Canada Soccer unveils updated Coach Education Pathway and expanded 2019 Coach Education Schedule

Canada Soccer has announced the dates for its expanded 2019 Coach Education Licence Program schedule. As part of its focus on grassroots development, the program includes new age and stage specific offerings, as well as plans for updated and expanded offerings for coaches working in the top development environments across the country, including the professional club environment.
 
For the first time ever, Canada Soccer will provide coach education for coaches working with children and youth through the Children’s Licence, for coaches working with players aged 5-12 and the Youth Licence for coaches working with players 13-18.

“Our Coach Education and Player Development programming underpins the strength of the sport of soccer in our country by ensuring that everyone who plays the game has the best opportunity to aspire to a level that is appropriate for them,” said Canada Soccer General Secretary Peter Montopoli. “Our coaches not only help young players fall in love with the game and foster a healthy lifestyle and spirit of competition, but, they are also responsible for developing the next generation of talent to reach the international stage of the world’s game.”
 
The schedule includes a full complement of nine Children’s Licence course opportunities following the successful pilot program last summer. In addition, a pilot of Canada Soccer’s Youth Licence and three B Licence courses, as well as the remaining A Licence Part 2 course dates were announced.
 
“These updated course offerings will allow us to evolve our Coach Education offerings to meet the need for all of the environments in which players are developing,” said Canada Soccer’s Director of Development Jason DeVos. “With these new offerings, we will ensure that age and stage appropriate training is being delivered by experts not only in technical and tactical development, but in social, emotional, and psychological development with support from leading researchers and coach educators from across the country and internationally.”
 
Canada Soccer has also recently unveiled the development of the Canada Soccer Pro Licence and is currently rewriting the A Licence program scheduled for launch in 2020.
 
“These changes are vital to the development of Canadian coaches to provide them with the tools they need to train and develop players in the specific environments and realities that our Canadian reality demands,” deVos said.