Kanata Lightning 90s Team Philosophy:
The Kanata Lightning 90s soccer team's philosophy involves a multi-year development plan that emphasizes individual and team development. Founded on the principle that players develop best in a stable and consistent program that promotes tactical team play on a foundation of individual skill, winning is considered important but comes second to playing a tactically sound possession/passing/team-defense style as this is what the future success of the team will be built on. We promote a long term attitude geared toward player development which is often not as effective in the short run as the direct style of soccer also known as the "kick and run" game that many coaches adopt due to the pressure to win. The kick and run game often produces more early results but sacrifices player development and long term goals.

The offensive style of soccer that the Kanata 90s play is characterized by keeping possession of the ball. This requires skillful players who make intelligent decisions on and off the ball. Knowledge and understanding of the team's defensive tactics is also essential.

We seek to instill the players with a love for the game and this cannot be achieved without a fun and challenging environment. Coaches should be teachers above all else and constantly be striving to create an environment where a player can realize his potential within the team. 100% effort and discipline in all areas (dedication, teamwork, sportsmanship, conduct) is expected at all times. The program is a year round development effort. A yearly plan, which includes goals, training plan, behavior expectations, tournaments and the general philosophy of the team is distributed to the players and parents. This plan is updated annually to reflect the advancement of the squad. Winter training takes place at both the Gloucester Dome (full field) and Kanata Soccer Dome and includes: