Expect the Prince George Youth Soccer Association's indoor soccer facility to be a busier place than it has been in previous years, starting next fall.
Joel MacDonald, the technical director of the PGYSA, says there's an untapped market of players who want to play indoor soccer that's more competitive than the house league level, without the time demands or talent level required to play in the league's Showcase program.
By offering a new program that caters to mid-range players, MacDonald figures there will be as many as 200 more kids involved in the indoor game this fall and winter.
"We want to bring in extra programs to make sure this facility is only empty during the daytime, when kids are at school," said MacDonald.
"The programs at the Northern Sport Centre seem to be more of the elite programs -- the Junior and Showcase Academy programs. Then you've got the PGYSA stuff at our facility, and that seemed to be the lower-end programs for kids who just want to get soccer once a week.
"There wasn't anything in between, and you end up with players who slip through the cracks because the NSC stuff is too serious and they're not quite there yet. And the PGYSA stuff is too watered down; it's beyond them, so they don't just don't bother doing soccer."
Paid coaches will teach the new program and players will not be required to attend all practices. That will allow them to take up other activities without fear of reprisal from their soccer coaches.
With a mid-level program on the scene, the Academy programs will cater more to an elite class of player. MacDonald says that will mean players who participate in other sports during the indoor soccer have to be prepared to make soccer their No. 1 choice in the event of a scheduling conflict with another sport.
"We're just trying to target the players that are looking more seriously at soccer and make sure they are separated from the players who want some decent coaching in soccer, but also want to do basketball or volleyball all winter as well," MacDonald said.
According to MacDonald, specialization, especially for older players, is a must for those who want to reach their potential. If that's what the highest-level players want and they can afford the fees, he says they should be involved in the Academy.
"It's good to have a well-balanced multi-level approach to your development, but there's no gold medal in the Olympics for dabbling," he said. "If you dabble, the only thing you get really good at is dabbling. I think we've gone completely the other way in the last 20 years from specializing too much to not specializing enough."
The Junior Academy, for ages 13-15, had 60 players this past winter, but the numbers for the Showcase Academy (16-18 year olds) fell off dramatically. There were 21 female players and eight males in the Showcase program. The low registration numbers forced the PGYSA to move up some of the older boys from the Junior Academy to the Showcase boys group.
"The basic feeling I got was it was too hard-core," said MacDonald.
