars in MFA’s growing League1 Ontario project. Groves, MFA’s founder and Technical Director, and Porter, a veteran coach, and talent evaluator, also possess strong ties to the Jamaican game. Their footballing lives from ‘the YAAD’ have shaped the foundation of their shared footballing philosophies. Yet it was on Canadian soil where the two married into a common mission. For Coach Junior , the chief cook and bottle washer of Master’s Futbol Academy, his connection to the game in Jamaica stretches across a storied career as both a Jamaican International and member of storied club side Harbour View FC. Groves was once fondly referred to as the Beckenbauer of Jamaican football. Porter is a walking and talking encyclopedia of the Jamaican game. His links to Jamaican players playing abroad or with Jamaican lineages, is unmatched. It was in Jamaica where Porter watched Groves strut his skills on the national stage for club and country. Although both men were not connected with one another in Jamaica the younger Porter was very familiar with Groves’ footballing exploits on the island. “I met Devon here (Canada) as he would tell me stories about games he came to see (in Jamaica) and he knew more about me than I knew,” explained Groves. The irony lies in the fact that both men were once rivals in League1 Ontario. Coach Junior with MFA and Coach Devon with Sanjaxx Lions , an academy situated in East Toronto. Sanjaxx eventually left L1ON after a short spell and Porter joined forces with MFA. It was a logical partnership. The era on Batman and Robin from the YAAD has never looked back.
PROSTARS STUMBLE OUT OF L1ON
February 5, 2025 (Toronto): L1ON Communications announced that ProStars have left League1 Ontario and the Men's Premier Division. Given their eleventh hour departure the League1 Ontario Board of Directors have decided not to fill their slot. Eleven teams will compete in the Premier Divison in 2025. Sudbury and Borough FC have been upgraded (not promoted) to the Men's Championship Division. Pickering has been provided with a stay of execution and will also compete in the Championship Division.
February 5, 2025 (Toronto): L1ON Communications announced that ProStars have left League1 Ontario and the Men's Premier Division. Given their eleventh hour departure the League1 Ontario Board of Directors have decided not to fill their slot. Eleven teams will compete in the Premier Divison in 2025. Sudbury and Borough FC have been upgraded (not promoted) to the Men's Championship Division. Pickering has been provided with a stay of execution and will also compete in the Championship Division.
BUILD YOURSELF UP
February 2, 2025 (Pickering): It hasn’t been that many years since MFA Senior Trainer Matty Groves strutted his vast footballing talents across Europe. It is imperative to share his experiences, including his salad bowl of methodologies garnished from his many mentors, coaches and trainers who shaped his professional footballing journey. On a cold snowy Sunday afternoon Master’s continued its training camp for senior players vying for a place on the Men’s League1 roster. Groves’ primary message to the large gathering of trialists was laced with positivity. He emphasized that many coaches say don’t admire your pass…but he says don’t STAND and admire your pass … yes…get on with the game … but also appreciate the beauty of what you just did while playing or after your battle. “Build yourself up,” is his battle cry. Pat yourself on the back for the good things and stop beating yourself up over every bad pass or bad touch. Groves, a coach who is very high on player accountability, is also very cognizant that self-deprecation in players can really “mess with one’s confidence on an off day.”
February 2, 2025 (Pickering): It hasn’t been that many years since MFA Senior Trainer Matty Groves strutted his vast footballing talents across Europe. It is imperative to share his experiences, including his salad bowl of methodologies garnished from his many mentors, coaches and trainers who shaped his professional footballing journey. On a cold snowy Sunday afternoon Master’s continued its training camp for senior players vying for a place on the Men’s League1 roster. Groves’ primary message to the large gathering of trialists was laced with positivity. He emphasized that many coaches say don’t admire your pass…but he says don’t STAND and admire your pass … yes…get on with the game … but also appreciate the beauty of what you just did while playing or after your battle. “Build yourself up,” is his battle cry. Pat yourself on the back for the good things and stop beating yourself up over every bad pass or bad touch. Groves, a coach who is very high on player accountability, is also very cognizant that self-deprecation in players can really “mess with one’s confidence on an off day.”
BLAME FEDERICO
January 25, 2025 (Pickering) : Federico Tardito made me do it. Instead of a collection of images depicting speed, athleticism and power my most recent gallery (https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulhendren/albums/72177720323444559) focuses on capturing detail and expressions. Action imagery is taking a back seat today. My late mother, who was a great judge of character, proclaimed that you can gauge a person’s soul by looking into their eyes. You can thank Signore Tardito - a Turin-based sports photojournalist and 22 years my junior. He inspires my work with his creative eye. We share the same camera system - not considered popular in the sports photography industry but embraced by creatives globally. Tardito has made a career from shooting the likes of Ronoldo and Buffon, to name a couple of legends, during their days at Juventus. His photographic niche is natural portraiture with his depictions of unscripted emotions. Tardito’s photographic studio is one of Italy’s swankiest football grounds in the shadows of the Alps. My captures are from inside a retrofitted barn on the Pickering / Scarborough border with the likes of T, JROB and Zo invading my viewfinder. I wouldn’t change my stage for a million bucks. Emotion, details and expression are the flavour of the day. I’ll be back to my usual practices next time so please humour me. Just point the blame at my Italian brother.
January 25, 2025 (Pickering) : Federico Tardito made me do it. Instead of a collection of images depicting speed, athleticism and power my most recent gallery (https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulhendren/albums/72177720323444559) focuses on capturing detail and expressions. Action imagery is taking a back seat today. My late mother, who was a great judge of character, proclaimed that you can gauge a person’s soul by looking into their eyes. You can thank Signore Tardito - a Turin-based sports photojournalist and 22 years my junior. He inspires my work with his creative eye. We share the same camera system - not considered popular in the sports photography industry but embraced by creatives globally. Tardito has made a career from shooting the likes of Ronoldo and Buffon, to name a couple of legends, during their days at Juventus. His photographic niche is natural portraiture with his depictions of unscripted emotions. Tardito’s photographic studio is one of Italy’s swankiest football grounds in the shadows of the Alps. My captures are from inside a retrofitted barn on the Pickering / Scarborough border with the likes of T, JROB and Zo invading my viewfinder. I wouldn’t change my stage for a million bucks. Emotion, details and expression are the flavour of the day. I’ll be back to my usual practices next time so please humour me. Just point the blame at my Italian brother.
THE BEEP TEST IS COMING
January 22, 2025 (Pickering): High-performance footballers are familiar with the Beep Test. Some suggest that this common test of endurance/fitness is the right of passage for players serious about their craft. For the technical staff of any football club, it’s a measuring stick to separate the ‘Joes’ from the ‘Pros’. MFA Senior Trainer Matty Groves reminded his troops, including many trialists and incumbents, that their fitness levels are their responsibilities beyond team training. He offered a detailed fitness syllabus to the lads. He suggested that Professional Fitness Trainer Jai Avila (a senior leader on the team) could also be a good resource in preparation for the season. But he cautioned that: team training sessions during the preseason aren’t the time to get fit…it’s a time to get sharp. The Beep Test is coming soon.
January 22, 2025 (Pickering): High-performance footballers are familiar with the Beep Test. Some suggest that this common test of endurance/fitness is the right of passage for players serious about their craft. For the technical staff of any football club, it’s a measuring stick to separate the ‘Joes’ from the ‘Pros’. MFA Senior Trainer Matty Groves reminded his troops, including many trialists and incumbents, that their fitness levels are their responsibilities beyond team training. He offered a detailed fitness syllabus to the lads. He suggested that Professional Fitness Trainer Jai Avila (a senior leader on the team) could also be a good resource in preparation for the season. But he cautioned that: team training sessions during the preseason aren’t the time to get fit…it’s a time to get sharp. The Beep Test is coming soon.
(OP / ED)
JUST IMAGINE ...
(January 1, 2025 / Scarborough): European football is filled with tradition, history and order. That’s why billions across the globe tune into matches from the Old World week after week.
Picture a team like Stoke City F.C., now toiling in the bottom half of English football’s Championship Division, unhappy with life as second-class citizens in the second tier of England’s legendary football pyramid. Imagine Stoke applying to the Premier League for a place among the stars by merely asking. No merit between the touchlines needed. Imagine Frosinone Calcio, unhappy with their eleventh-hour demotion out of Serie A, asking for reinstatement and being granted a full pardon.
Just imagine...
Picture the chaos and blowback by such clubs like Brentford F.C. or A.C. Monza, to name just a couple, who have fought hard to rise up through the pyramid system and maintain their respective positions in their top flights through merit, perseverance and sacrifice.
Just imagine...
Such actions would turn the soul of Euro culture upside down.
But it just won’t happen.
Closer to home. Before the 2024 L1ON campaign, under much ballyhoo, it was announced that League1 Ontario was planning to introduce promotion and relegation. Players were recruited to publicly boast on how well promotion and relegation would fit into the development of Canadian soccer. It would be the competitive sauce that propels Canadian soccer into the 21st century. Heck, Canada was promoted to co-host the World Cup in 2026.
Just imagine...
