WINNING WAYS
Most soccer fans will agree that goals scored are the result of defensive errors or a flash of attacking genius. George Semaan begs to differ. It's all down to mathematics, and as a professional engineer - and a lifetime player - he can prove it!
George believes that success comes when "preparation meets opportunity" and that anything (or almost anything) can be engineered. And having followed soccer at every level - from four-year-olds to professionals - he has now used a lifetime of experience to analyze plays/moves that lead to goal-scoring.
The result is "Soccer Engineering" - a concept that demonstrates how tactics and movements can be formulated from a mathematical basis, taking into account variables such as the speed of the players, speed of the delivered ball, ball control, ground conditions, passing angles, etc.
"As I watch games, I take notes of goals scored and moves made," he explains. "I then breakdown the plays/moves and apply science and engineering principles to elevate the probability of their happening again and again" putting 'preparation meets opportunity' into practice."
George is owner/director of Toronto-based Forward Engineering & Associates Inc. (www.forwardengineering.ca) and holds a "Master of Engineering" degree from the University of Toronto (UofT), as well as "Bachelor of Engineering" from the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) and an "Engineering Diploma" from Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
"The most exciting and enjoyable period of my soccer life was playing on the soccer varsity team at the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) for the three years I spent there, and winning the championship of the Province of Nova Scotia in 1984/1985 and 1986/1987," he says.
George Quotes:
I'm still playing for fun and recreational. I have coached kids and adults for many years, and the experience was fulfilling.
I've watched countless games from internationals to pre-schoolers, and I enjoy watching the kids playing as much as the professionals. From them all, I've combined my knowledge of the game with my own professional skills to develop "Soccer Engineering".
In summary, I believe that the principles addressed by "Soccer Engineering" can be beneficially applied at every level of the game and the rest is up to the players.