Perseverance, elation, joy and a rejuvenated sense of togetherness were the sentiments echoed by attendees of the ‘comeback edition’ of the Ontario Soccer Summit.

The event, which was co-hosted by the Eastern Ontario District Soccer Association and headlined by co-presenting partners FuboTV and Respect in Sport, and supported by a record-breaking cast of event partners, sold out in record time.

Many factors contributed to the event’s success, including a line-up of world-class speakers, which was headlined by Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach, John Herdman, who inspired attendees at his keynote speech on Saturday morning with tales from his personal and professional experience, challenging the audience to always pursue their personal best.

Attendees were also treated to incredible keynote speeches from Matt Young - an award winning expert in turning Long Term Athlete Development from academic theory into viable sport operating systems – and Olympian Allison Forsyth – a trailblazer and the face of the Safe Sport movement in Canada.

Additional presenters included representatives from FIFA, Concacaf, Atlético de Madrid, the Canadian Premier League, Canada Soccer, League1 Ontario, Quebec Soccer, Manitoba Soccer Association, Toronto FC and much, much more.

Peter Augruso, Ontario Soccer’s President and Chair of the Board of Directors, and Johnny Misley, Ontario Soccer’s CEO, announced that the 2024 Ontario Soccer Summit will be co-hosted by the York Region Soccer Association.

“This year’s Ontario Soccer Summit was an incredible success that sold out in record time and we’re excited to see how the Ontario Soccer Membership and York Region soccer community will support next year’s event,” said Misley.

More details around next year’s event, including dates and specific locations, will be released in the coming weeks.

Didn’t get a chance to attend the 2023 Ontario Soccer Summit? Don’t worry – Ontario Soccer recorded select Summit sessions which will be released in the coming weeks.

Follow Ontario Soccer’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram channels over the coming days to see additional coverage from the weekend and use #OntarioSoccerSummit to keep the conversations and memories going.

“We would like to thank all our stakeholders from partners, to speakers, to Clubs, to volunteers, to service providers and much more, who supported us in putting on this record, precedent-setting event,” added Misley. “We could not have done it without each and every last one of you, and are eternally grateful for your support and trust.”

As we wrapped up the 2023 Ontario Soccer Summit, we spoke to a few attendees about their impressions of the event in a four part series. The episodes can be viewed below: