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Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2007 47 Shark attack MINOR ATOM RED CHAMPS: A happy pack of Champion Compressor Sharks skates around the Dominion Twin Rinks ice, displaying the trophies the players received after winning the minor atom red championship during the Minor Oaks Hockey Association MOMS house league championship week. Division titles have been decided throughout the week and nine more championship games will be played tomorrow at Dominion Twin Rinks. For more photos from the minor atom red final and results of games earlier this week, see page 48. BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER Learning to play `The Man U Way' By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR One of the most prestigious sports clubs in the world has teamed up with the Oakville Sports Centre in the hope of further developing local soccer talent. Manchester United has expanded its teaching program, Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS), to Canada this year and has set up shop in Oakville. The first of eight week-long spring courses will begin Monday at the Oakville Sports Centre, under the guidance of MUSS Canadian director of coaching Robin van der Laan. Van der Laan captained the Premier League's Derby County FC from 19951998 and has coaching experience as well, his most notable understudies having been David Beckham, Ronaldhino and Thierry Henry at the Pepsi World Challenge -- a world-wide tour that displays elite players' soccer skills. In addition to the spring courses, MUSS will conduct six week-long summer courses at Appleby College and Mississauga's Hershey Centre. Van der Laan said this is the perfect time for MUSS to expand to Canada, following recent forrays into Dubai, Hong Kong and Seattle. "In Canada, like the U.S., soccer is getting huge and it's taking over a lot of the household-name sports. There are a lot of kids playing soccer, boys and girls. It doesn't matter what size you are; anyone can play soccer," he said. "It was the right time for us. With the World Cup under-20s coming up, Toronto FC going into the MLS and us coming into the area, I think there's a real buzz around the place." According to van der Laan, the fact that Oakville is home to one of the largest soccer clubs in North America was a factor in MUSS coming to town, but it wasn't the only one. "We found the right partners here in Oakville. We particularly are very meticulous on picking up partners, and that's the main reason we're here," he said. "This area is great for us. There are a lot of Man U fans here, and our soccer schools are all about bringing something back to the fans." Van der Laan says the reception so See Skill page 49 COACHING DIRECTOR: Former Derby County FC captain Robin van der Laan (right) is the Manchester United Soccer Schools' Canadian director of coaching. Canlan Ice Sports - Oakville Season begins April 29th 905-845-6989 www.icesports.com