Association adds Para Soccer prize to annual player awards

The Canadian Soccer Association has announced that it will honour a Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year for the first time in 2012. The award winner will be announced on Friday 7 December.

The introduction of the Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year award coincides with the 20th year of the Canada Soccer Player Awards as well as the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Soccer Association. The 2012 winner will be selected by the Canadian Para Soccer coaching staff.

The annual Canada Soccer Player Awards now recognizes the BMO Canadian Players of the Year, the Canadian U-20 Players of the Year, the Canadian U-17 Players of the Year, and the Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year.

Canada’s Para Soccer team features players who have cerebral palsy or have had a stroke or brain injury. Athletes that are interested in Canada’s Para Soccer team may contact head coach Ferguson at dferguson@soccercan.ca.

Since 2004, the Canadian Para Soccer program has participated in the biennial CP-ISRA World Championship and qualification for both the quadrennial Paralympics and quadrennial Parapanamerican Games. In 2007, Canada won bronze at the Parapanamerican Games in Rio, Brazil.