Have you ever wondered how players in the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) are scouted and identified? Since the league was implemented in 2014, the OPDL has considerably improved the scouting and tracking of players within the league.

During the OPDL season, the OSA Technical Staff have been observing the players within the OPDL when they have been competing within their Interleague matches and they have been identified according to the following categories:

• Technical ability
• Tactical ability
• Physical literacy
• Fitness

Each one of these components is further broken down into detailed Skill Habits such as: vision and awareness, passing and receiving, creating space and others. 

When execution of these areas is observed by the OSA Technical Staff, players are given a score on that particular corner of development for the match. The higher the tabulated scores received, the greater the possibility the player will be identified for the upcoming Provincial Screening Event in November. This identification list of players is regularly shared with the OPDL Technical Directors and Head Coaches. 

OPDL Head Coaches can also recommend players to the OSA for further assessment if a player is not on the current identification list. This is also backed up by the players' rubrics, completed and submitted to the OSA by OPDL Head Coaches on a quarterly basis for each player. Players' rubrics outline specific criteria over a holistic four corner approach (Technical/Tactical, Social/Emotional, Physical and Psychological). 

Understanding Scores

Players are assessed and can either earn of score of Developing, Competent or Proficient.

Developing

A score of Developing applies to any of the various criteria (technical/tactical, social-emotional, psychological and physical) as a starting point for each individual player progress report.
The definition of 'Developing' means that a player shows the desired criteria 'sometimes' or less than 50 per cent of the time under pressure.

Competent

A player is scored 'Competent' when they show consistency and performs the criteria under the same circumstances regularly, hence, more than 50 per cent of the time but less than 80 per cent.

Proficient

A player is scored 'Proficient' when they show consistency and performs the criteria under the same circumstances on such a consistent basis that it is now a habit, hence, more than 80 per cent of the time.

Data collected is exhaustively analysed

All data collected by OPDL is tracked and stored along with their quarterly rubrics. At the end of the OPDL season, the database is used to assist the selection of approximately 90 to 120 players to attend the Provincial Screening Competition in November

At the Provincial Screening, players will then have an opportunity to compete against one another and be further screened and identified. Approximately 40 players within the Under 14 and Under 15 teams will be selected from the original group.

Players selected will work closely with the OSA Provincial Technical Staff in 2016. In the final selection process, 22 players will make the Provincial Team to compete in a series against Quebec's Provincial Team in April.

Technical Staff from the Canadian Soccer Association will attend the Ontario vs Quebec series in April and observe the players to identify them for potential inclusion in Under 15 and/or Under 17 National Teams Projects.