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Canada Soccer's Club Licensing Program is designed to guide member organizations throughout the country toward best principles for organizational development both on and off the field.
The Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program is designed to guide member organizations throughout the country toward best principles for organizational development both on and off the field. Member organizations play an essential role in the development of players, coaches, and officials and provide both the daily playing environment and primary contact for participants. By raising the standards of member organizations, both the daily playing environment and participant experience are enhanced; thereby improving the overall soccer system in Canada.
In developing the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program, the underlying philosophy is to take “high standards” to “best principles.” Many Provincial/Territorial Member Associations (MAs) have existing charters or standards-based programs, which provided a guide for the development of the national standards. By consolidating these programs along with those of Canada Soccer’s governing bodies, Concacaf and FIFA, it is envisioned that the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program is vertically aligned (from FIFA through the MAs) and integrates best principles from several sources to create a standard that is both high quality and recognizes the unique Canadian soccer landscape. The following MAs are recognized for providing information on their existing standards-based programs to support the development of the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program:
Beyond those that contributed to this project with existing programs, the feedback from MAs and member organizations from across the country was invaluable in developing the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program and ensuring it is supported. These contributions are recognized, appreciated and detailed in the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Backgrounder.
The Soccer Club
Within the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program, the soccer club is defined as being any organization that is a member of Canada Soccer either directly or affiliated through membership with a MA that registers players and coaches and delivers soccer programming. The status of the organization as either not-for-profit or private is not relevant to the eligibility for inclusion in the Club Licensing Program, which is open to traditional not-for-profit soccer clubs, private academies, and any other soccer organization in membership.
The Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program is designed to guide member organizations throughout the country toward best principles for organizational development both on and off the field. By raising the standards of member organizations, both the daily playing environment and participant experience are enhanced; thereby improving the overall soccer system in Canada.
The primary goals of the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program are to:
To achieve these goals, the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program takes a principles-based approach. Principles provide direction but not detailed prescription, allowing organizations to develop and select the methods by which they will operate based on their available resources and unique situation and context.
Frequently Asked Questions – Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program
The principles of the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program are grounded in the values being established for the Canadian soccer community to guide the behaviour of all organizations and can be utilized to inform choices, establish impacts, and drive outcomes. The Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program Principles are as follows:
Elements of the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program
To achieve the goals and align to the principles, the Club Licensing Program requires a broader scope than simply classifying organizations into different categories. Beyond classification, which is a traditional staple of licensing and charter programs, the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program also includes elements of development and appraisal, which will be described in greater detail in the resources below.
Canada Soccer outlines return to soccer guidelines. The return to soccer guidelines provide member organizations with a five-step process, including a checklist of weighted questions known as the Return to Soccer Assessment Tool.
