Vaughan, Ontario – Ontario Soccer is proud to unveil its new Technical Development Plan for 2025–2036, a bold and forward-thinking strategy designed to elevate the standard of soccer across the province and position Ontario as a national and international leader in the development of the game.
The 12-year roadmap builds on the foundation and successes of previous initiatives and introduces a modernized, evidence-based framework that aligns with global best practices while addressing the unique needs of Ontario’s diverse soccer community.
“This plan represents a transformative moment for soccer in Ontario. It’s about building a system that nurtures talent, supports our leaders, and unites our communities through the beautiful game,” said Matt Ferreira, Director of Development, Ontario Soccer. Ontario Soccer. “And it comes at a huge moment for soccer in our country with the World Cup coming to Toronto next summer.”
To ideate the plan, extensive stakeholder consultation was executed. A survey was made available to the membership which received over 1,000 respondents as well as meetings with over 100 leaders from the community and broader international community.
The Key Pillars of the Plan Include:
The Player: Seek to provide relevant development opportunities with child-appropriate formats, more modalities of soccer, and build more robust platforms for talent to progress to higher levels of the game – supporting players of all abilities and ambitions, from grassroots through to high performance.
The Coach: Building a learning experience that expands on a formal education portfolio that reflects the realities of sport and adult learning, increases knowledge of soccer and its modalities, while also looking to provide more structured, informal learning networks.
The Match Official: Restructuring the learning and performance pathway for referee development to establish more clarity around progression, stimulate local support networks and ensure stronger integration with coaches & players in service of the game – all with a view to enhance retention through better experiences.
The Club: Build community by shifting focus from a transactional to transformational culture by making education courses for all leaders, professionals and volunteers accessible and providing critical resources to enhance efficiencies and programming.
The Competition: Create diversified opportunities for all stakeholders to compete in meaningful ways through soccer and its modalities, set minimum standards for all programming as well as making tools and resources available to deliver quality experiences, consistently.
“Building on the many initiatives established over the past 20 years, Ontario Soccer has been a leader in sport in Canada. This plan, focusing on these core pillars, will seek to leave an integrated system that inspires collaboration and unified efforts towards common goals,” added Matt Ferreira.
Ontario Soccer has already begun rolling out the first phase of the plan, after province-wide consultations, pilot programs and educational workshops.
For more information and to view the full Technical Development Plan, visit www.ontariosoccer.net.
Media Contact(s)
Ben Lungo
Manager, Digital Strategy and Communications
Ontario Soccer
blungo@ontariosoccer.net
905-264-9390 x 255
About Ontario Soccer
Founded in 1901, Ontario Soccer is currently comprised of more than 500 Clubs servicing over 24,000 teams with 380,000 registered players, 70,000 coaches and managers, and 7,000 match officials, as well as countless volunteers, parents and supporters encompassing a direct, multi-cultural community of over 1,000,000 Ontarians.
Ontario Soccer develops and delivers exceptional and sustainable programs and services throughout Ontario with the mission of providing leadership and support for the advancement of soccer in collaboration and cooperation with our member District Associations and Clubs, partners and other stakeholders. Ontario Soccer owns and operates the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre in Vaughan, Ontario as well operating the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL); the province’s premier standards-based youth development program, as well as “Team Ontario”, Ontario Soccer’s Provincial Xcel program. Ontario Soccer proudly supports Canada Soccer’s National Teams, the Canadian Premier League, Toronto FC and the new Northern Super League.
The overall objective of Ontario Soccer, as a hub for Coach, Match Official and Player Development, is to be innovators and leaders in sport and to assist with the equitable development of soccer as a healthy lifestyle choice, provide a talented pathway for participants to excel and encourage inclusive community involvement at all levels.