Canada Soccer’s Development Department has released its schedule of Coach Education offerings for 2020. The schedule will include seven Youth Licence courses, six Children’s Licence courses, in addition to A and B Licence offerings. The courses will include blended learning for the first time with an online-only option for the Canada Soccer B Licence.
The expanded course offerings follow a year in which Canada Soccer rolled out its first full complement of Children’s Licence offerings with nine courses running from coast-to-coast including a French language course. The Children’s Licence was piloted in 2018 before being rolled out similar to the Youth Licence, both licences are a core component of new coach education requirements as part of the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program.
As part of the 2020 Coach Education schedule, Canada Soccer has also announced an Executive Leadership program which will be offered to National Youth Club Licence holders in Ontario before expanding in 2021 as well as a late-2020 Canada Soccer Pro Licence pilot cohort.
“Coaches across the country now have access to a full complement of professional development training through the Canada Soccer Coach Education program,” said Jason deVos, Canada Soccer’s Director of Development. “In addition, the continued expansion of the coach education offering including a move to online learning, expanded coach mentorship opportunities, mentorship programing for female coaches, and a robust standards framework in the form of the National Club Licensing Program are all part of our commitment to ensure safe, developmentally appropriate environments for our young players.”
Coach education initiatives in 2019 included an A Licence female mentorship program that was facilitated with the aim of ensuring access to quality learning facilitation for coaches who aspire to gain professional development for their own player development environments. In addition, a Canada Soccer-facilitated Aboriginal C Licence run on Vancouver Island took place in 2019.
2020 Coach Education Schedule *To register visit: https://www.canadasoccer.com/coach-education-program-application-p162004*
Canada Soccer Children’s Licence
Children's Licence 1 - Langley, BC (May 29-31, August 21-23, November 20-22)
Children's Licence 2 - St. Albert, AB (April 3-5 & August 7-9) & Calgary, AB (June 12-14)
Children's Licence 3 - Oakville, ON (May 22-24, August 14-16, October 23-35)
Children's Licence 4 - Pickering, ON (May 22-24, August 14-16, October 23-35)
Children's Licence 5 - Laval, QC (delivered in French) (February 20-22, July 7-10, December 3-4)
Children's Licence 6 - Laval, QC (delivered in French) (January 30 - February 1, June 30 - July 3, November 5-6
Youth Licence 1 - Langley, BC (2020 dates - March 20-22, June 19-21, December 4-6; 2021 dates - February 19-21, March 19-21)
Youth Licence 2 - Calgary/Edmonton, AB (2020 dates - Calgary - March 27-29; Edmonton - July 24-26, September 25-27; 2021 dates - Calgary - March 19-21, April 23-25)
Youth Licence 3 - Oakville, ON (2020 dates - April 24-26, July 24-26, October 16-18; 2021 dates - April 23-25, July 23-25)
Youth Licence 4 - Whitby, ON (2020 dates - April 24-26, July 24-26, October 16-18; 2021 dates - April 23-25, July 23-25)
Youth Licence 5 - Vaughan, ON (2020 dates - May 22-24, July 3-5, August 28-30; 2021 dates - April 23-25, July 23-25)
Youth Licence 6 - Laval, QC (delivered in French - 2020 dates - March 27-29, July 14-17, November 10-13; 2021 dates - February 18-21)
Youth Licence 7 - Laval, QC (delivered in French - 2020 dates - June 1-3, September 29-October 2; 2021 dates - February 2-5, April 22-25)
B Licence 1 - Saskatoon, SK (July 12-17)
B Licence 2 - Online only video mentorship
The A Licence involves monthly online modules that begin in December 2020 and concludes with a 5-day residential workshop in Burnaby, BC in late (Nov/Dec) 2021.
Canada Soccer’s Development Department is responsible for amateur player, coach, club and leadership development programming at the grassroots of the game in Canada. Through its facilitation of the National Club Licensing Program and coach education programming, the department works to ensure that soccer participants of all abilities are provided to play the game highest level to which they aspire for as long as they wish to participate in the sport.