Ontario Soccer’s Provincial Xcel Program is a key outcome of the Talented Player Pathway and Long-Term Player Development, providing players a bridge to high-performance organizations in Ontario and Canada at the collegiate, national and even professional levels. These programs include post-secondary institutions, Toronto FC Academy, Canada Soccer’s National Development Centre, National Youth Teams and much more.
TFC Academy and Canada Soccer’s National Development Centre is where the 2024 Provincial Showcase started this year, pitting the U16 Provincial Teams against top-level programs in the same age group, in a best-on-best competition.
"Ontario Soccer’s Provincial Xcel program continues to promote our deep talent pools to next level environments. The two Under-16 team’s performances over the weekend was of a very high standard, despite their limited time together, and was further accentuated by the many strong showings by multiple players that has placed them on Canada Soccer’s radar for tracking and selection consideration," said Matt Ferreira, Ontario Soccer’s Development Director.
A key goal of the Provincial Xcel Program is to promote Ontario’s talents to next level environments and this year’s program, for Under-16 and Under-17's, was boosted by purposefully integrating post-secondary scouts and coaches. This spirit of Talent Identification, stemming from the previous outdoor season through to the Provincial Screening Competition, capped the aforementioned Showcase with Canada Soccer staff present to take in the action.
On behalf of Canada Soccer, we are grateful to Ontario Soccer for organizing a seamless Team Ontario event, said Joey Lombardi, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Youth EXCEL Director & National Development Centre Ontario Director. The provinces dedication towards talent identification ensures a robust player pathway, aligning the development from grassroots, national licensed clubs to Youth National Team programs. Throughout the weekend, Team Ontario players showcased not only their individual skillset but also their competitive spirit in the exciting matches between Team Ontario and NDC Ontario. One of the core objectives of the Team Ontario weekend is to enhance scouting opportunities and amplify visibility to National team staff, a goal that has been realized through the seamless integration between Ontario Soccer and Canada Soccer. Thank you to Ontario Soccer for the continued support of National Team programming.
Ontario Kit Teaser
Ontario Kit Unveil
Also part of the kickoff weekend, was the unveiling of Ontario’s 2024 Provincial Xcel Showcase kits, which were designed by Ontario Soccer’s new apparel partner, O’Neills Sportswear.
Like how they look? Thanks to our partnership, O’Neil’s is also offering an exclusive offer to Ontario Soccer Membership to design custom kits for your Clubs. To learn more, visit O’Neil’s 2024 Club Collection to browse for inspiration, and their iCreate portal to design your Club’s custom jerseys today!
Ontario Soccer’s 2024 Provincial Xcel Showcase continues throughout the month of May. The U14 teams will play an all-star series with the best players in the province, while the remaining groups, the U15’s and U17’s, will participate in a showcase series against Soccer Québec’s Provincial Teams at the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre in Vaughan, Ontario from May 17-19.
To view the full Showcase schedule, visit ontariosoccer.net/provincial-program.