As we turn a page to 2025 we are reminded that Canada is a bureaucracy-laden territory, unable to operationalize tried and tested sporting traditions developed in far away places. In short … great idea…. horrible execution...and typically Canadiana. On December 30, 2024 it was announced by League1 Ontario that The Borough FC and the Cyclones of Sudbury would be upgraded to the Championship Division while Pickering FC would avoid demotion and not drop to League2. The Borough FC placed sixth in their L2 Division table while Sudbury placed outside the promotion zone. Pickering FC and their last-place standing found themselves engaged in a playoff/relegation match against Scrosoppi FC’s League 2 team. Pickering was torn apart in that match forcing their drop to L2 and the advertised system was fully functioning ...so we thought. Borough FC and Sudbury, considered good citizens among the League1 Ontario decision makers, lobbied for an upgrade. They painted a picture that their merit extended beyond the touchlines and their rightful place was in the Championship Division. Their voices were heard. For Pickering FC they found themselves the recipients of sloppy seconds when Scrosoppi decided that having teams in the Premier and Championship Divisions was too much to chew on. We are left with teams like Windsor, Waterloo and Master’s shaking their collective heads in disbelief. 2024 was a grind for those squads. At times, throughout the season, the concept of relegation appeared possible for the trio, if not imminent. The three teams adjusted , avoided football purgatory but not without their own complications. It was the intended goal of the League1 forefathers to create such organic stress that has captivated traditional footballing countries for decades. It was the adaptation of football’s true pressure cooker.
So we are left with good intentions gone askew - all perpetrated by the hard working decision makers directing League1 Ontario. The traditions of global football were overpowered by the reality of Canadian soccer.
Can we still imagine?
(Opinions expressed are from Paul Hendren and Touchline Insider)
JUST IMAGINE ...
(January 1, 2025 / Scarborough): European football is filled with tradition, history and order. That’s why billions across the globe tune into matches from the Old World week after week.
Picture a team like Stoke City F.C., now toiling in the bottom half of English football’s Championship Division, unhappy with life as second-class citizens in the second tier of England’s legendary football pyramid. Imagine Stoke applying to the Premier League for a place among the stars by merely asking. No merit between the touchlines needed. Imagine Frosinone Calcio, unhappy with their eleventh-hour demotion out of Serie A, asking for reinstatement and being granted a full pardon.
Just imagine...
Picture the chaos and blowback by such clubs like Brentford F.C. or A.C. Monza, to name just a couple, who have fought hard to rise up through the pyramid system and maintain their respective positions in their top flights through merit, perseverance and sacrifice.
Just imagine...
Such actions would turn the soul of Euro culture upside down.
But it just won’t happen.
Closer to home. Before the 2024 L1ON campaign, under much ballyhoo, it was announced that League1 Ontario was planning to introduce promotion and relegation. Players were recruited to publicly boast on how well promotion and relegation would fit into the development of Canadian soccer. It would be the competitive sauce that propels Canadian soccer into the 21st century. Heck, Canada was promoted to co-host the World Cup in 2026.
Just imagine...
As we turn a page to 2025 we are reminded that Canada is a bureaucracy-laden territory, unable to operationalize tried and tested sporting traditions developed in far away places. In short … great idea…. horrible execution...and typically Canadiana. On December 30, 2024 it was announced by League1 Ontario that The Borough FC and the Cyclones of Sudbury would be upgraded to the Championship Division while Pickering FC would avoid demotion and not drop to League2. The Borough FC placed sixth in their L2 Division table while Sudbury placed outside the promotion zone. Pickering FC and their last-place standing found themselves engaged in a playoff/relegation match against Scrosoppi FC’s League 2 team. Pickering was torn apart in that match forcing their drop to L2 and the advertised system was fully functioning ...so we thought. Borough FC and Sudbury, considered good citizens among the League1 Ontario decision makers, lobbied for an upgrade. They painted a picture that their merit extended beyond the touchlines and their rightful place was in the Championship Division. Their voices were heard. For Pickering FC they found themselves the recipients of sloppy seconds when Scrosoppi decided that having teams in the Premier and Championship Divisions was too much to chew on. We are left with teams like Windsor, Waterloo and Master’s shaking their collective heads in disbelief. 2024 was a grind for those squads. At times, throughout the season, the concept of relegation appeared possible for the trio, if not imminent. The three teams adjusted , avoided football purgatory but not without their own complications. It was the intended goal of the League1 forefathers to create such organic stress that has captivated traditional footballing countries for decades. It was the adaptation of football’s true pressure cooker.
So we are left with good intentions gone askew - all perpetrated by the hard working decision makers directing League1 Ontario. The traditions of global football were overpowered by the reality of Canadian soccer.
Can we still imagine?
(Opinions expressed are from Paul Hendren and Touchline Insider)