.svg){kind=icon}
#PDP
Canada Soccer have confirmed the 28 squad lists for the inaugural edition of the Player-Development Program that will feature four youth divisions for boys and girls across the PDP U-17 Cup and PDP U-15 Cup. In all, 504 players will participate in the competition from 14 to 18 August at the Bill Gilhespy Soccer Complex in Edmonton, Alberta.
The 28 teams represent 21 clubs including former national youth champions Burnaby FC, Calgary Foothills SC, Calgary Villains FC, South Surrey’s Coastal FC, Coquitlam Metro Ford SC, CS Saint-Laurent, St. Albert Impact FC, Surrey United SC, and Unionville-Milliken SC. This marks the first time ever that Canada Soccer has hosted as many as 28 youth teams in one venue for a national competition.
Canada Soccer’s Player-Development Program Championship provides a terrific growth opportunity for Canada’s bright young players, both on and off the pitch. Canada Soccer’s Men’s and Women’s Youth National Teams staff will be on site to both watch the competition and present to participating players and coaches. These presentations will focus on the Youth National Teams player pathways, player profiles, playing philosophies, and training methodologies. The presentations will also offer an opportunity to players and coaches to interact and ask questions directly from Youth National Teams staff.
Across the competition, Canada Soccer will offer match analysis for both teams and individual players with the support of Sports AI, a company that helps football teams analyzing their performance and enhance their decision making. The match analysis will provide coaches and their staff with the opportunity to better support team and player development. It will also provide players with the opportunity to review their performances and even produce scouting packages drawn from their matches against national-level opposition. At the competition, clubs will be provided with on-site support from Sports AI to ensure that coaches and players can maximize the use of the data provided.
Alongside the 504 players, Canada Soccer have also appointed 18 men’s and women’s match officials from the Elite Development Program. The 18 Canada Soccer referees will be supported by 20 additional referees appointed by Alberta Soccer and its Referee Development Committee.
In all, 50 matches will be played across the four divisions at the Bill Gilhespy Soccer Complex, with the four championship matches played in succession on Sunday 18 August. The 28 participating teams have qualified from a pool of 155 youth teams competing in the U-17 and U-15 age groups through the BC Soccer Premier League, the Alberta Player Development League, the Ontario Player-Development League, and the Québec Youth Soccer Premier League (Première Ligue de Soccer Juvénile du Québec).
Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.universe.com/events/player-development-program-championship-tickets-9D6BQP. Admission to youth (17 years or younger) and seniors (60 years or older) is free.
Alongside the Canadian Championship for professional and semi-professional clubs, Canada Soccer delivers annual national amateur competitions in April (Futsal Canadian Championship), August (Player-Development Program Championship) and October (Toyota National Championships). Alberta Soccer will serve as the hosts and Local Organising Committee for the inaugural edition of Canada Soccer’s Player-Development Program Championship.
Canada Soccer’s Player-Development Program features a network of standards-based programs that represent high-level amateur youth soccer in Canada. Participating organisations, both clubs and academies, all meet the requirements for standards-based programming including recognition as an active National Youth Club Licensee.
Share Article