Building a pathway for women coaches through education and support
#CANMNT
01 Jun 2026
21:00 EDT
Uzbekistan
#CANMNT
05 Jun 2026
19:30 EDT
Ireland
AccelerateHER
Coach
Overview
A strategic initiative to foster gender equity within Canada Soccer’s advanced coaching landscape, AccelerateHER invests in the development of women coaches in Canada.
The program provides financial support for advanced coaching opportunities, with each year taking a unique approach to address the evolving needs and priorities of women pursuing advanced coach education. Funding may be directed toward different aspects of development each year, ensuring participants have meaningful pathways to grow their skills, gain experience, and advance their coaching careers.
Program Journey
Year 1
2024-2025
AccelerateHER increased women’s participation in advanced coach education by supporting 50 women in Canada Soccer’s Advanced Coach Education Diploma (A, B, Children’s, and Goalkeeper streams) through individual grants and by funding five all-women CONCACAF C Diploma workshops nationwide.
Year 2
2025-2026
The program further advanced gender equity by fully funding an all-women CONCACAF B Diploma delivered entirely by women coach developers, supporting 36 women through comprehensive course funding, mentorship, travel bursaries, and a blended learning model offered in both official languages.
Year 3 – 2026-2027
All-Women's Children's Diploma
Year 3 will emphasize grassroots coaching with the inaugural, fully funded All-Women's Children's Diploma—a first for Canada Soccer—alongside the delivery of three all-women C Diplomas. The Children's Diploma will enable 20 women coaches to complete the program free of charge in a dedicated women-only learning environment, with each participant receiving a $500 travel bursary to help reduce financial barriers.
20 Women Coaches
Complete the program free of charge
$500 Travel Bursary
For each participant to reduce financial barriers
Women-Only Environment
Dedicated learning space designed for women
First for Canada Soccer
Inaugural all-women Children’s Diploma
Developing Future Leaders
Diploma Overview
Boost your impact in Grassroots development by earning a specialized coaching diploma designed to raise the profile of coaching in Grassroots. This advanced program deepens your understanding of the complete developmental needs of young players—on and off the field.
Through this diploma, coaches will gain enriched knowledge in the holistic development of children and Grassroots Programming, including technical development, physical literacy, psychological well-being, and social connection. You’ll learn, child-centered coaching methods that inspire confidence, nurture creativity, and build a lifelong love for the game.
Priority Acceptance: Preference is given to applicants actively coaching in u8 – u13 environments.
Course at a Glance
Duration
3 days
(September 27th – 30th)
Cost
Fully Funded
Start Date
September 27th, 2026
Validity
3 Years
(Renewable via Maintenance Process)
Prerequisites
To apply, you must meet all the following criteria:
Licence
Completed Online Theory and Practical Grassroots Workshops training for Active Start, Fundamentals, and Learn to Train.
Role
Currently coaching or Leading Grassroots programming U13 and below
Clearance
Valid Criminal Record Check.
Duration
12 Months (120 Hours)
Course Details
Format & Attendance
- In-Person:
Two workshops (3.5 days each) comprising classroom and field work - Online:
A mix of self-paced (asynchronous) and collaborative (synchronous) learning - Attendance Policy:
Coaches must attend 100% of all sessions to be licenced - Language:
This Diploma will be offered and delivered in English
Fees (Fully Funded)
Includes:
- Free entry into the Diploma
- $500 travel bursary
- Ongoing mentor support throughout the course
- Full access to all course content
- In-person classroom and field rentals
- Use of course delivery tools for in-person, online asynchronous, and online synchronous sessions
- Canada Soccer-branded Nike equipment (excluding boots and trainers)
Additional Fees:
Coaches will be required to cover any additional costs of travel, accommodations, and meals when attending the in-person sessions. Any costs associated with video recording of practical coaching sessions will be at the coach’s expense.
The AccelerateHER Children’s Diploma is now accepting applications through May 1, 2026. Register or log in to the Canada Soccer Learning Hub below to apply and give young athletes the tools they need to succeed.
Apply now