CISM Soccer Canada (CSC)’s Path to Respect: Evolve or Fade Away

The following article is the first of a three part series chronicling CSC’s journey to becoming the best sports program in International Military Sports Council (CISM) Canada. This article provides insight into the preliminary efforts to reinvigorate a fading international sports platform deemed by many as “exclusive”, “amateur” and carrying the stigma of military tourism.

The CSC project has taken over 42 months to reap the rewards of its efforts.  For decades, CSC continuously departed the sport’s biggest events, like the America’s Cup, the Military World Games (MWGs) and the World Football Trophy (WFT), with a goal differential in high double-digit figures.  During this year’s MWGs, Canada lost 4-0 (Oman), 2-1 (Greece) and 3-0 (Egypt).  While the scores are not eye-catching, these results amounted to a historic achievement. For decades, CSC members suffered lop-sided defeats and returned to Canada feeling defeated, deflated, embarrassed, and ostracized back at the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) workplace. Many within the CAF community considered the program to be military tourism.  Many within CISM even considered the team as “privileged participants”.  In March 2016, new Management spearheaded a four year strategic roadmap that drove a new vision seeking Respect and dissolving the stereotypes that plagued the CAF’s National soccer team.

The project’s first efforts were re-branding the CSC name. CSC marketed back to the CAF soccer community that it was “inclusive”.  A strategic communication plan spread across various social media outlets (i.e., Facebook and Instagram) and carried the motto of No Limits on What you can BE, DO and HAVE. CSC executives led a new culture of “team before self”, “sacrifice” and “second family” and authenticated the philosophy throughout coach/player scouting/training events and Regional and National Soccer Championships. Now, their main Facebook webpage continues to grow well past its current 1,000 followers and other CAF sports organizations are paying attention.

Management then focused on the development and growth of base level soccer through a grassroots program. CSC concentrated on both regional base coaches, who volunteer countless hours of personal time, and its relationship with Personnel Support Programs (PSP). The program partnered with the Ontario Soccer Association and worked in collaboration with local PSP agencies to deliver the first-ever Soccer for Life course at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden in September 2016. The initiative demonstrated an organizational will to grow the game from within via an accredited educational pathway. In three years, CSC empowered over 25 CAF soccer coaches to earn an accredited certificate at no cost to its members. These efforts inspired a dramatic improvement in the quality of soccer being taught across CAF bases.

While the programmatic shift began to re-connect CSC with vital regional change agents, an equally important step of establishing an official evaluation system needed take place. 

The second article in the series will highlight CSC’s efforts to grow its player and coaching pool while driving towards an improved fitness level and returning accountability to both the staff and the players. 

Finally, the series will conclude with how CSC used cost-effective measures to create an exceptional learning environment optimizing on CAF and external resources; ultimately returning a physically and mentally accomplished leader back to the CAF.