Canada Soccer Association team tours Aspire

A delegation from the Canada Soccer Association toured Aspire Academy on Tuesday as the Canada men’s national U-23 team competed in a three-nation tournament against Uzbekistan and hosts Qatar.The delegation was led by the Canada men’s national team assistant coach, Michael Findlay, and was comprised of team staff.Speaking after the tour, Findlay said: “Aspire Academy boasts state of the art infrastructure and is a world class sports academy. The work being done here to nurture and develop sporting talent, in this instance football, is well-respected the world over and we are privileged to get a chance to come and see it.”Findlay added: “We have participated in the Three Nation tournament so our head coach, Octavio Zambrano, and I can review our players’ performances with a view to developing them into first team players. I know that this is the same approach Qatar is taking with its U-23 side, which is made up of Aspire Academy graduates and will probably form the backbone of the 2022 squad. We hope to see them at the World Cup finals in 2022.”Such tours help visiting delegations to familiarise themselves with Aspire Academy’s philosophy that aims to develop students holistically, providing individuals with a comprehensive academic, social and sporting education.To support student-athletes in fulfilling their promise, there are five major departments at Aspire Academy that specifically look after their development: the Football Department, the Football Performance and Science Department, the Sports Department (non-football), the Sports Science Department, and the Education and Student Care Department.