Canada Soccer – Canada Soccer’s Development Department continues to evolve its Coach Education offerings. As part of updating its A Licence program with a revamped curriculum launching in 2020, the program has recently announced that three leading Canadian female soccer coaches will enter a unique Canada Soccer A Licence mentorship program in August. In addition, the program has recently completed two on-going A Licence courses, including its first-ever French course in Laval, QC, and in Vaughan, ON.
 
“Providing Canadian soccer players with a developmentally appropriate playing environment is vital to the continued growth of the sport in this country,” said Jason deVos, Director of Development at Canada Soccer. “By taking a proactive approach to develop the best female coaches and updating and expanding our coach education offerings, we will ensure that girls and boys across the country continue to be provided with the best soccer experience from the grassroots through to our National Teams.”
 
Former Women’s National Team player and current West Ottawa Soccer Club Technical Director Kristina Kiss, Grassroots lead at Regina, SK-based Queen City Soccer Club, Astrid Baecker and Winnipeg, MB-based St. Charles Soccer Association Technical Director Tonya Derkson will enter the unique A Licence mentorship program. Led by Director of Development Jason deVos with ongoing support from Manager, Coach Education Stuart Neely, the program seeks to provide a guided learning environment for full-time coaches unable to commit to the A Licence program schedule due to their ongoing coaching commitments.
 
The mentorship program highlights changes being made to ensure that coaches have access to programing that meets their schedule while prioritizing guided learning for elite women’s coaches in the country. In its 2019-2021 Canada Soccer National Strategic Plan, Canada Soccer made online and blended learning a priority for its Development Department and plans to unveil a community stream online learning pilot in 2020.
 
Canada Soccer is also currently hosting two B Licence courses across the country, in Vaughan, ON, and Burnaby, BC.
 
After launching the Children’s Licence in 2018 as a pilot program, nine Children’s Licence Courses are underway across the country in Ottawa, London/Waterloo, and Pickering, ON, Halifax, NS, Saskatoon, SK, Calgary/Edmonton, AB, Winnipeg, MB, Burnaby, BC, and a French language course in Laval, QC. In 2019, the Canada Soccer Youth Licence will launch as a pilot in August and September in Vaughan, ON before rolling out across the country in 2020.
 
As previously announced, the Development Department will unveil a Canada Soccer Pro Licence pilot in 2020. All of the expanded offerings are supplemental to the entry-level Canada Soccer C Licence which is delivered in partnership with Canada Soccer’s Provincial and Territorial Member Associations.