Simone Joseph

Big changes are in store for Aurora’s Youth Soccer Club, thanks to a three-year, $170,000 Trillium grant, says the club’s executive director.

“This is going to kick soccer up a notch in this community. The next 36 months will be an exciting time here,” said executive director Lawrence Janit.

The funding came from The Ontario Trillium Foundation, a agency of the province.

Ontario’s 2008 spring budget boosted the foundation’s annual funding to $110 million from $105 million, which will be increased to $120 million by 2009/2010.

The club plans to use the funding over three years to boost volunteer recruitment, player development and marketing.

The money will also be used to improve coach training, volunteer training and rewards as well as improving communication, helping to ensure parents and coaches get the information they need.

The club has hired a technical director to oversee the development of coaches and players and is in the process of hiring a volunteer co-ordinator to train, recruit and reward volunteers.

The development of coaches and players has traditionally fallen to the volunteer board, made up of people who are not experts in the area, Mr. Janit said.

Improving the soccer club is a must because of changes among parents and volunteers, he said.

“Parents are demanding more from the organization. They want to know when someone calls the office, someone answers.”

In the past, volunteers spent hundreds and hundreds of hours volunteering, Mr. Janit said.

Now, they only spend a fraction of the time doing this, perhaps because of busy lives.

When parents have questions about why the club is doing certain things, they will be able to go to the technical director, Mr. Janit said.

David Thorburn will start an elite training academy at the beginning of October, acting as instructor for this program for high performance children.

The new hire, Mr. Thorburn, is from Scotland and has been involved in soccer youth development for more than 10 years.

The Aurora Youth Soccer Club serves about 4,000 players year round and has about 600 volunteers.

Go to the club’s website at aysc.ca or e-mail info@aysc.ca for more information on the club.

For information relating to the grant, call the club at 905-727-0624, ext. 24.