Spain's victory at the FIFA world cup has inspired young soccer players the world over, according to Sudbury MP Glenn Thibeault.
The NDP sports critic said there should be a long-term vision for soccer in Canada.
"One day, I would like to take out my Canadian flag and wear a Canadian jersey to support a Canadian team in the World Cup," he said in a press release.
Thibeault said many Canadians long for a competitive team of their own, but structural, financial, organizational and infrastructure problems prevent a Canadian team from taking the field.
"The key to success is setting realistic goals and achieving them," he said. "We can’t start dreaming about hosting the World Cup if we have no long-term plans for improving our players and our infrastructure, including stadiums that meet FIFA criteria. We need to invest more now, especially in developing young players."
Thibeault made four suggestions for improving soccer in Canada:
- Give coaches more training;
- Provide better infrastructure;
- Improve coordination of competitions;
- Invest more in soccer.
Sport Canada invested $1.76 million in soccer in 2009, according to a press release from Thibeault. In comparison, Australia spent $4 million on its soccer federation and $1.3 million for university and college programs during the same period of time.
“During the 2010 Winter Olympics, we welcomed the world and performed well," Thibeault said. "We achieved this by investing more and investing smarter. We can use the same strategy for soccer."
