Episode 3 - Mid-Season Momentum

Sanford Carabin

Alright, welcome back everyone to FCD Academy Touchline for the week of July 14th Sanford here, and as always, I’m joined by FCD Director of Development and Business Operations Mister Ron Clarke. Ron, how’s it going?

Ron clarke

Hey Sanford, I’m good, Excited for this one—mid-season’s always buzzing, right? There’s just so much happening across the Academy right now.

Sanford Carabin

Absolutely, So lets start with a quick round up of all the big news for the past few weeks regarding both players and teams within the Academy. Ron, why don't you start.

Ron clarke

Alright, sounds good.

Ron clarke

I want to kick things off with a big congratulations to our Class of 2025 grads. Last Friday as well as last night, we celebrated both our male and female graduates for the 2025 season with games at Vaso field. These players are playing their last games this summer for us before they go off the school and we celebrated their long standing connection with our academy with a special ceremony and announcements throughout the games.. I mean, it’s always a bit emotional, right? Watching these players grow up through the program, and now they’re off to college, university, or maybe even continuing their football journeys elsewhere. It’s a proud moment for all of us.

Ron clarke

So a big congrats goes out to the following male and female players: Jonathan Bianco, Alexander Carder, Anthony Dawoud, Luca De Simone, Carter Duncan, Aryan Varma Datla, Declan Fox, Liam Fulton, Majed Hajj Mouhamad Ali, Jaxon Grey, Jordan Grey, Moutayam Hajj Mouhamad Ali, Talyn Hale, Nathan Kalala, Rythen Ramanam, Jacob Saper silver, Ronald Obo, Isabella Murphy, Danica Brill, and Autumn Campbell.

Sanford Carabin

Yeah, Ron, I gotta say, organizing that graduation game—man, it’s a lot of work, but it’s so worth it. Seeing those players out there, some of them since they were, what, U9s? It’s wild. You get a bit of everything: parents with tears in their eyes, teammates cheering, coaches trying not to get too sentimental. It’s a real celebration of what we’re all about here.

Sanford Carabin

And speaking of big moments, we’ve got Matteo Nawrecki from our U16 boys heading off to Slovakia for a professional trial with ŠK Slovan Bratislava football academy. He left this past sunday, and honestly, this is what we talk about when we say international pathways. It’s not just a buzzword. We’re actually seeing our players get these opportunities. I mean, Ron, you’ve seen a few of these over the years, what’s it like from your side?

Ron clarke

Oh, it’s huge. I mean, for Matteo, it’s a chance to test himself in a totally different environment. And for the rest of the Academy, it’s proof that if you put in the work, these doors can open. It’s not just about local leagues anymore. We’re building something that can take players anywhere.

Ron clarke

On the girls side, we’ve got some great stories regarding our schools program. Tessa, Kiki, and Sephira from our U16 OPDL girls all participated in college ID camps recently. That’s a big step for them, and for their families too. I remember, back in the day, walking players through their first ID camps—there’s nerves, excitement, a lot of questions. But it’s such an important part of the post-secondary recruitment process. It’s where dreams start to feel real.

Sanford Carabin

Exactly. And let’s not forget about our teams, many of which are on a roll now..

Sanford Carabin

Starting with our OPDL U13 Girls, who are unbeaten in their last three games. Its been a slow start for them this season but they are now starting to catch fire. Big congrats to all the staff, players and parents who have shown both commitment and patience with the development process.

Ron clarke

And then again there is our OPDL U16 Girls, coached by our Director Tom Croft, sitting in top 3 in the league and recently qualifying for the OPDL Cup semi-finals with a statement win over League leaders Markham in the quarter finals last week. Next up is Ottawa South United in the Semi finals, this friday July 18th at 6:30 PM at Vaso Field. If you’re listening and you can make it, get out there and support them. These girls have been working hard all summer.

Sanford Carabin

Yeah, and, you know, the energy around that team is just infectious. They’re not just playing for themselves they’re playing for the whole Academy.

Sanford Carabin

And, uh, speaking of energy, our League1 Ontario Men’s Reserve team—knocked off first place Woodbridge last week and are now 2 points out of first with a game in hand. Ron, this group is really coming together under the coaching staff’s leadership. If you want to catch our top male team in action, their next game is tomorrow night, July 16th at Vaso Field against Unionville at 8pm.

Ron clarke

Couldn’t agree more. It’s that time of year where you start to see all the hard work pay off, right? The cohesion, the confidence, the little details. It’s what we’ve been building towards since preseason.

Ron clarke

Alright, let’s keep this momentum going and shift gears a bit…and talk about some upcoming key dates and events.

Ron clarke

First off, for all our OPDL high-performance families, just a quick reminder—the OPDL summer break is coming up, July 23rd to August 6th. It’s a good time to rest, recover, maybe even catch up on some family time before we hit the fall stretch. I always say, sometimes the best development happens off the pitch, you know?

Sanford Carabin

Yeah, and for the younger ones, Skill Centre trial assessment dates for U8 to U12 age groups will start September 2nd. Please keep an eye out for emails and postings on our website in the coming weeks outlining specific dates and times for each age group trial.

Ron clarke

I also forgot, we get a lot of questions about OPDL trials, but just a heads up: Ontario Soccer’s got strict rules about when those can happen. If you’re not sure, check the Ontario Soccer website. Don’t just take my word for it—I always mix up the dates, to be honest.

Sanford Carabin

No, you’re right, Ron. It’s easy to get lost in the details.

Ron clarke

Finally, our Nike Summer Camps camps have been up and running for the past few weeks and we’re down to the last two weeks of programming. There are still a few spots left, so if you want your child to get some extra touches, now’s the time. The energy at camp this year has been awesome. Sanford, I don’t know if you’ve been by lately, but it’s electric. Kids are buzzing, coaches are loving it, and honestly, it’s what makes this job fun.

Sanford Carabin

Yeah, I popped in last week and, you’re right, the vibe is just fantastic. And for everyone listening, we are keeping eye out for updates from Ontario Soccer, there’s talk of some changes around player movement and coach education, but nothing official yet. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we know more.

Sanford Carabin

Before we wrap up, I want to highlight something a bit different—Ontario Soccer, in partnership with Circle K and Taking Kids Out of Poverty, or TKOP, just ran a Match Official Entry Level Clinic at U of T. That was June 21st. It was a fantastic initiative, giving underserved youth in Toronto a chance to get certified as referees. I mean, we always talk about growing the game, but this is how you do it—by opening doors for everyone, not just players.

Ron clarke

Yeah, and, you know, we need more refs. It’s not glamorous, but it’s so important. And for those kids, it’s a real opportunity—skills, experience, maybe even a job down the line. I love seeing Ontario Soccer step up like this. It’s good for the game, good for the community.

Sanford Carabin

Exactly. And it ties back to what we always say—soccer’s bigger than just what happens on the pitch. It’s about building a community, giving back, and making sure everyone’s got a place in the game. Alright, Ron, I think that’s a good note to end on for today. Anything else before we sign off?

Ron clarke

No, I think we covered a lot. Just want to say thanks to everyone for tuning in, supporting the Academy, and being part of this journey. We’ll be back soon with more updates, so stay connected.

Sanford Carabin

Thanks, Ron. And thanks to all our listeners—whether you’re a player, parent, coach, or just a fan, we appreciate you. Take care, keep enjoying the game, and we’ll catch you next time on FCD Academy Touchline.