Steve Jobs once said, ‘Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.’
As London TFC Academy and FC LONDON soccer club looked over the horizon into 2022, this quote rang truer than ever. With that in mind, London’s club is putting the finishing touches on its technical staff for the upcoming season, as well as leveraging the talents of youth players within the club who create social media content, host events and act as ambassadors within the London soccer community.
Yiannis Tsalatsidis comes to London TFC Academy with more than 10 years of coaching experience working across all levels, including Club, University, Professional, and International. Yiannis joins us from Calgary where he worked as a Tactical Analyst and skills coach with the winningest side in the Canadian Premier League, Cavalry F.C.
“I truly believe the future of peak performance revolves around joy … that state where you lose yourself and dare to test the limits,” said Yiannis, the club’s new Technical Director. “The key is embracing the challenge … to test yourself again, and again, and again. This is all I expect of the players and staff, to stay curious about what their natural best self can be, and to go after it.”
Approximately 40 Ambassadors throughout the club who help keep members motivated and engaged have been especially busy during these times. They present player-to-player, club-wide challenges on social media platforms to motivate and challenge players. Their grassroots involvement builds a real sense of community and camaraderie between teams of all ages and levels.
For the senior Men’s and Women’s League1 teams, the club is proud to have been a part of several journeys for players that have been called up for trials with the Canadian National Team. In January, 17-year-old UCLA player and FC LONDON alum, Kaila Novak, was called to the trials camp for the U20 women’s team. Further, Belal Hlbouni, an FC LONDON men’s alum, who is currently playing with SV Werder Breman in Germany, has been invited to the upcoming Men’s national team camp.
The club now starts gearing up for the 2022 season with the expanded use of the Tricar Field facility which now includes a clubhouse and dressing rooms. The facility serves as a fantastic anchor for the club, which continues to raise the bar within Canadian soccer.
Submitted by FC LONDON
